Claude Desktop Guide
Claude Desktop is a native app for Mac and Windows that gives you a full conversation interface with Claude — no terminal, no setup beyond installing the app.
CLI vs Desktop — which one to use?
Section titled “CLI vs Desktop — which one to use?”| Claude Desktop | Claude CLI | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Writing, brainstorming, long conversations | Code, files, running commands |
| How you use it | Chat window | Terminal inside your project |
| Needs a project open? | No | Yes |
| Can read your files? | With MCP servers (advanced) | Yes, natively |
Use Desktop when you want to think through a problem, draft content, or have a conversation that isn’t tied to a specific codebase. Use CLI when you’re actively building something.
In this section
Section titled “In this section”- Setting Up Claude Desktop — download, install, sign in
- Claude Projects — persistent memory across conversations
- MCP Servers — connect Claude to your tools