Terminal, desktop, web or IDE: which Claude Code surface should you use?

Use the desktop app if you don't live in a terminal and want to see changes visually. Use the terminal if you want the full feature set, scripting or automation. Use an IDE extension if your developer already works in VS Code or a JetBrains editor. Use the web, at claude.ai/code, for long tasks on a GitHub repository that should keep running after you close your laptop.

They are not different products. Anthropic's docs say "Each surface connects to the same underlying Claude Code engine, so your repo's CLAUDE.md files, settings, and MCP servers work across all of them." The difference is how you see and steer the work, where the code runs, and a few features that exist on one surface but not another.

This guide compares the four main surfaces as of October 2026, then covers mobile, integrations like Slack and Chrome, and how to move a session from one surface to another.

The four surfaces at a glance

Quotes are from Anthropic's platforms and integrations page, checked October 14, 2026. If you are new to the tool itself, start with what Claude Code is.

Terminal (CLI)

The CLI is Claude Code in a command-line window. You type claude in a project folder and work in text. It has the widest feature set, including scripted runs with -p (non-interactive mode, formerly called headless), every permission mode, and the Agent SDK.

• Install: Anthropic's native installer is recommended and updates itself in the background. Homebrew, WinGet and npm (Node.js 22 or later) also work.
• Requirements: macOS 13.0 or later, Windows 10 1809 or later, Ubuntu 20.04 or later, Debian 10 or later, or Alpine Linux 3.19 or later, with 4 GB of RAM or more and an internet connection.
• Windows note: Git for Windows is recommended so Claude can use Bash; without it, Claude Code uses PowerShell. The OS-level sandbox for commands is not supported on native Windows, but works under WSL 2.

Suits: developers, and anyone who wants to automate work, run Claude Code on a server or connect it to CI. It is also the place for checks that run before every deploy, which we cover in Claude Code in GitHub Actions for website QA.

Limits: no visual diff by default, and nothing to click. Anthropic's terminal guide walks first-timers through it if you want to try.

Desktop app (Code tab)

The Claude desktop app has three tabs: Chat, Cowork and Code. The Code tab is Claude Code with a graphical interface. Anthropic's quickstart says it lets you "ask Claude to work on the code in a folder on your computer and review its changes without using a terminal." It includes Claude Code, so you don't need to install Node.js or the CLI.

• Platforms: macOS (Intel and Apple Silicon), Windows x64 and Windows ARM64. Linux is in beta on Ubuntu and Debian.
• Account: "A paid subscription is required." It does not work with an API key alone.
• What you get: a visual diff you can review and comment on, a preview pane for your running site, an integrated terminal and file editor, file and image attachments, several sessions side by side, and a choice of Local, Cloud or SSH for where Claude runs.
• Permission modes: the selector shows Manual, Accept edits, Plan and Auto. Bypass mode appears only if it is enabled in settings on Pro and Max, or by organization policy on Team and Enterprise. Leave it off for any real site.

Limits: "Desktop is interactive only," so there are no scripted runs. Agent teams and inline code suggestions are not available there.

Suits: non-developers, reviewers and anyone who wants to see each change before accepting it. Anthropic's own tip: "use Desktop when you want to manage parallel sessions in one window, arrange panes side by side, or review changes visually. Use the CLI when you need scripting, automation, or prefer a terminal workflow." For what a non-developer can safely do here, see can non-developers use Claude Code. Anthropic's desktop docs cover every feature.

IDE extensions: VS Code and JetBrains

VS Code

The VS Code extension puts Claude Code in a panel inside the editor. It needs VS Code 1.94.0 or later and any paid Claude plan or a Console account. The extension bundles its own copy of the CLI. Anthropic lists what it adds: you can "review and edit Claude's plans before accepting them, auto-accept edits as they're made, @-mention files with specific line ranges," and open several conversations in tabs. It also installs in Cursor and other VS Code-based editors. If you are weighing Cursor itself, see our Claude Code vs Cursor comparison.

JetBrains

The JetBrains plugin works with IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, Android Studio, WebStorm, PhpStorm and GoLand. It shows changes in the IDE's diff viewer, shares your current selection with Claude, and lets Claude read the IDE's lint and syntax errors. Unlike the VS Code extension, it does not bundle the CLI, so you install that separately. Its settings entry still reads "Claude Code [Beta]," although the docs page carries no beta label.

Suits: developers who already work in these editors and want Claude Code's changes next to their code.

Web: cloud sessions at claude.ai/code

A cloud session runs on cloud machines instead of your computer. Anthropic's cloud sessions page says it "keeps running after you close your laptop, and you can check on it or steer it from any device."

• Plans: "Cloud sessions are available on Pro, Max, and Team plans, and for Enterprise users with premium seats or Chat + Claude Code seats." If you are on a newer Enterprise contract, confirm with Anthropic, because those older seat names no longer apply to new contracts.
• Cost: usage counts toward your plan's limits, and "there's no separate charge for the cloud VM."
• Code: "repository cloning and pull request creation require GitHub." A GitLab or Bitbucket repository can be sent as a bundle, but the session can't push results back.
• Network: each session runs in a cloud environment that controls network access, environment variables and setup scripts.
• Watch for: if your organization restricts Claude by IP allowlist, Anthropic-hosted cloud sessions fail with an authentication error until Anthropic support exempts them.

Suits: teams with code on GitHub who want to hand off a well-defined task, such as "fix every broken internal link and open a pull request," and review the pull request later. Because the work arrives as a pull request, a person can review it before anything merges or deploys. If your site deploys from GitHub, our guide to deploying GitHub projects to Vercel covers the deploy side.

Mobile, Slack, Chrome and other integrations

• Mobile: there is no separate Claude Code app. Anthropic says cloud sessions and Remote Control "both live in the Code tab in the Claude app" for iOS and Android. It is for starting and checking on tasks, not detailed review.
• Remote Control: steer a session running on your own computer from your phone or browser. Your files stay on your machine.
• Slack: the per-user Claude Code in Slack answers @mentions from Pro and Max accounts. Team and Enterprise plans use Claude Tag, an organization-managed @Claude.
• Chrome: Claude in Chrome lets Claude use your logged-in browser to test pages or fill forms. It is generally available on direct Anthropic plans as of October 2026.
• CI: GitHub Actions and GitLab CI/CD (GitLab's integration is in beta and maintained by GitLab) run Claude Code in your pipeline.

Anthropic's glossary notes that "Slack and the Chrome extension are integrations that connect to a surface rather than surfaces themselves."

Moving between surfaces

You can mix surfaces on one project. Anthropic says "Configuration, project memory, and MCP servers are shared across the local surfaces." A few ways to move work:

• /desktop in the terminal moves a CLI session into the desktop app (macOS and x64 Windows, with a subscription sign-in).
• claude --cloud sends a task from your terminal to a cloud session.
• /teleport pulls a cloud session back into your local terminal.

One caution from our own work: two sessions on the same site can overwrite each other. When we rebuilt eseospace.com, one session regenerated pages another had just edited, and the edits disappeared. Check the git history for changes you didn't make before any deploy, whichever surface you used.

Which surface for which person

Every surface uses the same plan and usage limits, so the surface doesn't change the price. Our Claude Code pricing guide covers what each plan includes.

Conclusion

Pick the surface that matches how the person works, not the one with the most features. Desktop suits non-developers and reviewers, the CLI suits automation, IDE extensions suit developers in their editor, and the web suits hand-off tasks on GitHub. The same rules apply everywhere: a copy of the site in git, plan mode for big changes, and a person who reviews before anything deploys. If you are rolling Claude Code out to a team and want help choosing surfaces, permissions and a review process, our Claude Code consulting covers that setup. More guides are in our Claude Code Guide.

Frequently asked questions