ANTHROPIC

The Claude Ecosystem

Understanding Anthropic's Product Family
Chat · Code · Cowork · API

Anthropic ships one brain but five different interfaces

Each solves a different problem for a different user. Choosing wrong means paying too much or getting too little.

Claude.ai
Chat for everyone
Desktop
Unified hub
Claude Code
Terminal for devs
Cowork
Office assistant
API
Build your own

The Desktop app is the hub that connects Chat, Code, and Cowork

Chat
Conversational AI for writing, analysis, brainstorming. Available to everyone.
Code
Agentic terminal that edits files, runs tests, commits — autonomously.
Cowork
Autonomous office assistant for docs, spreadsheets, web tasks.
All powered by the same Claude intelligence · API available for custom integrations
Section 01
Claude.ai
The conversational foundation

Claude.ai is the starting point for 90% of users

  • Web, mobile, and desktop chat interface
  • Projects with persistent knowledge bases
  • Cross-conversation memory
  • File & image analysis, writing, brainstorming
Available on
All tiers
Including Free
Writers · Researchers · Professionals · Everyone
Section 02
Claude Code
Your AI engineering teammate

Claude Code is the Iron Man suit for developers

👤
Browser Claude
Tony Stark without the suit
Smart but limited. Forgets between sessions. No file access. One conversation at a time.
🤖
Claude Code
Full Iron Man suit + Jarvis
Edits files, runs tests, commits code, handles merge conflicts. Understands your entire codebase. Autonomous.

Three modes define the Claude Code workflow

🧠
Plan Mode
SHIFT + TAB
Think first, code later. Deep reasoning, PRD creation. No code written automatically.
💬
Ask Mode
DEFAULT
Claude asks before every action. You approve edits, commands, and file changes.
⚡
Code Mode
"YOLO MODE"
Full autonomy. No approvals needed. Claude executes commands and edits freely.

CLAUDE.md gives Claude persistent memory across every session

  • A markdown file that onboards Claude to YOUR project
  • Injected into every session automatically
  • Tech stack, coding standards, architecture patterns
# CLAUDE.md
## Tech Stack
Next.js 14 + TypeScript
Tailwind CSS + shadcn/ui
Supabase for database

## Rules
Always use server components
Never use any/unknown types
Write tests for new features
ChatGPT forgets. Claude Code remembers.

Six extension points make Claude Code a platform

CLAUDE.md
Persistent memory
Skills
Reusable playbooks
Hooks
Event triggers
MCP Servers
External connections
Subagents
Parallel workers
Agent Teams
Collaborative squads

MCP is the "USB-C port for AI" — one protocol to connect anything

Supabase
Notion
MCP
Protocol
Slack
Browser
Google Drive
GitHub
Postgres
DevTools
Open Standard 50+ Servers Not Locked In
Section 03
Claude Cowork
Claude Code for everyone else

Cowork brings agentic power to non-developers

  • Zero setup — built into Claude Desktop
  • Accesses local folders, Google Drive, Notion
  • Builds spreadsheets, presentations, reports
  • Runs in isolated VM — safer than Code
Marketing Sales Finance Legal Operations
Requires
Max Plan
$100/month

Same brain, different body — Code vs. Cowork

Claude CodeClaude Cowork
InterfaceTerminal / CLIGUI / Desktop App
AudienceDevelopersBusiness users
AutonomyFull — multi-file, Git, testsGuided — browser + files
OutputCode, APIs, deploymentsDocs, spreadsheets, reports
SecurityOpen (your machine)Isolated VM (sandboxed)
Token useMore efficientHigher consumption
SetupConfig requiredZero setup
Start with Cowork to explore · Graduate to Code when ready
Section 04
Claude API
Build Claude into anything

The API powers everything under the hood

  • Programmatic access to all Claude models
  • Supports MCP for external integrations
  • Powers Cursor, Cline, Zed + custom apps
Opus 4.6
Most intelligent
$5 / $25
per 1M tokens
Sonnet 4.6
Best balance
$3 / $15
per 1M tokens
Haiku 4.5
Fast & cheap
$1 / $5
per 1M tokens
Section 05
Pricing & Plans
What you get at each tier

Five tiers from free to enterprise — pick your level

Free
$0
forever
  • Basic Claude.ai
  • Limited messages
  • Web & mobile
Pro
$20
per month
  • ~45 msgs / 5hr session
  • Claude Code access
  • All models
Max 5x
$100
per month
  • ~225 msgs / session
  • Cowork access
  • Early features
Max 20x
$200
per month
  • ~900 msgs / session
  • Power users
  • Heavy coding
Team
$25+
per user/month
  • Shared workspaces
  • Premium seats $150
  • Admin controls

Claude Code vs. the competition — what's unique

vs. ChatGPT
200K context window (vs ~32K). Deeper reasoning. Persistent memory via CLAUDE.md.
vs. Cursor
Claude Code complements Cursor. Handles complex multi-file agentic tasks beyond IDE scope.
vs. GitHub Copilot
Copilot is autocomplete. Claude Code is a teammate that plans, executes, and iterates.
vs. Windsurf
Similar IDE approach, but Claude Code is CLI-native + extensible via Skills, MCP, Plugins.
Plan ModeCLAUDE.mdMCPSubagentsAgent TeamsMobile Remote

Claude Code is becoming an operating system for AI-powered development

VS Code started as an editor and became an ecosystem.
Claude Code is following the same playbook — with Skills, Hooks, MCP, Agents, and Plugins.

Get started in 30 minutes

1
Subscribe to Pro
$20/month
2
Create a
CLAUDE.md
3
Add one
MCP server
4
Install a
community Skill
You now have an AI engineering teammate.
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