Is Claude Code free to use?

Not for serious development work. There's a free tier, but usage limits are extremely restrictive. Most developers need at least Claude Pro at $20/month. Power users typically land on Max plans ($100-$200/month) to avoid hitting rate limits during extended coding sessions.

How do I install Claude Code?

Run this in your terminal: curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash For Windows, use PowerShell: irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex Then navigate to any project folder and type claude to start.

What's the difference between Claude Code and GitHub Copilot?

Copilot suggests code snippets as you type—you still do the implementation. Claude Code takes a task and runs with it: reading your codebase, editing files, running tests, and iterating until the job is done. Think autocomplete vs. autonomous teammate.

Does Claude Code work with VS Code?

Yes. There's a native extension on the VS Code Marketplace that shows Claude's changes as visual diffs. It also works with Cursor, Windsurf, and JetBrains IDEs. That said, the terminal CLI remains the most feature-rich way to use it.

How much does Claude Code actually cost?

Pro runs $20/month ($17 if you pay annually). Max plans are $100 or $200/month depending on how much usage you need. If you're on the API, you pay per token—Sonnet 4.5 is $3 per million input tokens, $15 per million output tokens.

Can Claude Code run completely offline?

Not natively. It runs locally in your terminal but needs to call Anthropic's API for the AI models. Your code stays on your machine—only the prompts go to the cloud. If you want fully offline, you can connect Claude Code to local models through Ollama, but you'll sacrifice capability.

What models power Claude Code?

Sonnet 4.5 is the default and handles most tasks well. Opus 4.6 is available for complex architecture decisions and challenging bugs—though it uses more of your usage quota. Haiku 4.5 is the lightweight option for simple tasks.

What are the rate limits?

Pro users get roughly 45 messages every 5 hours. Max $100 gives you 5x that, Max $200 gives you 20x. If you hit the ceiling, Max subscribers can buy additional usage at standard API rates.

Can Claude Code commit and push to GitHub?

Yes. It handles the full git workflow—commits, branches, pushes, even pull requests. Connect it to GitHub via MCP or use the GitHub Actions integration for automated code reviews and PR generation.

Should I use Claude Code or Cursor?

Different tools for different jobs. Cursor is an AI-enhanced IDE for everyday editing. Claude Code is a terminal agent for autonomous, multi-file tasks. Many developers use both—Cursor for writing code, Claude Code for refactors, debugging loops, and repo-wide changes.