The easiest way to use Claude Code and Codex is in VS Code. We'll install VS Code, add the Claude Code and Codex extensions, sign in to both, and configure the recommended defaults.
The main difference is Command vs Control in keyboard shortcuts and which VS Code version to download.
Download VS Code first, then come back here.
Go to code.visualstudio.com, download VS Code, and drag the app into Applications.
Launch VS Code once so macOS can finish setting it up.
Go to code.visualstudio.com and run the Windows installer.
Accept the default options and open VS Code when the install finishes.
Press the four-square Extensions button in the sidebar to open the marketplace, then install both Claude Code and Codex.
Open the Extensions view and use it to install both Claude Code and Codex.
Search for Claude Code and install the Anthropic extension, then search for Codex and install that extension too. Make sure it is the extension made by Anthropic, with the blue checkmark, and not one made by an independent developer.
Open a folder in VS Code so Claude Code and Codex have a workspace to work with. This is where you'll save your files related to the project, and Claude will only ever see what you put in this folder.*
The open folder stays isolated from the rest of your computer in that VS Code window. If you want to access a different folder, open a new VS Code window for that folder.
Anything in VS Code can also be reached via the search bar at the
top. This is the Command Palette. The search bar, by default, only
sees files within your current workspace. To access outside folders,
settings, open the terminal, or even change the theme, you need to
add a > before your search. This is usually done
with the shortcut Command ⌘ + Shift + PCtrl + Shift + P.
* If privacy or destructive edits are a concern, use a carefully chosen workspace folder and review permissions before letting an AI tool act on files.
Open the folder you want to work in before you start. If you want to use a different folder later, open a new VS Code window for that folder.
After the extensions are installed, open Claude in that same VS Code window. There are two easy ways of opening it: from the sidebar, or from the small icon near the top-right of the editor.
You can also use the Command Palette with Command ⌘ + Shift + PCtrl + Shift + P and Claude Code: Open in New Tab.
Open Claude Code from the sidebar and start a new session there.
You can also click the small Claude icon near the top-right of the editor to open Claude Code.
If you use the chat panel on the right side of VS Code, make sure the tab says "Claude Code" and not just "Chat." The plain "Chat" tab is VS Code's built-in Copilot, not Claude Code. Double-check before you start typing.
Sign up at claude.ai if you do not have an account yet, then use the normal sign-in flow inside VS Code.
When Claude Code asks you to sign in, follow the Anthropic login flow. It will open a browser window where you log in with your Claude account, then return you to VS Code.
Once you have signed in, take a moment to explore Claude's built-in controls.
Claude has many built-in tools which you can control and customize from this menu: extended thinking, model switching, and permissions.
Claude has many built in tools which you can control and customize from this menu.
Haiku is shortest and fastest, Sonnet is the middle ground, and Opus is the strongest. If you want the most capable model, choose the newest Opus model available in the menu.
This is where you decide how much autonomy Claude has when it proposes plans or edits.
All you need is a ChatGPT account.
You can open Codex the same way you open Claude: from the sidebar, from the Command Palette with Command ⌘ + Shift + PCtrl + Shift + P, or from the Codex button shown below.
Press Sign in with ChatGPT and follow the login steps in your browser.
You can open Codex the same way you open Claude: from the sidebar, from the Command Palette, or from the Codex button shown here.
Choose Sign in with ChatGPT and finish the login in your browser using the same email you already use for ChatGPT.