You have an idea for a tool for your business: a quote calculator, a client portal, a dashboard that brings your numbers together. You have heard about Claude Code, but the screenshots full of command lines made you close the tab. Yet how to use Claude Code without being a developer now has a simple answer: the tool is available in a desktop app and in the browser, and it understands requests written in plain language. This tutorial shows you how to install it, what it costs, and how to build your first tool step by step, with requests you can copy.
What is Claude Code, and why use it if you are not a developer?
Claude Code is the coding assistant from Anthropic, the company behind Claude. Where Claude, in its chat version, answers you with text, Claude Code takes action: it reads the files of a project, creates new ones, edits them, runs commands and checks that the result works. You describe what you want to achieve, it plans the work, writes the code and shows you what it did.
Why should an entrepreneur who does not code care? For three concrete reasons:
- Building custom tools instead of paying for yet another subscription to software that only half fits your needs: a pricing simulator, a sign-up form with a tracking table, a document generator.
- Owning what you build: the code lives in files on your computer or in your account, and you can host it wherever you like.
- Automating repetitive work on your files: renaming and sorting hundreds of documents, transforming a spreadsheet export, generating pages from a template.
The real shift is that you no longer need to know how to write code. You need to know how to describe precisely what you want, then check the result. It is a project manager's skill, not a programmer's. If the very idea of vibe coding is new to you, our article on building a web app with AI covers the basics.
Is Claude Code free? Pricing and plans
No, Claude Code is not included in Claude's free plan. Anthropic's official documentation is clear: you need a Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise plan, or a Console account (pay-as-you-go billing through the API). Here are the benchmarks at the time of writing (September 2026):
- Pro, about $20 per month (about $17 per month billed annually): Claude Code and Cowork included. The ideal plan to get started and build a first tool.
- Max, from about $100 per month: the same features with much higher usage limits. Useful if you work several hours a day with Claude Code.
- Team, from about $25 per user per month (about $20 billed annually): for a team sharing the tool, Claude Code included.
- Console (API): you pay according to the amount of text processed. More flexible, but less predictable for a beginner.
Be wary of websites promising "free Claude Code": there is no official free version. Our advice: start with the Pro plan for one month on a specific project. If you hit the limits, that is the sign the tool is doing a lot of work for you, and you will know whether Max is worth it. Always check the current prices on Anthropic's website, as they change regularly.
How to install Claude Code on Mac and Windows
There are three ways to use Claude Code, with the same account. For a beginner, we recommend starting with the first one.
1. The Claude desktop app, no terminal needed
This is the simplest option. Download the Claude app for Mac (Intel and Apple processors) or Windows from the official website, sign in with your paid account, then click the Code tab. The app includes Claude Code: nothing else to install. You pick a working folder on your computer, write your request, and see the file changes displayed visually, which makes reviewing much easier.
2. Claude Code on the web
At claude.ai/code, you use Claude Code directly in the browser, with no local installation. The work runs in the cloud: you can start a long task, close the tab and come back when it is done, including from the Claude mobile app. This option is handy when your project is already stored online.
3. The terminal, to go further
The command-line version is the most complete. Installing it comes down to one line to copy and paste:
- On Mac: open the Terminal app (through Spotlight search) and paste curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash. If you use Homebrew, brew install --cask claude-code also works.
- On Windows: open PowerShell (no administrator rights needed) and paste irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex. You can also use winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode. Anthropic recommends installing Git for Windows, which lets Claude Code use more tools.
Then open a new terminal window, type claude --version to check that the installation worked, go to your project folder and type claude. On first use, a page opens in your browser so you can sign in. Minimum requirements listed by Anthropic: macOS 13 or later, Windows 10 (version 1809) or later, 4 GB of RAM and an internet connection.
Claude Code tutorial: your first tool in 6 steps
Let us take a concrete example: a quote simulator that prospects fill in on a web page, and that shows them an estimate based on their answers. It is a useful tool for many entrepreneurs who sell services, and it can be built in half a day.
- Create an empty folder on your computer, for example "quote-simulator", and open it in the app's Code tab (or in the terminal).
- Ask for a plan first, not code. This is the step beginners skip, and the one that prevents the most bad surprises.
"I am an office design consultant. I want a simple web page where a prospect enters the floor area, the number of workstations and the finish level, then gets a price range. Before writing any code, ask me the questions you need, then propose a step-by-step plan."
- Answer its questions and give your pricing rules: price per square meter, coefficients by finish level, minimum amount. The more precise your rules, the more accurate the tool.
- Have a first version built, then open it in your browser.
"Build the first version of this plan. A single, clean page, in English, mobile friendly. When you are done, explain how to open it so I can test it."
- Test it like a client would and describe what is wrong, one thing at a time: "The result is shown without the currency", "Add a required email field before showing the price", "Use my colors: navy blue and white".
- Ask for a final check before going live.
"Review the whole project like a demanding tester. List the cases where the calculation could give a wrong result or where the page could break, then fix them and tell me what you changed."
A tip that saves a lot of time: create a CLAUDE.md file in your folder (Claude Code can write it for you). This file holds the project's permanent instructions: your business, your tone, your colors, the rules to follow. Claude Code reads it at the start of every session, so you no longer have to explain everything again. To phrase your requests better, our beginner's guide to prompting applies to Claude Code too.
Your own web tool, live in 5 days
Client portal, calculator, dashboard or mini app: you steer a team of AI agents that writes the specification, codes and deploys. Without writing a single line of code.
Discover Vibe Coding IA ProClaude Code in VS Code and other ways to use it
If you already work in a code editor, or want to see your project's files at all times, Claude Code is also available as an extension:
- Claude Code in VS Code: search for "Claude Code" in VS Code's Extensions panel, install Anthropic's official extension, then open it from the Command Palette. You see the proposed changes directly in your files and can accept or reject them.
- In Cursor: the same extension installs in the Cursor editor.
- In JetBrains editors (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm): a dedicated plugin exists, and it requires the terminal version installed separately.
For a first project, the desktop app remains simpler. VS Code becomes interesting when your tool grows and you want to understand its structure.
Claude Code vs Cursor, and Claude Code vs Claude Cowork
Claude Code vs Cursor
Cursor is a code editor (an application derived from VS Code) with a built-in AI assistant. Claude Code is an agent that runs in the terminal, in the Claude app, on the web or inside an editor. In both cases, the AI writes the code; the difference is mostly the environment. Cursor shows all the code at all times, which suits people who want to read and edit it. Claude Code focuses on conversation and delegating complete tasks, which better suits an entrepreneur who wants to steer rather than program. We detail these differences, pricing included, in our Lovable, Bolt, Cursor and Claude Code comparison.
Claude Code vs Claude Cowork
Both are included in Claude's paid plans, but they serve different purposes. Cowork is built for office work: you describe an outcome (an Excel spreadsheet with formulas, a presentation, a folder of sorted files, a research summary) and Claude produces it. Claude Code is built for creating software: a web page, an application, a script. A simple rule: if the deliverable is a document, use Cowork; if the deliverable is a tool other people will use, use Claude Code. Our Claude Cowork tutorial helps you get started with the former.
Mistakes to avoid
Asking for the whole tool in a single sentence. "Build me a client management software" gives a generic and fragile result. Break it down: first the plan, then one feature, then the next.
Accepting changes without testing. After each step, open the tool and use it the way a client would. A mistake spotted early is fixed in one sentence; spotted late, it can cost a day.
Working without backups. Ask Claude Code to set up Git in your project and to save a checkpoint after every step that works. You can then roll back if a change breaks something.
Putting sensitive data in the code. Passwords, service access keys, client data: never write them in plain text in your files. Ask Claude Code how to store them securely, and check your GDPR obligations if your tool collects personal data.
Going live without a security review. A publicly accessible tool must be checked: forms, data access, user accounts. It is a step in its own right, not a formality.
FAQ: common questions about Claude Code
Do you need to know how to code to use Claude Code?
No. You describe what you want in plain language, and Claude Code writes the code. You do, however, need to be able to express a precise need and test the result rigorously.
Is Claude Code free?
No. It is included from the Pro plan, about $20 per month at the time of writing, or usable with an API account billed per use. Claude's free plan does not include it.
Can you use Claude Code without the terminal?
Yes. The Code tab of the Claude desktop app (Mac and Windows) and the web version at claude.ai/code let you use it without ever opening a terminal.
What is the difference between Claude and Claude Code?
Claude is the chat assistant that answers and writes. Claude Code is an agent that acts on files: it creates, edits and tests code. For everyday use of Claude, see our guide How to use Claude every day.
How do you go from a first test to a real tool online?
By following a method: scoping, specification, step-by-step building, testing, security, going live. That is exactly what we teach in the Vibe Coding IA Pro bootcamp, with the P.R.O.D. method, for entrepreneurs who do not code.