Which Claude Should I Use?
"Claude" comes in a few flavors. Pick by what you're trying to do, not by which you've heard of.
The 30-second decision
Claude.ai — the chat apps
For: writing, research, analysis, learning, planning, everyday questions. Who: everyone, no setup.
You also get it on mobile (iOS/Android) and by voice — great for capturing ideas on the go. Power it up with Projects, custom instructions, and Artifacts. → Start at Getting Started with Claude.ai.
Claude Code — the agentic coding tool
For: working in a codebase — reading, editing, running commands, fixing tests. Who: developers (and the technically curious). It acts on your files with your permission. → What Claude Code Is.
The API & Agent SDK — build Claude into your own software
For: apps, automations, and agents that call Claude programmatically. Who: developers shipping a product or pipeline. → Your First API Call.
They work together
These aren't rival products — most people graduate across them:
| You want to… | Use |
|---|---|
| Draft an email, summarize a PDF, brainstorm | Claude.ai (or voice/mobile) |
| Refactor a module, add tests, fix a bug | Claude Code |
| Add an AI feature to your app | The API / Agent SDK |
:::tip Not sure? Start with chat Claude.ai needs zero setup and teaches you how Claude "thinks." The skills transfer everywhere else. :::
Next
- Your First 5 Minutes
- Learning Paths
- Choosing a Claude Model (once you're building)