Anthropic’s AI chat app for Mac — desktop access to Claude’s chat, Claude Code, and Claude Cowork in one app, free to start with paid plans for heavier use.
Our take
Worth having installed alongside ChatGPT rather than instead of it if you’re comparing both — the free plan covers standard chat, while Claude Code (agentic coding, run right in the desktop app) and Claude Cowork (cross-app task automation) are what actually differentiate the desktop app from just using Claude in a browser tab.
- Price
- Free
- License
- Proprietary
- Requires
- macOS 12 or newer (Homebrew cask requirement)
- Get it via
- Homebrew · Direct
- Developer
- Anthropic
Do you use Claude?
Who made this
Are you Anthropic? Claim this profile to add a photo, a bio, and links — or ask us to remove it.
What it does
Claude Code in the desktop app
Run and monitor Claude Code sessions, preview local servers, and review changes without a separate terminal.
Claude Cowork
Hand off multi-step tasks that work across local apps and files; the desktop app has to stay running for tasks to complete.
Cross-device sync
Conversations, projects, and memory sync across desktop, web, and mobile when signed in.
The deal
- Free plan available
- Paid plans: Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise, for higher usage and more features
Claude — questions people ask
Is the Claude desktop app free?
Yes — available on Free, Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise plans, though some features are paid-plan only.
Who makes Claude?
Anthropic.
Does Claude Cowork need the mobile app too?
No — Cowork runs on the desktop app alone. The mobile app is only needed to assign it tasks remotely from a phone.
Is Claude free?
Claude is free to use with optional paid unlocks.
Does Claude work alongside a notch app like Alcove?
Yes — Claude lives in the screen, so it runs happily alongside any Dynamic Island hub or notch app.
Where can I download Claude?
Claude is available via Homebrew, Direct.
Reviews
No public ratings yet. Reader reviews are coming to Kitsmith soon.
Listing hand-verified August 27, 2026 from the developer's site and public sources.
How Claude compares
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