Use Chat when you paste something in and want an answer back. Use Cowork when Claude needs to work through files or apps and give you finished files. Use Code when the job means running software in a project folder.
Checked against Anthropic's help center and Claude Code docs on 12 October 2026. These products change often. Check the linked pages before you rely on a detail.
First: Chat and Cowork are becoming one Claude
Anthropic is merging Chat and Cowork into one conversation. You no longer pick a mode first. You ask for what you need, and Claude decides which tools to use. The change is rolling out slowly, starting with Pro and Max plans on web, desktop, and mobile. Other plans follow later, and Enterprise admins get at least 30 days' notice. Anthropic's merge article
How do you know which version you have? If your message box still shows Chat and Cowork, you have the old layout. After the change, you cannot switch back to separate options. The Code tab stays where it was.
Anthropic's own pages describe different stages of this change. The Claude Code desktop guide still lists three tabs: Chat, Cowork, and Code. So your screen may not match every guide you read.
The difference between Chat and Cowork still matters after the merge. It tells you how big the task is, what Claude can touch, and how much you need to check.
Chat, Cowork, and Code at a glance
Scroll sideways to see all columns.
| Chat | Cowork | Code | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best for | Questions, drafts, and checks on text you supply | Multi-step work with files, folders, and connected apps | Work that runs software in a project folder |
| What you get back | An answer or draft in the conversation | Finished files, such as spreadsheets, documents, or slides | New or changed files, plus the results of commands it ran |
| Where it runs | Web, desktop, and mobile | Desktop app for local folders; web and mobile for tasks | Desktop app Code tab, terminal, code editors, or the web |
| Plans | Free and paid plans | Paid plans: Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise | Paid plans: Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise |
| Your control | You read the answer and decide what to do | Manual mode asks before each action | A permission mode sets when it asks before edits or commands |
| Setup | None | Desktop app for local files; optional connectors | A project folder; some tasks need extra software |
| After the merge | Same conversation as Cowork | Same conversation as Chat | Separate Code tab, unchanged |
Sources: Claude pricing, Cowork guide, Claude Code overview, and Claude Code permission modes.
The lines are not sharp. Even the Free plan can search the web, create files, and run code in a chat. The table shows where each option is strongest, not the only things it can do.
Use Chat when the answer comes from what you paste
Use Chat when:
- the input fits in the conversation, such as a message, a few pages, or a short table
- you want a draft, a summary, or a check, not a set of files
- Claude does not need to open your folders or apps
- a person will read the answer and act on it
Business example: a customer asks when their order will ship. You paste the message, the order status, and your policy. Claude drafts a reply and lists what you still need to check. You send the reply yourself.
Try this recipe: Draft an order-status reply from checked facts. You paste text, and the draft comes back in the conversation. It needs no connected app, plugin, or local folder. Its steps were written during the rollout: if your message box still offers Chat and Cowork, they ask you to choose Cowork. The task itself stays chat-sized.
If a chat starts to need many files, a folder, or another app, it has become a Cowork task.
Use Cowork when Claude needs to work through files
Use Cowork when:
- the input is many files, such as receipts in a folder
- the task has several steps, such as read, sort, calculate, then write a file
- you want a finished file, such as a spreadsheet, a document, or a slide deck
- the task needs connected apps, plugins, or a schedule
In Claude Desktop, you can give Claude access to a folder. It can then read, organize, and create files there. Local files only work while Claude Desktop is open. Cloud tasks keep running when your computer is off. Merge article: desktop and web
More access means more to check. Anthropic's safety guide suggests a separate working folder instead of broad access. It also advises against giving Claude access to sensitive files, such as financial documents. Use Manual mode for actions that are hard to undo. Use Cowork safely
Try this recipe: Prepare an expense report from receipts. First, paste two fictional receipts into the conversation and check that the total is EUR 77.00. Then try a practice folder of synthetic receipts. Receipts are financial documents, so check your company's rules before you use real ones. A person still checks each row, tax, and tip, and decides what can be claimed.
Use Code when the job means running software
Use Code when:
- the work happens in a project folder, and many files change together
- Claude needs to install or run tools, scripts, or code
- you want to review each change before you keep it
- the result is something you will run again, such as a script
You do not need to write code yourself. In the desktop app's Code tab, you choose a folder and review Claude's changes without using a terminal. Desktop quickstart You do need to understand what you approve. In Manual mode, Claude Code asks before most file edits, commands, and network requests. Permission modes
Try this recipe: Article-to-Visuals agent. It turns a finished article into a cover and three matching illustrations, as PNG and editable SVG files. The full pack adds six carousel images and a PDF. It uses Code because Claude writes the files and renders them with local browser software. Claude checks for that software first and installs it only with your approval. You approve the content plan and one sample design before the full batch, then check every exported file.
Still not sure? Ask three questions
- Where is the input? Text you can paste points to Chat. Files in a folder or data in other apps point to Cowork. A project that needs tools installed points to Code.
- What do you need back? An answer points to Chat. A finished file points to Cowork. Files that a program creates or changes point to Code.
- What could go wrong? The more Claude can touch, the more you need to review. Start with practice data and the smallest access that works.
Your next step
Pick one task you do every week. Answer the three questions above. Then open the matching recipe and run its practice example first.
Other recipes with Claude setup guides:
- Compare supplier quotes on the same basis: pasted quote extracts, answer in the conversation
- Review contract terms against your playbook: Cowork with Anthropic's Legal plugin and a practice folder
- Review a sales discovery call: Claude Code with a sales-review plugin and a practice transcript
For other tools and ready-made options, browse the agent directory.