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Claude Code

TL;DR

Claude Code is Anthropic's official AI coding CLI, released in 2025. It runs in your terminal, reads and edits files in your project, executes shell commands, and uses MCP servers to extend its capabilities. It's an MCP host purpose-built for software engineering workflows.

In depth

Claude Code is a command-line AI coding assistant developed by Anthropic. Unlike IDE-integrated tools (Cursor, Copilot), Claude Code runs natively in any terminal and is designed for long autonomous coding sessions: plan a feature, edit files, run tests, debug, iterate — all without switching contexts.

It's a first-class MCP host. Configure MCP servers in `.claude.json` at the project root, and Claude Code spawns them at launch. Filesystem access, GitHub operations, Supabase queries, Playwright tests — all happen via MCP tool calls. The tight CLI loop + MCP ecosystem makes it exceptionally powerful for real software work.

Claude Code is priced separately from Claude API usage and supports both Anthropic API keys and OAuth (Claude Max subscription). It ships with built-in tools (file edit, bash, web search, terminal) and extends via MCP servers for everything else.

Popular use cases: implementing features end-to-end, refactoring large codebases, running experiments, automating CI diagnostics, and orchestrating multi-agent workflows via sub-agents.

Code example

# Install Claude Code
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

# Run in any project
cd ~/my-project
claude

# Configure MCP servers in .claude.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "."]
    },
    "github": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github"]
    }
  }
}

Examples

  • 1
    `claude 'implement the login feature'` — Claude plans and executes
  • 2
    Claude Code using the GitHub MCP to open a PR when done
  • 3
    Claude Code running Playwright tests via the Playwright MCP
  • 4
    Claude Code calling the Supabase MCP to inspect and modify a schema
  • 5
    Nanobot Enterprise running as an MCP server consumable by Claude Code

What it's NOT

  • ✗Claude Code is NOT a replacement for IDEs — it runs in terminal alongside your IDE.
  • ✗Claude Code does NOT include MCP servers — you configure them separately.
  • ✗Claude Code is NOT free-tier — it requires an Anthropic API key or Claude Max subscription.
  • ✗Claude Code is NOT web-only — it runs locally and accesses your actual filesystem.

Related terms

MCP HostModel Context Protocol (MCP)AI AgentCursorWindsurf

See also

  • Claude Code Docs

Frequently asked questions

Is Claude Code free?

No — requires either an Anthropic API key (pay-per-use) or a Claude Max subscription (OAuth flow at $200/mo as of 2025).

Which models does Claude Code use?

Claude Sonnet 4 and Claude Opus 4 by default. You can pick per-session. Opus is slower but better at long autonomous work.

Can I use MCP servers with Claude Code?

Yes — Claude Code is a first-class MCP host. Configure servers in `.claude.json` and they load at launch.

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