Claude Code System Requirements — What Do You Need?

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Before installing anything, you want to know if your computer can actually run it. This article gives you the exact Claude Code system requirements for every platform, so you don’t waste time installing something that won’t work.

This is part of our complete Claude Code Beginner’s Guide.

TL;DR

  • Mac**: macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later, 4 GB RAM, x64 or ARM64 (any Mac from 2017 onward is fine)
  • Windows**: Windows 10 version 1809 or later, or Windows 11, 4 GB RAM
  • Linux**: Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 10+, Fedora/RHEL, or Alpine 3.19+, 4 GB RAM
  • Internet connection required** — Claude Code communicates with Anthropic’s servers
  • No Node.js needed** if you use the native installer (recommended)
  • Paid Anthropic account required** to actually use Claude Code after installing

macOS Requirements

Requirement Minimum
**Operating System** macOS 13.0 (Ventura) or later
**RAM** 4 GB
**Processor** x64 (Intel) or ARM64 (Apple Silicon)
**Storage** ~200 MB for the binary
**Internet** Required
**Shell** Bash or Zsh (both included by default)

What macOS version am I on?

Click the Apple menu → About This Mac. You’ll see your macOS version (e.g., “macOS 14.5 Sonoma”).

macOS 13 is Ventura. macOS 14 is Sonoma. macOS 15 is Sequoia. If you’re on any of these, you’re covered.

If you’re on macOS 12 (Monterey) or earlier, Claude Code won’t run. You’ll need to update via System Settings → General → Software Update.

What about Apple Silicon vs Intel?

Claude Code works on both. The native installer automatically downloads the right binary for your chip. You don’t need to do anything different.

Windows Requirements

Requirement Minimum
**Operating System** Windows 10 version 1809+ or Windows 11
**RAM** 4 GB
**Processor** x64 or ARM64
**Storage** ~200 MB
**Internet** Required
**Shell** PowerShell or Command Prompt (both built into Windows)

What Windows version am I on?

Press Windows + R, type winver, and press Enter. A window shows your exact Windows version and build number.

Windows 10 version 1809 was released in October 2018. If your Windows 10 is reasonably up to date (any update from 2019 onward), you’re fine.

WSL requirements (if using WSL)

If you’re using Claude Code inside WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), you’ll need WSL 2 enabled. WSL 2 requires Windows 10 version 1903 or later. See How to Install Claude Code on Windows for the full WSL setup walkthrough.

Linux Requirements

Distribution Minimum Version
**Ubuntu** 20.04 LTS
**Debian** 10 (Buster)
**Fedora / RHEL** Current supported releases
**Alpine Linux** 3.19
Hardware Minimum
**RAM** 4 GB
**Processor** x64 or ARM64
**Storage** ~200 MB
**Internet** Required

Alpine Linux extra requirements

Alpine Linux uses a different C library (musl instead of glibc) and doesn’t include some tools by default. Claude Code works on Alpine but requires additional packages: bash, curl, libgcc, libstdc++, and ripgrep. See How to Install Claude Code on Linux for the full Alpine setup.

Network Requirements

Claude Code requires an internet connection. It sends your instructions and code context to Anthropic’s servers and gets responses back. It cannot run fully offline.

Specifically, Claude Code needs access to:

  • api.anthropic.com — the main API endpoint
  • claude.ai — for authentication

If you’re on a corporate network with a firewall or proxy, these domains may need to be allowlisted. Check with your IT team if Claude Code installs fine but fails to authenticate or respond.

VPN users sometimes experience issues if the VPN blocks Anthropic’s servers. Try disabling your VPN temporarily if you’re having connectivity problems.

Anthropic Account Requirements

The free Claude.ai plan does not grant access to Claude Code. You need one of the following:

  • Pro plan** ($20/month) — minimum for individual Claude Code access
  • Max plan** ($100 or $200/month) — higher usage limits
  • Team or Enterprise plan** — for organizations
  • Console (API) account** — for developers using API billing

For a full explanation of what each plan includes, see Claude Code Pricing — Free vs Pro vs API Explained.

Does Claude Code Work on Older Hardware?

Technically, Claude Code itself has a light footprint — the binary is small and doesn’t demand much from your hardware. The 4 GB RAM requirement is for your whole system, not just Claude Code.

In practice, Claude Code works fine on any reasonably modern machine. Where older hardware starts to feel slow is in very large codebases — not because Claude Code is CPU-intensive, but because reading thousands of files from a slow hard drive takes time.

SSD vs HDD: Claude Code performs noticeably better on SSDs than mechanical hard drives when working with large codebases. If you’re on an old laptop with a spinning hard drive and a large project, scanning the codebase will be slower.

Do You Need Node.js?

No — not for the native installer.

The recommended installation method is the native installer, which downloads a self-contained binary. It doesn’t require Node.js or npm to be installed on your system.

If you choose to install via npm (an older method), you’ll need Node.js 22 or later. But for new installs in 2026, use the native installer and skip Node.js entirely.

Do You Need Git?

Not strictly required, but strongly recommended.

Claude Code works without Git. But since Claude Code makes real changes to your files, having Git installed means you can:

  • Commit your state before a session (easy undo)
  • Review Claude Code’s changes as a git diff
  • Let Claude Code make commits directly

On Windows with the native (non-WSL) install, installing Git for Windows also enables Claude Code to use Bash as its command shell, which unlocks more capabilities.

Quick “Can I Run It?” Checklist

Go through these before installing:

  • [ ] Mac: macOS 13.0 or later? (Apple menu → About This Mac)
  • [ ] Windows: Windows 10 version 1809 or later, or Windows 11? (Run winver)
  • [ ] Linux: Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 10+, Fedora, or Alpine 3.19+?
  • [ ] RAM: At least 4 GB?
  • [ ] Internet: Stable connection available?
  • [ ] Anthropic account: Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise, or Console?

If all boxes are checked, you’re good to go.

Key Takeaways

  • Claude Code supports macOS 13+, Windows 10 (1809+), and major Linux distributions
  • The minimum RAM is 4 GB, but Claude Code itself is lightweight
  • Internet connection is required** — it can’t run offline
  • Node.js is not required** when using the native installer
  • You need a paid Anthropic account (Pro plan or higher) to use Claude Code after installing

Next Steps

Return to the Claude Code Beginner’s Guide for the full learning path.