What You Learn When You Sign Up for Claude

If you sign up for Claude today, you’ll notice you have two main options, the desktop app or your browser. That part can feel confusing at first. You might even try both to see what fits you better. This is written for total beginners.

Download the Claude Desktop App

Where to download

Go to: Claude.ai/download

What you’re downloading

You’re downloading the Claude desktop app.

Pros

• You can work with local files (files on your computer) more easily
• Drag-and-drop is simpler for PDFs, docs, and images
• It stays open like a dedicated workspace
• It can feel better for long sessions and focus

Cons

• It’s another app running on your system
• You don’t have to install it to use Claude
• The browser version still handles most tasks

Picking the right download option

On the download page, you’ll see three choices:

• macOS
• Windows (for most computer users)
• Windows (arm64) (for ARM devices like some tablets)

If you’re downloading Claude on a Windows computer, pick the standard Windows option. The Windows (arm64) version is only for ARM-based devices.

Option 2: Use Claude in Your Browser (Step-by-Step)

1. Open your browser
   Use Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or whatever you already use.
2. Go to:
   https://claude.ai
   (You don’t need the download page for browser use.)
3. Sign in
   Use the same account you already created.
4. Start chatting
   You’re now using Claude in the browser.
   No install, no settings, no setup.

When Claude asks which email you want to sign up with, I recommend using your business email. Claude works with Google Workspace, so this makes things easier if you’re already using Google tools.

You can sign up with a different email later if you want. However, if you plan to upgrade to a paid plan, pay attention to which email you want to use long-term.