Claude surfaces

The places you can use Claude: Claude.ai, Claude Desktop, Claude Code (terminal, IDE, and web), Claude Cowork, Claude Science, Claude Tag (in Slack), and the Claude API.

What it is

Ways to talk to the same Anthropic models. Each surface has different strengths and different component support. Pick the surface that matches your work, then read its sub-page for install and feature detail.

Surface Best for Components supported
Claude.ai Chat, document upload, one-click Connectors Connectors, Projects
Claude Desktop The same chat plus local files via MCP Connectors, MCP servers
Claude Code Multi-step coding (CLI, IDE, web) Skills, MCP servers, Plugins, Hooks, Routines
Claude Cowork Non-coding automation (desktop, or web/mobile beta) Connectors, Plugins
Claude Science Reproducible scientific analysis over curated databases Skills, Connectors, Subagents
Claude Tag Multiplayer, async work in a Slack channel (@Claude) Connectors, per-channel tools
Claude API Building your own product, agent, or backend SDKs, Managed Agents, MCP

Your account, Projects, and conversation history are shared across Claude.ai and Claude Desktop. Claude Code and Cowork are billed through your Pro/Max/Team/Enterprise subscription or via API.

Cross-cutting features

Some features span more than one surface — you start them in one place and view or extend them in another. Read the linked page for detail.

  • Routines — scheduled remote Claude Code agents. Created via the /schedule skill in Claude Code, viewed and edited at claude.ai/code/routines (a Claude.ai surface), execute on Anthropic cloud infrastructure with MCP connectors attached.
  • Background sessions — claude --bg starts a long-running Claude Code task; reattach later via /resume or claude agents. Spans CLI and claude.ai/code. Sessions on different machines can now message each other directly — SendMessage sends, ListAgents discovers reachable sessions (macOS and Linux only, shipped 2026-08-07 in v2.1.224). Type @ in a prompt to mention another of your sessions by name and reach it the same way; inbound messages show up under /config → “Messages from your other sessions,” where you accept, hold, or refuse them (shipped 2026-08-13 in v2.1.232).
  • Self-hosted environments (Team / Enterprise) — claude self-hosted-runner turns your own machine or container into a place where Claude Code web, mobile, and desktop sessions can actually run, instead of Anthropic’s cloud VMs. Shipped 2026-08-07 in v2.1.224.
  • MCP tunnels (Research Preview) — outbound-only cloudflared tunnels that expose private MCP servers to Claude.ai. Bridges Claude.ai / Claude Desktop and MCP servers running inside private networks. See MCP servers.
  • Channels (Research Preview) — inverts MCP from pull to push: an allowlisted MCP server can inject events into a running Claude Code session so Claude reacts to outside happenings (CI failures, monitoring alerts, an iMessage). Start a session with claude --channels discord,telegram,imessage; bundled plugins are Telegram, Discord, iMessage, and fakechat. Requires a claude.ai login (no API-key auth); Team / Enterprise admins must set channelsEnabled: true and curate allowedChannelPlugins. Custom channels need --dangerously-load-development-channels. Bridges Claude Code and MCP servers. Shipped 2026-03-20 in v2.1.80.
  • Claude Security (Enterprise public beta) — vulnerability scanning at claude.ai/security (sidebar icon in Claude.ai). Launched 2026-05-04 on Opus 4.7. Each finding has a remediation button that opens a Claude Code on the web session, drafts a patch, and opens a PR. Enterprise plans only; Team / Max coming.
  • Dynamic Workflows (Research Preview) — spans CLI, Desktop, and the VS Code extension of Claude Code. Claude writes an orchestration script on the fly and runs up to 1,000 parallel subagents (16 concurrent) to tackle migrations, audits, and other large jobs. Trigger one task by including the keyword ultracode in a prompt (renamed from workflow in v2.1.160 — the bare word workflow no longer fires), or set /effort ultracode to auto-orchestrate every substantive task in the session. Launched 2026-05-28 alongside Opus 4.8; requires Claude Code v2.1.154+. On by default on Max and Team; admin-gated on Enterprise; off by default on Pro (toggle in /config). Burns substantially more tokens than a normal session.
  • Claude in Chrome (generally available 2026-07-01) — a browser extension that reads, clicks, and navigates sites in a Chrome side panel. It’s another place to reach Claude, and it pairs with Claude Code for a build-test-verify loop (build in the terminal, drive the browser to test). All paid plans; Pro is limited to Haiku 4.5. Chrome only — no other Chromium browsers, no mobile.
  • Computer use (Research Preview) — lets Claude click, type, and open apps directly on your desktop when no connector or browser tool covers the task. Shared by Claude Cowork and the Claude Code Desktop app (not the CLI). Toggle it on in the Claude Desktop app under Settings → General, then ask Cowork or Claude Code to do something on your computer. Pro and Max only (no Team/Enterprise yet); macOS and Windows.
  • Dispatch — pairs the Claude mobile app (iOS/Android) with a Claude Desktop session so you can hand a task to Claude from your phone and have it run on your computer while you’re away. One-time QR-code pairing from Claude Desktop; the desktop must stay awake with the app open (unlike cloud-run Claude Code on the web sessions or Cowork’s newer web/mobile beta, which execute on Anthropic’s servers). Available in Cowork and Claude Code.
  • Sandboxing differs by surface — useful to know when reasoning about what Claude can touch on your machine. Per How we contain Claude across products (Anthropic engineering, late May 2026): Claude.ai runs tools inside gVisor; Claude Code running locally uses macOS Seatbelt or Linux Bubblewrap (reads allowed, writes inside the workspace, network denied by default); Claude Cowork runs a full VM (Apple Virtualization on macOS, HCS on Windows). Local MCP servers you wire into Claude Desktop run with your user’s permissions, not inside a sandbox — review folders and scripts before exposing them.

Common pitfalls

  • Confusing Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and Claude Cowork — three different apps that all live near claude.ai.
  • Components don’t all install everywhere. Skills, MCP servers, and Plugins work in Claude Code and Cowork; Connectors work in Claude.ai / Desktop / Cowork. A few tools (e.g., PubMed) ship in multiple places.
  • API usage is metered separately from a Pro subscription.

See also

Sources

  • Claude Code product landing — Anthropic product page; verified 2026-08-15 (this run) — canonical install command (curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash) unchanged; launch surfaces (Desktop, Terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, web, iOS/Android, Slack, GitHub Actions) unchanged.
  • Set up Claude Code — Anthropic docs; verified 2026-05-26 (this run).
  • Claude Code on the web — Anthropic docs; verified 2026-05-19.
  • Claude Code on the web (announcement) — published 2025-10-20.
  • Anthropic announces Claude Cowork — published 2026-01-13.
  • Claude Science, an AI workbench for scientists — Anthropic news; published 2026-06-30; verified 2026-07-11 (this run) — standalone macOS/Linux app at claude.com/science, beta on Pro/Max/Team/Enterprise, orchestrates skills + database connectors + specialist/reviewer subagents; separate surface from Claude.ai and Claude Code.
  • Cowork and plugins for teams across the enterprise — Anthropic blog; published 2026-02-24.
  • Claude Code changelog (v2.1.144 / v2.1.145, May 18–19 2026) — claude --bg, /resume, claude agents --json; verified 2026-05-26.
  • Get started with Claude in Chrome — Anthropic help center; verified 2026-07-04 (this run) — Chrome extension GA 2026-07-01, build-test-verify pairing with Claude Code, all paid plans, Pro limited to Haiku 4.5, Chrome-only.
  • Claude Security is now in public beta — Anthropic blog; published 2026-05-04 — claude.ai/security, Opus 4.7, remediation opens Claude Code on the web, Enterprise public beta.
  • Getting started with Claude Security — Anthropic tutorial; verified 2026-05-26 — sidebar location and remediation-session flow.
  • Introducing dynamic workflows in Claude Code — Anthropic blog; published 2026-05-28 — research preview, 1,000-agent cap, 16 concurrent, plan availability and defaults.
  • Orchestrate subagents at scale with dynamic workflows — Anthropic docs; verified 2026-06-06 (this run) — single-task keyword renamed workflow → ultracode in v2.1.160 (bare workflow no longer triggers); /effort ultracode is a session setting (sends xhigh + auto-orchestration), not a model effort level; effort ladder remains low/medium/high/xhigh/max; v2.1.154 requirement.
  • Introducing Claude Opus 4.8 — Anthropic news; published 2026-05-28 — Opus 4.8 ship date, paired Dynamic Workflows + effort-control launch.
  • How we contain Claude across products — Anthropic engineering blog; published late May 2026 (verified 2026-05-31 this run) — per-surface sandbox stack: gVisor for Claude.ai, Seatbelt (macOS) / Bubblewrap (Linux) for Claude Code local with default-deny network, full VM (Apple Virtualization / HCS) for Cowork.
  • How we contain Claude across products (link blog) — Simon Willison; published 2026-05-30 — independent summary of the same engineering post.
  • Channels reference — Anthropic docs; verified 2026-06-03 — --channels, bundled plugins, claude.ai OAuth-only auth, Team / Enterprise channelsEnabled + allowedChannelPlugins managed settings, --dangerously-load-development-channels.
  • Introducing Claude Tag — Anthropic news; published 2026-06-23; verified 2026-06-27 (this run) — Slack-native @Claude, beta on Team / Enterprise, Opus 4.8, replaces the Claude-in-Slack app, 30-day admin opt-in window, per-channel tool/data/memory scoping and token caps.
  • Claude Code 2.1.80: –channels Lets MCP Servers Push Messages Into Your Session — Vibe Sparking AI; published 2026-03-20 — research-preview launch context, Telegram / Discord initial channels.
  • Let Claude use your computer in Cowork — Anthropic help center; verified 2026-08-01 (this run) — Settings → General toggle, Pro/Max only, macOS + Windows, available in both Cowork and Claude Code (Desktop app), research preview.
  • Put Claude to work on your computer — Anthropic blog; published 2026-03-23; verified 2026-08-01 (this run) — original Dispatch + computer use launch announcement, Cowork and Claude Code, Pro/Max, research preview.
  • Assign tasks from anywhere in Claude Cowork — Anthropic help center; verified 2026-08-01 — Dispatch QR-code pairing, desktop-must-stay-awake requirement, distinction from cloud-run sessions.
  • Claude Code changelog (v2.1.224, 2026-08-07) — Anthropic docs; verified 2026-08-08 — claude self-hosted-runner (Team/Enterprise, runs Claude Code web/mobile/desktop sessions on your own machines/containers) and cross-session SendMessage / ListAgents (macOS and Linux only).
  • Claude Code changelog (v2.1.232, 2026-08-13) — Anthropic docs; verified 2026-08-15 (this run) — @-mention of another session by name (routes through SendMessage) and new /config rows for “Dialog expiry” and “Messages from your other sessions” (accept / hold / refuse).

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