Claude Code review

Q: How do I install Claude Code?

Run curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash. It needs Node.js >=22.0.0. The install section above has the other options from the project's README.

Claude Code is Anthropic's agentic coding tool that reads your codebase, edits files, runs commands, and handles git workflows through natural language.

Updated Nov 1, 2026. Review written Oct 25, 2026 from the project's own sources; usage data refreshed every Monday.

TL;DR

Claude Code is an agentic coding tool from Anthropic that works in your terminal, IDE, desktop app, and browser. Claude Code is for developers who want an AI assistant that understands the whole codebase and works across multiple files and tools. Claude Code can be extended with plugins that add custom commands and agents.

154.1kGitHub stars
+954new stars, week of Oct 25
~11.6Mdownloads a week, −20% vs 4-week avg
#92in Coding agents this week

Claude Code at a glance

Category: Coding agents
Maintained by: Anthropic (organization, @anthropics on GitHub)
Language: TypeScript, Python, Shell
Repository: github.com/anthropics/claude-code
Website: code.claude.com/docs/en/overview
npm package: @anthropic-ai/claude-code 2.1.310
Latest release: v2.1.310 on GitHub, Oct 23, 2026
First published: Feb 22, 2025

What Claude Code does

Claude Code reads your codebase, edits files, and runs terminal commands from natural language instructions.
Claude Code explains complex code and executes routine tasks such as building features and fixing bugs.
Claude Code handles git workflows, and you can tag @claude on GitHub.
Claude Code supports plugins that extend it with custom commands and agents.
Claude Code connects to MCP servers, including a config file passed with --mcp-config.
Claude Code can run Bash commands in a sandbox on macOS and Linux, with configurable file protections.
Claude Code emits OpenTelemetry events when permission rules, hooks, or the sandbox stop or prompt a tool call.

How it works

Claude Code installs a `claude` command that you run inside a project directory. It is also available as IDE extensions for VS Code and JetBrains, a desktop app, and on the web. Most surfaces use a Claude subscription or Anthropic Console account. The terminal CLI, VS Code, and JetBrains also support third-party providers. Release notes mention Bedrock, Vertex, and Foundry.

How to install and start using Claude Code

macOS, Linux, WSL (recommended)

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Windows PowerShell (recommended)

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

With Homebrew

brew install --cask claude-code

Requirements

A Claude subscription or Anthropic Console account for most surfaces, or a supported third-party provider for the CLI, VS Code, and JetBrains.
Node.js 22.0.0 or later for the npm package.
macOS, Linux, WSL, or Windows.

First steps

Install Claude Code with the command for your system, then open a new terminal window.
Run claude --version to confirm the install. A working installation prints a version number.
Navigate to your project directory and run claude.
Use the /bug command inside Claude Code to report issues.

Who Claude Code is for

Developers who want an AI coding agent that works from the terminal on a whole codebase.
Teams using VS Code or JetBrains IDEs who want an agent inside the editor.
Teams that want code review on pull requests or Claude running in their own CI.
Organizations that route model access through Bedrock, Vertex, or Foundry.

Limitations to know

Installation via npm is deprecated. Use the native installer, Homebrew, or WinGet instead.
Claude Code collects usage data, conversation data, and /bug feedback.
Most surfaces require a Claude subscription or Anthropic Console account.
Linux sandbox option allowNestedUserNamespaces lets commands get around the sandbox's file protections.

Is Claude Code growing? Usage data

In the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, Claude Code ranked #291 on the Devtoolwatch Board and #92 in Coding agents, with a momentum score of 32 out of 100. Its main package had about 11.6M downloads that week, −20% against its own 4-week average.

New GitHub stars per week for the last 12 weeks, from GitHub's stargazer history (today's stargazers by the week they starred).

Show the weekly numbers

New GitHub stars per week for Claude Code
Week of	New stars
Aug 9, 2026	944
Aug 16, 2026	1.2k
Aug 23, 2026	892
Aug 30, 2026	856
Sep 6, 2026	753
Sep 13, 2026	2k
Sep 20, 2026	1.5k
Sep 27, 2026	1.1k
Oct 4, 2026	1.1k
Oct 11, 2026	1.8k
Oct 18, 2026	1.6k
Oct 25, 2026	954

On Hacker News

Issue: Claude Code is unusable for complex engineering tasks with Feb updates, 1364 points and 753 comments (Apr 6, 2026)
HERMES.md in commit messages causes requests to route to extra usage billing, 1251 points and 531 comments (Apr 29, 2026)
Claude says “You're absolutely right!” about everything, 773 points and 533 comments (Aug 13, 2025)
Pro Max 5x quota exhausted in 1.5 hours despite moderate usage, 759 points and 660 comments (Apr 12, 2026)
Claude Code now reads AGENTS.md if there is no Claude.md, 741 points and 285 comments (Sep 18, 2026)

The Board ranks tools by four signals each week: new stars, new stars for the repo's size, added downloads and download growth beyond the market. How the ranking works.

Claude Code alternatives

Other AI coding agents on the Board in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, by momentum:

Coding agents ranked by momentum, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026
Rank	Tool	Stars	Downloads/wk
#1	CindyCindy is an open-source AI agent app for desktop and mobile that combines Claude Code, Codex and Pi across your connected devices.	8.8k	–
#2	OpenMausBotOpenMausBot is an open-source desktop chat app where each contact is a local Claude, Codex, or Grok CLI agent with its own computer.	9.6k	–
#3	OrcaOrca is a desktop agent development environment for running Claude Code, Codex, and other CLI coding agents in parallel, each in its own…	111.7k	–
#4	OpenBotOpenBot is an open-source, self-hosted template for AI coworkers that each get their own browser, files and granted tools, with every…	9.1k	–
#5	Agent ReachAgent Reach is a Python CLI that lets AI agents search and read platforms such as Twitter, Reddit, YouTube, GitHub, Bilibili and…	107.2k	–
#6	Skill RecorderSkill Recorder is a desktop app that records your on-screen work session and turns it into a reusable agent Skill or Automation.	5.6k	–

All AI coding agents, ranked

Recent Claude Code releases

v2.1.310, Oct 23, 2026
v2.1.309, Oct 22, 2026
v2.1.308, Oct 22, 2026
v2.1.307, Oct 21, 2026
v2.1.306, Oct 21, 2026

Claude Code FAQ

Is Claude Code free and open source?

Claude Code's code is on GitHub (anthropics/claude-code), but the repository doesn't declare a standard open-source license. Check its license file before using it commercially. Its website links to a pricing page: https://claude.com/pricing?utm_source=claude_code&utm_medium=docs&utm_content=overview_pricing.

How do I install Claude Code?

Run curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash. It needs Node.js >=22.0.0. The install section above has the other options from the project's README.

Is Claude Code still maintained?

Yes. The anthropics/claude-code repository was last updated on Oct 25, 2026, and the latest release, v2.1.310 on GitHub, came out on Oct 23, 2026.

How popular is Claude Code?

Claude Code has 154.1k GitHub stars as of Nov 1, 2026. It gained 954 new stars in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, against a 12-week average of 1.2k a week. Its main package had about 11.6M downloads that week, −20% against its own 4-week average. That made it #92 among AI coding agents on the Devtoolwatch Board.

Claude Code vs OpenCode: how do they compare?

Claude Code and OpenCode are both tracked by Devtoolwatch as AI coding agents. Claude Code has 154.1k GitHub stars and OpenCode has 223.6k. OpenCode is an open source AI coding agent that helps you write and run code in a terminal, desktop app, or IDE extension. OpenCode review.

What are the best alternatives to Claude Code?

Other AI coding agents on the Devtoolwatch Board in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, by momentum: Cindy (#1), OpenMausBot (#2), Orca (#3), OpenBot (#4), Agent Reach (#5). The alternatives table above has their numbers.

Is Claude Code an AI agent?

Yes. Claude Code is described as an agentic coding tool. It reads your codebase, edits files, runs commands, and integrates with development tools.

How do I use Claude Code in the terminal?

Claude Code runs in the terminal once installed. Navigate to your project directory and run claude, then give instructions in natural language.

Can I use Claude Code in VS Code?

Yes. Claude Code has an extension for Visual Studio Code, as well as support for JetBrains IDEs. Both also support third-party providers.

Is Claude Code different from Claude?

Claude Code is a coding tool that uses Claude, Anthropic's AI assistant, from your terminal and other surfaces. It works directly on your codebase, files, and commands.

Sources

Claude Code README badge

Maintainers can show the tool's weekly Board rank in their README:

[![Devtoolwatch](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/badge/claude-code.svg)](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/claude-code/)

How this page is made: Devtoolwatch writes each review from the project's README, releases, package metadata and website, with an AI model, then checks every claim against the source it cites and drops what the sources don't support. The numbers come from Devtoolwatch's daily GitHub snapshots, GitHub's stargazer history, and the npm and PyPI download APIs. Spotted an error? Email [email protected].