How to install Claude Code on Windows, macOS, and Linux — API key without a subscription and payment with BLIK

Claude Code can be installed with one official command (versions for macOS and Linux, PowerShell, and CMD are provided below). Anthropic recommends the native installer, while npm is an alternative that requires Node.js 22 or newer. Without a Pro/Max subscription or login, simply set ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://api.kunavo.com (without /v1), ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN with your API key, and the four model-pinning variables. You then pay only for used tokens from the balance topped up via BLIK in złoty, starting at 10 USD. Finally, enter /status in Claude Code to check whether the key works.

# macOS, Linux, WSL
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

# Windows PowerShell
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

:: Windows – wiersz polecenia (CMD)
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd

Polecenia i zmienne sprawdziliśmy 3 października 2026 w the official Claude Code installation documentation i w the environment variables documentation. Polskiej wersji tej dokumentacji nie ma. Ceny i metody płatności sprawdziliśmy 3 października 2026. Polska jest na Anthropic’s list of supported countries (sprawdzone 3 października 2026), zarówno dla Claude.ai, jak i dla API.

Login or API key?

After installation, Claude Code must authenticate. There are two paths, and this guide describes the second in detail:

Before you start

Method 1: native installer (recommended)

In the official documentation, this method has a “Native Install (Recommended)” tab. You will find the commands at the top of the page. On macOS, Linux, and WSL, use the line with install.sh. In Windows PowerShell, use irm … | iex, and in the CMD prompt, use the line with install.cmd. Native installations update automatically in the background. Claude Code can also be installed through Homebrew or WinGet, but according to the documentation these installations do not update automatically by default, so update them manually in the package manager:

# Homebrew – kanał stable; domyślnie nie aktualizuje się sam
brew install --cask claude-code

# WinGet (Windows) – domyślnie nie aktualizuje się sam
winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode

After installation, open a new terminal window, because a window opened earlier does not see the updated PATH variable. Then check:

claude --version   # wypisuje numer wersji, np. 2.1.280 (Claude Code)
claude doctor      # diagnostyka instalacji i ustawień, bez otwierania sesji

claude doctor does not open a session. It only displays the installation status and settings-file diagnostics. This makes it the fastest way to distinguish an installation problem from a configuration problem.

When downloading fails

Jeśli terminal pokazuje syntax error near unexpected token '<' albo curl: (22) The requested URL returned error: 403, to według the official installation-problems page (sprawdzone 3 października 2026) adres instalatora zwrócił stronę HTML lub kod błędu zamiast skryptu. Strona z napisem App unavailable in region oznacza według dokumentacji, że Claude Code nie jest dostępny w Twoim kraju. Polska jest jednak na liście obsługiwanych krajów, więc jeśli widzisz ten napis w Polsce, sprawdź, czy połączenie nie wychodzi przez VPN albo proxy. Samo 403 bez treści może też pochodzić z firmowego proxy lub zapory, która blokuje pobieranie. Dokumentacja radzi wtedy najpierw sprawdzić połączenie sieciowe, bo inne metody instalacji łączą się z tymi samymi serwerami. Spróbuj z innej sieci albo poproś administratora o odblokowanie tych adresów.

Method 2: npm (Node.js 22 or newer)

npm nadal jest jedną z metod opisanych w oficjalnej dokumentacji. Pakiet wymaga Node.js 22 lub nowszego. Część polskich poradników wciąż podaje Node.js 18, co jest już nieaktualne. Na starszym Node.js npm wypisze ostrzeżenie EBADENGINE, ale nie przerwie instalacji, a claude będzie działać, bo pakiet pobiera natywny program, który nie korzysta z Node.js w czasie działania. Jeśli nie masz Node.js, zainstaluj wersję 22 lub nowszą ze the nodejs.org page.

node -v                                    # potrzebna wersja v22 lub nowsza
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code   # bez sudo

# aktualizacja: @latest, a nie npm update -g
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@latest

• Never use sudo npm install -g. The documentation warns that this causes permission problems and poses a security risk.
• Update through @latest. Use npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@latest for updates, not npm update -g.
• Do not skip optional dependencies. The actual program is installed as an optional dependency, namely the @anthropic-ai/claude-code-* package for your platform. With the --omit=optional flag or with optional=false in .npmrc, installation on macOS or Linux ends with the claude native binary not installed message.

Claude Code on Windows: PowerShell, CMD, WSL, and PATH

Windows has two different installation commands, and the choice depends only on the terminal. If the line starts with PS C:\Users\TwojaNazwa>, you are working in PowerShell. If you see only C:\Users\TwojaNazwa>, without PS, it is the Command Prompt (CMD). According to the documentation, you do not need to run the terminal as administrator, although some guides recommend it.

The most common error is pasting a command into the wrong terminal. Pasting the CMD line into PowerShell produces The token '&&' is not a valid statement separator. Pasting the PowerShell line into CMD produces 'irm' is not recognized as an internal or external command. On Polish Windows, the same message is: “irm” is not recognized as an internal or external command, executable program, or batch file. Conversely, pasting the curl … | bash line from macOS into PowerShell results in A parameter cannot be found that matches parameter name 'fsSL' or 'bash' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet. In each case, simply use the line intended for your terminal.

The Start menu contains two entries: “Windows PowerShell” and “Windows PowerShell (x86).” The latter runs as a 32-bit process, so even on a 64-bit computer it ends with the Claude Code does not support 32-bit Windows error. Open the entry without the (x86) suffix.

Git for Windows jest opcjonalny, ale zalecany. Gdy jest zainstalowany, Claude Code wykonuje polecenia przez dołączony do niego Git Bash, a bez niego przez PowerShell. Jeśli Git jest zainstalowany, ale Claude Code nie znajduje Git Bash, ustaw w bloku env pliku ~/.claude/settings.json zmienną CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH ze ścieżką do bash.exe. Przykładowa ścieżka z dokumentacji to C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe.

If you choose WSL, run the macOS and Linux line in the WSL terminal and start claude there as well, not in PowerShell or CMD.

Script execution policy error (npm in PowerShell)

The npm.ps1 cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system message during installation or when running via npm means that PowerShell’s execution policy blocks the .ps1 startup script generated by npm. According to the documentation, you can allow the current user to run local scripts (using the command below), use npm.cmd and claude.cmd, or switch to the native PowerShell installer.

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

The “claude” command is not recognized after installation

command not found: claude or 'claude' is not recognized means that the installation directory is not in PATH. The native installer places the program in ~/.local/bin/claude on macOS and Linux and in %USERPROFILE%\.local\bin\claude.exe on Windows. First, open a new terminal. If it still does not work on Windows, check and add the path in PowerShell as specified in the documentation:

# 1. Sprawdź, czy katalog instalacji jest już w PATH
$env:PATH -split ';' | Select-String '\.local\\bin'

# 2. Brak wyniku? Dopisz go do PATH użytkownika, zamknij i otwórz terminal
$currentPath = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable('PATH', 'User')
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('PATH', "$currentPath;$env:USERPROFILE\.local\bin", 'User')

# 3. W nowym terminalu
claude --version

API key instead of login (without a subscription)

ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL is a built-in Claude Code variable. According to the official documentation, it overrides the API endpoint to route requests through a proxy or gateway. Connecting Claude Code to a service compatible with the Anthropic Messages API is therefore a configuration supported by Anthropic. You do not need plugins or a modified program. On macOS and Linux, add the variables to the shell configuration file (~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc):

export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://api.kunavo.com   # sama domena, bez /v1
export ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN=sk-kn-...
export ANTHROPIC_MODEL=claude-sonnet-5
export ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL=claude-opus-5-5
export ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL=claude-sonnet-5
export ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL=claude-haiku-4-5

On Windows, you can first check the configuration in a single PowerShell window:

# Działa tylko w tym oknie PowerShella – po zamknięciu znika
$env:ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL = "https://api.kunavo.com"
$env:ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN = "sk-kn-..."
$env:ANTHROPIC_MODEL = "claude-sonnet-5"
$env:ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL = "claude-opus-5-5"
$env:ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL = "claude-sonnet-5"
$env:ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL = "claude-haiku-4-5"
claude

For a permanent setup, it is best to enter the variables in the env block of the user settings file ~/.claude/settings.json (on Windows, %USERPROFILE%\.claude\settings.json). According to the documentation, this file applies to all your projects. If the file already contains other settings, add only the env block:

{
  "env": {
    "ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL": "https://api.kunavo.com",
    "ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN": "sk-kn-...",
    "ANTHROPIC_MODEL": "claude-sonnet-5",
    "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL": "claude-opus-5-5",
    "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL": "claude-sonnet-5",
    "ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL": "claude-haiku-4-5"
  }
}

Each of these six lines is easy to get wrong:

• ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL is just the domain. Claude Code appends /v1/messages itself. With /v1 at the end, the request goes to /v1/v1/messages and returns 404.
• ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN, not ANTHROPIC_API_KEY. The ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN value goes into the Authorization header with the Bearer prefix and works immediately. ANTHROPIC_API_KEY goes into the x-api-key header and must be approved once in interactive mode. If you deny it then, the key is silently ignored. You can enable it again in /config → Use custom API key.
• ANTHROPIC_MODEL selects the main model. Here it is Claude Sonnet 5 (claude-sonnet-5). The name must exactly match the Kunavo model list. Kunavo does not recognize older names with a date at the end.
• ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_OPUS_MODEL and ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_SONNET_MODEL pin the opus and sonnet aliases. Według the official model configuration documentation (sprawdzone 3 października 2026) dla użytkowników API model domyślny i alias opus wskazują Opus 5.5, a alias sonnet wskazuje Sonnet 5.5. Aliasy z czasem się zmieniają, a wersję przypina się pełną nazwą modelu albo zmiennymi takimi jak te dwie. Zapytanie o model, którego nie ma w Kunavo, zwraca 404. Alias opus przypinamy do Claude Opus 5.5 (claude-opus-5-5), bo kolejny Opus wydany przez Anthropic nie musi być od razu dostępny w Kunavo. Opus 5.5 wymaga Claude Code w wersji 2.1.280 lub nowszej, starszą wersję zaktualizujesz poleceniem claude update. Sonnet 5.5 nie jest obecnie (stan na 3 października 2026) dostępny w Kunavo, więc bez przypięcia aliasu sonnet do claude-sonnet-5 błąd 404 zwracają /model sonnet, faza wykonania w trybie opusplan i subagenci ustawieni na model: sonnet.
• ANTHROPIC_DEFAULT_HAIKU_MODEL also handles background tasks. According to the documentation, this variable selects the model for the haiku alias and for background functions. On Kunavo, Claude Haiku 4.5 costs 0,70 USD per million input tokens and 3,50 USD per million output tokens. The main model, Claude Sonnet 5, costs 1,40 USD / 7,00 USD (Anthropic pricing: 2,00 USD / 10,00 USD), while Claude Opus 5.5 costs 2,80 USD / 14,00 USD (input / output, per million tokens).

Klucza no wpisuj do projektowego .claude/settings.json. Według the gateway connection documentation ten plik trafia do repozytorium, a więc do każdego, kto je sklonuje. Pamiętaj też o kolejności pierwszeństwa. Gdy ta sama zmienna jest ustawiona i w powłoce, i w bloku env pliku ustawień, w większości sesji obowiązuje wartość z pliku ustawień. Osobna zasada dotyczy klucza model w pliku ustawień: zmienna ANTHROPIC_MODEL ma przed nim pierwszeństwo, a model działa tylko wtedy, gdy zmiennej nie ma. Jeśli zmiana w powłoce nie działa, najpierw sprawdź plik ustawień. W rozszerzeniu Claude Code dla VS Code zmienne ustawia się w claudeCode.environmentVariables, w ustawieniach użytkownika samego VS Code.

First launch and /status

According to the gateway connection documentation (checked 3 października 2026), with ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN set, the claude command immediately opens a session without a login screen. The variable takes effect immediately and does not need to be approved, unlike ANTHROPIC_API_KEY. If you see a login screen instead, Claude Code did not read the key.

The key must be where Claude Code reads it before the initial configuration, namely set with the export command in the shell or in the env block of the user's ~/.claude/settings.json file. In interactive mode, the env block from the project .claude/settings.json or .claude/settings.local.json only starts taking effect after the first-run wizard and the folder trust prompt. With the key only in the project settings, you will still see the login screen on the first launch.

In the session, enter /status and check the two lines:

• Anthropic base URL appears only when the gateway address is set. It should show https://api.kunavo.com. If this line is missing, ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL did not reach the session.
• Auth token with the name ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN means that the API key is working, not a saved claude.ai login. If you see Login method with a claude.ai account, the variable did not take effect.

You can also check the address and key before launching Claude Code, using the method from the official documentation. It involves sending a request for 1 output token, which deducts a symbolic amount from your balance. The command reads variables from the current shell, so even if the key is in the settings file, first set the variables with the export command in that terminal. A JSON response beginning with {"id":"msg_ means that the address and key are working. Code 401 means that the key was rejected.

curl -sS -w '\n%{http_code}\n' -X POST "$ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL/v1/messages" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN" \
  -H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01" \
  -H "content-type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model": "claude-sonnet-5", "max_tokens": 1, "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "."}]}'

In PowerShell, the same check looks like this. If everything works, the response will contain an id field beginning with msg_:

Invoke-RestMethod -Method Post -Uri "$env:ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL/v1/messages" `
  -Headers @{ "Authorization" = "Bearer $env:ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN"; "anthropic-version" = "2023-06-01" } `
  -ContentType "application/json" `
  -Body '{"model": "claude-sonnet-5", "max_tokens": 1, "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "."}]}'

What works differently with an API key

• Remote Control and voice dictation are unavailable. According to the documentation, they require a claude.ai identity and do not work when ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN is active. Since version 2.1.196, Remote Control is also disabled when ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL points to a host other than api.anthropic.com.
• /fast shows fast mode as disabled. According to the documentation, when only a bearer token is present, Claude Code treats fast mode as disabled and does not send an availability query.
• MCP tool search is disabled by default. This happens when ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL points to a host other than Anthropic.
• The numbers in /context are estimates. Kunavo nie udostępnia endpointu /v1/messages/count_tokens. Według gateway compatibility documentation (sprawdzone 3 października 2026) Claude Code liczy wtedy tokeny lokalnie na podstawie liczby znaków.

You can find the complete integration description in the Claude Code integration documentation (in English), and the English version of this guide in the Install Claude Code article.

BLIK payment: topping up your balance and getting an API key

Subskrypcje Claude kupowane przez stronę Anthropic można opłacić wyłącznie kartą kredytową lub debetową (Claude billing FAQ, sprawdzone 3 października 2026). BLIK-iem nie zapłacisz za Pro ani za Max. W Kunavo BLIK doładowuje przedpłacone saldo API, z którego Claude Code płaci za tokeny po ustawieniu klucza tak jak wyżej. Wszystkie kroki płatności opisuje poradnik how to pay for Claude with BLIK, a w skrócie wygląda to tak:

1. Create a Kunavo account using email or a Google account. You do not need to provide a card when registering.
2. In the Billing tab, choose the top-up amount. The minimum is 10 USD, and there is no monthly fee. For larger amounts, you receive a bonus: 100 USD → 110 USD na saldzie, 1000 USD → 1200 USD na saldzie, 5000 USD → 6250 USD na saldzie.
3. Na stronie płatności Stripe kwota jest pokazana w złotych. Wybierz BLIK, wygeneruj w aplikacji bankowej sześciocyfrowy kod, wpisz go i potwierdź płatność w aplikacji. Według Stripe documentation (sprawdzone 3 października 2026) kod BLIK jest ważny 2 minuty, a po rozpoczęciu płatności masz 60 sekund na jej zatwierdzenie.
4. In the API Keys tab, create a key beginning with sk-kn-. The key is displayed only once, so save it immediately and enter it in ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN.

Na stronie płatności w złotych oprócz BLIK-a są też karty (Visa, Mastercard), Apple Pay i Google Pay na obsługiwanych urządzeniach oraz Link. Nie ma natomiast Przelewy24, PayU, PayPal ani zwykłego przelewu bankowego. Ceny są ustalone w dolarach, a Stripe przelicza je na złote. Według Stripe documentation on Adaptive Pricing (sprawdzone 3 października 2026) kurs zawiera opłatę za przewalutowanie w wysokości 2–4%, którą ponosi kupujący. Płacąc kartą w dolarach, unikniesz tej opłaty, choć wtedy obowiązują kurs i opłaty Twojego banku, a BLIK działa tylko w złotych. Dokładną kwotę w złotych zobaczysz na stronie płatności przed potwierdzeniem.

BLIK works only for manual top-ups. Automatic top-ups require a saved card or Link. The balance does not expire, and you do not pay for failed requests. Kunavo does not issue VAT invoices, and you can find your top-up history in the Billing tab. Remember that this is a top-up of your Kunavo API balance, not a payment for Claude Pro or Max.

How much does it cost (example calculation)

In Claude Code, you pay for tokens. With each request, Claude Code sends the entire conversation context again, but the repeated beginning of the context may be charged at the cache read rate. Below is an example calculation based on tokens. This is not a measurement or an upper cost limit. All assumptions are provided:

• each request has 40 000 input tokens, of which 36 000 (90%) are charged as cache reads, and the remaining 4000 as cache writes;
• each request returns 1000 output tokens;
• one work session contains 50 such requests, with no background Claude Haiku 4.5 calls;
• In Kunavo, cache reads cost 10% of the input rate, while cache writes cost 1,25× the input rate. These proportions apply to Claude Sonnet 5, and each model in the table is calculated according to its own proportions.

The actual cost depends on the context length, the number of cache hits, the response length, and whether you clear the conversation between tasks with the /clear command. You can find the rates for all models in the pricing. Estimate your own usage with the Claude token cost calculator (in English). The how much Claude Code costs guide explains when a subscription is more cost-effective and when the API is.

Most common errors

Limitations

• Kunavo does not issue VAT invoices.
• BLIK works only for manual top-ups. Automatic top-ups require a saved card or Link.
• This is a token-based API, not a Claude Pro or Max subscription. With an API key, Remote Control and voice dictation do not work, /fast mode is disabled, and MCP tool search is disabled by default.
• Kunavo does not currently offer Sonnet 5.5 (as of 3 października 2026), so the configuration above pins the sonnet alias to claude-sonnet-5. Without pinned models, the default aliases may return 404. Claude Opus 5.5, pinned to the opus alias, requires Claude Code version 2.1.280 or later.
• The official Claude Code documentation and the Kunavo integration documentation are available only in English.

Frequently asked questions