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Claude desktop and Codex desktop: where the official download is
Owners rarely get stuck on the installing itself. They get stuck because they downloaded from the wrong place — a third-party mirror, a modified "localised" build, or because the filename didn't match what they expected and they went looking again. This page covers one thing: where the official doors are, and what the thing you downloaded should look like.
Everything below comes from the two vendors' official pages as they read today; links are at the bottom. Button names and filenames change often — if your screen disagrees, trust your screen.
Two official doors, and that's the whole list
- Claude desktop: the official download page is headed Download Claude and offers macOS, Windows (with a separate arm64 build), Linux and ChromeOS on one page. The Claude Code quickstart carries the same buttons and notes that the macOS download is a universal build for Intel and Apple Silicon.
- Codex: there is no separate "Codex app". What you download is the ChatGPT desktop app; the official docs page offers macOS, Windows and Linux, and the Mac button today reads Download for macOS (Apple Silicon). After installing, you switch to Codex inside the app.
Nowhere else. The "fast download", "portable" and "translated" builds in the search results are someone else's modified copy of the app, and your account and company files pass through it.
Check three things before you download
- Your plan. The Claude Code quickstart states it requires a Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise subscription; a free account gets sent to a pricing page instead. OpenAI's pricing page lists Codex as included from Free upward, with different allowances. Check both vendor pages for today's terms.
- What this machine is. On Mac: Anthropic's macOS build is stated to be universal for Intel and Apple Silicon, while the ChatGPT Mac button today says Apple Silicon. On Windows: Claude has separate x64 and ARM64 installers — if you don't know which you have, look under Settings, System, About at your system type.
- The extra Windows requirement. Anthropic's docs state that on Windows, Git must be installed for local sessions to work, and that most Macs include Git by default. OpenAI's desktop docs do not list Git as a prerequisite.
The filename looks wrong — these cases are all normal
- The file downloads as Codex.dmg but installs an app called ChatGPT. That is correct. Codex is a mode inside that app. Going back to search for a "Codex download" is how people end up installing something else entirely.
- On Windows a tiny installer downloads first, then pulls several hundred megabytes. Normal for both apps. It isn't finished until that second progress bar is.
- macOS asks whether you're sure you want to open an app downloaded from the internet. Normal — it asks once for every app from the web. Confirm it's the one you just downloaded from the official page. If the system says only App Store apps are allowed, change the setting to allow known developers; don't switch the protection off entirely.
Do I also need Node, or a command line?
No. The Claude Code quickstart states the desktop app includes Claude Code and that you don't need to install Node.js or the CLI separately. The npm, Homebrew and WinGet commands you find in search results belong to a different route, for people who want it in a terminal. Owners can ignore that route.
Same on the other side: install the ChatGPT desktop app and you can switch to Codex inside it — nothing else to install first.
First launch: settle two things before you give it work
Don't rush into the first task. Settle two things and the rest is calmer:
- Give it an empty folder as its workbench. It can only read and change what is in the location you point it at. Do not hand over your whole Documents folder on day one.
- Set it to ask first. On the Claude side that is Manual, which waits for your approval on every change. On the Codex side, OpenAI advises starting with Ask for approval.
Signing in, verification codes and payment are only ever done by you — not by a helper, and never left in a screenshot. For the click-by-click version with real screenshots, see the install lesson; the step after installing is producing your first real piece of work.
When you shouldn't download it yet
A few cases where downloading today is the wrong move:
- You don't have a paid Claude plan and only want a look — use the browser chat instead; free is enough to see what these things do.
- This is a locked-down company machine you can't install software on. Don't go hunting for the admin password, and never hand your company password to anyone. Use your own machine or ask IT.
- You don't yet have one specific job for it. Install it unused and in three weeks you won't remember the password. If you're unsure whether to start, the free check is allowed to tell you not to.
FAQ
Where do I download the Claude desktop app?
From the official Claude download page or the Claude Code desktop quickstart. Both offer macOS, Windows including an arm64 build, Linux and ChromeOS. Don't use third-party mirrors from search results.
How do I install Codex on the desktop?
There is no separate Codex app. Install the ChatGPT desktop app from the official docs page, which offers macOS, Windows and Linux, then switch to Codex inside the app.
Do I need Git to install Claude Code on Windows?
The official docs state that on Windows, Git must be installed for local sessions to work. Get the graphical installer from Git's own Windows download page and keep the defaults. Most Macs include Git already.
The download filename doesn't match what I expected — was it hijacked?
First check you clicked it on the official page. On Mac the ChatGPT installer is named Codex.dmg and installs an app called ChatGPT; that's normal. On Windows a small installer that then downloads a much larger package is also normal.
Should I install one of those translated builds?
No. Those are modified copies of the official app, and your sign-in and company files go through them; neither vendor will help you if something goes wrong. English buttons are fine — write to it in your language and it answers in your language.
Related lessons
Next step
Sources (checked 2026-09-07):Claude download page · Claude Code desktop quickstart · Claude Code overview (CLI install) · ChatGPT desktop app (official docs) · Git for Windows official download
Last checked: 2026-09-07