(Note: Feature analysis last updated January 2025) There’s Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Claude on the web, Claude Code on the web, Claude for Chrome, Claude mobile. Then there’s MCPs, skills, hooks, slash commands. It’s a lot, and it keeps growing. At some point I stopped being able to keep track of what works where, and I’m someone who uses this stuff daily.
This is my attempt to make sense of it.
ALL THE CLAUDE PRODUCTS
- Claude.ai (web): The chat interface at claude.ai. Upload files, have conversations, use Projects to organize context. This is where most people start.
- Claude Desktop App: Same as the web, but faster startup, works offline-ish, and has a keyboard shortcut to summon it instantly. The main win: it can run local MCP servers, which the web version can’t.
- Claude Code (terminal or IDE): The agentic coding tool that lives in your project folder, whether you run it in terminal (like I do) or in an IDE like VS Code or Cursor. Reads your files, runs commands, knows your whole codebase. This is where hooks, skills, CLAUDE.md, and the full customization layer live.
- Claude Code on the web: Looks like Claude Code, runs in the cloud, but only works with GitHub repos. No local files, no MCPs. Think of it as “Claude Code lite for quick GitHub tasks.”
- Claude for Chrome: Browser extension that can click around websites for you. Fill forms, navigate tabs, read console errors. Connects to Desktop but doesn’t touch your local code projects.
- Mobile apps: Chat interface on your phone. Can use remote MCPs you’ve already set up elsewhere, but can’t add new ones.
WHERE CLAUDE CODE CUSTOMIZATION ACTUALLY WORKS
This is the part that confused me. Some features are Claude Code only, some work across surfaces but don’t sync.
| Feature | Claude Code | Claude Code web | Claude.ai / Desktop / Mobile |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLAUDE.md | ✓ full support | ✓ reads from repo | ✗ |
| Hooks | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Slash commands | ✓ | ? | ✗ |
| Plugins | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Skills (Anthropic’s) | ✓ | ? | ✓ |
| Skills (your custom) | ✓ local folders | ✗ | ✓ upload separately |
The catch with skills: Anthropic’s pre-built skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, PDF) work on claude.ai. You can also upload your own custom skills to claude.ai (Settings > Capabilities > Skills, zip your skill folder). But if you’ve built skills in Claude Code using local folders, those don’t sync to claude.ai. You’d have to manually zip and upload them, and then maintain two separate copies.
WHERE MCP SERVERS WORK
MCPs let Claude connect to external tools like databases, APIs, your calendar, whatever. But where they work depends on what kind of MCP:
| MCP Type | Claude Code | Claude Desktop | Claude.ai web | Mobile | Claude Code on web |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local (on your machine) | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Remote (hosted servers) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ paid | ✓ use only | ✗ |
WHY THIS MATTERS If you set up an MCP in Claude Code, it won’t automatically appear in your Desktop app. They have separate configs. And if you’re using Claude Code on the web, you get zero MCP support.
WHICH CLAUDE PRODUCT TO USE
For vibers who just want to know what to open:
Starting out? Claude.ai web or Desktop app. Simple, no setup, just chat and upload files.
Building a project? Claude Code in terminal. It’s the only place with full file access, customization, and the ability to actually run commands in your codebase.
Quick GitHub fix from your phone? Claude Code on the web. It can clone repos, make changes, open PRs, all without touching your local machine.
Browser automation stuff? Chrome extension. It’s doing its own thing, not really connected to your code workflows.
DON’T STRESS ABOUT USING ALL OF IT
AI moves fast and Anthropic ships updates constantly, so if you feel behind, you’re not alone.
If you’ve got a setup that works, stick with it. You don’t need to use every product or chase every new feature. I use Claude Code for building and Claude on the web for research, and I ignore the rest until I have a specific reason not to.
This stuff will keep changing, so if something here is outdated or you think I should add something, let me know.