Choose Your Editor
You need a code editor. This is the application Claude Code runs inside. All three are free.
Pick ONE. If you are not sure, choose VS Code.
VS Code — recommended
Section titled “VS Code — recommended”Windows and Mac. Most documented, most stable, largest community. This is what we use and what we recommend.
Cursor
Section titled “Cursor”Built on VS Code with additional AI features. Works identically for our purposes.
Antigravity
Section titled “Antigravity”Google’s free AI-focused editor. Also works identically for our purposes.
You only need one
Section titled “You only need one”Do not install all three. If you already installed more than one, that is fine — pick one to use and ignore the rest. You can uninstall the others whenever you like.
For why this tier of tool matters at all — and what Claude Cowork and Claude Projects can and cannot do instead — see Where Your Agent Can Live.
After downloading
Section titled “After downloading”Mac: Open your Downloads folder. Drag the app into Applications. Open it from Launchpad — the rocket icon on your dock.
Windows: Run the installer from Downloads and follow the prompts. It appears in your Start menu when finished.
Open the editor once to confirm it runs. You should see a mostly empty window with a sidebar on the left. Close it for now.
Install Whispr Flow — or skip to Install Claude Code if you would rather type than talk.