A free guide by Fadia Joheir ↗ INSTAGRAM · ↗ TIKTOK
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CLAUDE.AI vs CLAUDE CODE
Two front doors to Claude. Most people only need one. Claude.ai is the chat app — what 95% of users want. Claude Code is the developer tool — terminal-based, runs commands. Here's how to know which is for you.
THE 30-SECOND DECISION
Use Claude.ai if:
- You write, read, brainstorm, plan, or do "office" work
- You don't write code professionally
- You want a polished interface
- You're on phone or web browser
Use Claude Code if:
- You build software / tools / scripts
- You want Claude to actually run commands on your computer
- You're comfortable in a terminal
- You're automating things across files
Most readers of this series: Claude.ai. That's it for the answer.
WHAT EACH ONE LOOKS LIKE
Claude.ai
A web app + mobile app. You type in a chat box. Claude responds. There are sidebars for projects, settings, connectors. Looks and feels like ChatGPT. Most people start and stay here.
Claude Code
A command-line tool. You install it, run claude in your terminal, and it can read your files, run scripts, edit code, search the web, all from a text interface. Built for developers. Powerful — but the learning curve is real if you've never used a terminal.
CAN YOU USE BOTH?
Yes. They share the same model and many features. You can use Claude.ai for daily writing and Claude Code for automation projects. Same Claude, different interfaces.
WHAT THIS SERIES USES
This 100-day series is written for Claude.ai users by default. Where a skill needs Claude Code (sub-agents, scheduled tasks, advanced automation), I flag it explicitly. About 70% of skills work in either; 30% need Claude Code.
If you only have Claude.ai, you can still install ~70 of the 100 skills. The other 30 you can come back to once you're ready for the terminal.
WHEN TO GRADUATE TO CLAUDE CODE
Even if you're not a developer, consider Claude Code when:
- You want skills to run on a schedule (daily morning briefing)
- You want Claude to process 50 files at once
- You want it to manage your local files (rename, organize, transform)
- You're building tiny automations for your business
It's not as scary as it sounds. The first hour is "what's a terminal," but by week 2 you'll wonder how you didn't have it before.
INSTALL
Claude.ai
- Go to claude.ai
- Sign up
- Done
Claude Code
- Install Node.js (if you don't have it): nodejs.org
- In a terminal:
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code - Run:
claude - Follow setup prompts
WHAT'S NEXT
Day 3 of 100. Tomorrow: Day 4 — Free vs Pro vs Max: which plan to pay for, when.
SAFETY CHECK
Same as Day 1. Note: Claude Code can run commands on your computer. Always review what it's about to do (Day 30 — Plan Mode covers this).
A free guide by Fadia Joheir. © 2026. CC BY 4.0.