Claude Code GUIs in 2026
Claude Code runs in a terminal and keeps its setup in a hidden folder, ~/.claude. People look for a GUI to run Claude Code in a window, to see and change its setup, to switch API providers, or to track usage. No single tool does all four well. Here's what each option does, as of October 2026.
| Tool | Main job | Runs sessions | Edits ~/.claude | Usage numbers | OS | Latest release | License |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Code's own apps | Run Claude Code | Yes | Through Claude Code | /usage | macOS, Windows, web, IDEs | Ships with Claude Code | Anthropic's terms |
| Claudock | Manage ~/.claude | No | Every part of it | Limits as Claude Code reports them, tokens, activity, a weekly cost estimate | macOS, Windows, Linux | v0.2.0 | MIT |
| CC Switch | Providers and config across 12 CLIs | No | Providers, MCP, skills, prompts | Tokens, cost, quota | macOS, Windows, Linux | 26 Oct 2026 | MIT |
| opcode | Run sessions and agents | Yes | MCP, CLAUDE.md | Tokens, cost | macOS, Linux (Windows from source) | 31 Aug 2025 | AGPL-3.0 |
| ccusage | Usage reports (CLI) | No | No | Tokens, cost | Any with Node, Bun or Nix | 26 Oct 2026 | MIT |
| Claude Code Usage Monitor | Live usage (terminal) | No | No | Tokens, cost, official limits | Any with Python 3.9+ | 27 Jun 2026 | MIT |
Which one, by what you want
| You want to | Use |
|---|---|
| Run Claude Code in a window | Claude Code's own desktop app or IDE extension; opcode for checkpoints and background agents |
See and change everything in ~/.claude | Claudock |
| Switch API providers, or manage several CLIs | CC Switch |
| Exact cost reports | ccusage |
| Your 5-hour limit, live | Claudock (menu bar), CC Switch (tray) or Claude Code Usage Monitor (terminal) |
| Know when a session is waiting for you | Claudock |
Most of these work together: they read the same local files and do different jobs.
What to look for
- Which job it's built for. A tool built to run sessions treats config as a side panel, and the other way round.
- How it writes your files. Claude Code rewrites
~/.claude.jsonwhile it runs. Check for backups, undo, and whether the tool writes the whole file or only what changed. - Whether it's maintained. Claude Code changes every week. Look at the last release date, not the star count.
- Install friction. Signed builds or a warning-free install, an installer for your OS, updates.
- What it sends. Accounts, telemetry, and whether your config leaves your machine.
Claude Code's own apps
Before you install anything else: Anthropic ships Claude Code in more than a terminal. There's a Code tab in the Claude desktop app, Claude Code on the web, and extensions for VS Code and JetBrains. Inside Claude Code, /config, /permissions, /mcp and /usage cover the most common settings.
Best for running Claude Code in a window, from the people who make it. Not built for an overview of everything in ~/.claude, bulk changes, or cleanup.
Claudock
A desktop app for the ~/.claude folder, with one screen for each part: Today, settings (as a form or raw JSON), CLAUDE.md and rules, hooks, permissions, context (what each skill and MCP server adds), skills, agents, commands, plugins, mods, MCP servers, sessions (kept after Claude Code's cleanup deletes them), projects, memory, plans, history, storage and backups. ⌘K searches across all of them. Profiles switch between separate Claude Code folders from the title bar.
Before every write, it saves a snapshot of the file outside ~/.claude, then writes atomically. For ~/.claude.json it changes only the key you edited. Deletes go to the OS Trash. It never reads credentials. A Share stats card turns Claude Code's own numbers into an image you can post.
Its home screen and menu bar show your 5-hour and weekly limits exactly as Claude Code reports them (token counts otherwise), which sessions are running, and which are waiting for you. One alert tells you when a session starts waiting.
It's a young beta. It runs with npx claudock, with no installer and no security warning; the installers aren't signed. There's no auto-update, and it doesn't run sessions or switch providers. For cost it gives one estimate a week.
Best for people who've customised Claude Code and want to see and change all of it safely. Not built for running sessions, other CLIs, or detailed cost reports.
CC Switch
The most used tool here, with about 149K stars. It switches API providers for twelve coding CLIs in one click, from the app or the tray. It also manages MCP servers, skills (with a store) and prompt files across them, browses and exports sessions, and shows usage, cost and subscription quota. Signed builds, auto-update, and a release every day or two.
Best for people who switch providers or use Codex, Gemini CLI and others alongside Claude Code. Not built for Claude Code's hooks, permission rules, agents, commands or plugins. Its README says it leaves them alone when switching, and doesn't describe editing them.
opcode
Formerly Claudia. A desktop app that runs Claude Code for you. You start and resume sessions, run custom agents in the background with their own permissions, and rewind or fork sessions with checkpoints. It has a cost and token dashboard, an MCP manager and a CLAUDE.md editor.
Its latest release is v0.2.0, from 31 August 2025, and its last code change was in October 2025. The release has macOS and Linux files but no Windows installer.
Best for running sessions and background agents from a GUI, with checkpoints. Not built for settings, hooks, permissions, skills or plugins (not in its README).
ccusage
Not a GUI, but most people asking about Claude Code usage end up here. A fast CLI that reads your local logs and prints daily, weekly, monthly, session and 5-hour reports with cost per model. It also has a status line mode, JSON output and offline pricing, and covers 17 other agent CLIs. Released almost daily.
Best for exact token and cost reports, and scripting. Not built for a window or a menu bar (its docs list third-party ones), or changing config.
Claude Code Usage Monitor
A Python terminal app with live progress bars for the 5-hour window, burn rate, reset countdown and forecasts. With its status line step added, it shows the official 5-hour and 7-day percentages from Claude Code itself, and it labels each number by source.
Best for a live terminal view of your limits. Not built for a GUI (its README points to separate companions), or config.
FAQ
Is there an official Claude Code GUI?
Yes. Claude Code runs in the Claude desktop app, on the web, and in VS Code and JetBrains. The other tools on this page are unofficial.
What happened to Claudia?
It was renamed opcode in August 2025 (v0.2.0 release notes).
Which Claude Code GUI is free?
All of the third-party tools here are free and open source. Claude Code itself needs a Claude plan or an API key.
Which one edits hooks and permissions?
Of the tools here, Claudock has screens for both. Claude Code's /permissions command covers permission rules too.
$ npx claudock
Facts come from each project's GitHub repo and docs, checked 28 October 2026. Claudock is one of the tools compared here; the others are described as their own READMEs describe them. If something is wrong or out of date, open an issue.