Claude Launcher
Launch Claude Code sessions as VS Code editor tabs — not buried in the terminal.
Claude Launcher is a free Visual Studio Code extension by Square that opens Claude Code sessions directly inside editor tabs. Click the sparkle icon in the status bar and a new Claude session opens as a draggable tab alongside your code — run several at once, each tracked by an active-session counter, with automatic cleanup when you close a tab. No more switching between the terminal panel and your editor to work with Claude Code.
- Platform
- Visual Studio Code (Windows, macOS, Linux)
- Built by
- Square Software SHPK
Features
One-click launch
A sparkle button in the status bar starts a new Claude Code session instantly — no commands to remember.
Sessions as editor tabs
Each session opens as a draggable editor tab you can arrange next to your code, instead of being stuck in a terminal panel.
Multiple concurrent sessions
Run several Claude sessions at once, each tracked by an active-session counter so you always know what’s open.
Automatic cleanup
Close a tab and its session is cleaned up automatically — no orphaned processes left behind.
Requirements
- Visual Studio Code
- Claude Code CLI installed via npm (npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code)
- An active Anthropic API key or Claude subscription
FAQ
Is Claude Launcher free?+
Yes. Claude Launcher is published free on the Visual Studio Code Marketplace. You only need your own Claude Code access (an Anthropic API key or a Claude subscription).
What do I need to use it?+
VS Code, the Claude Code CLI installed via npm, and an active Anthropic API key or Claude subscription.
Does it work on Windows, macOS and Linux?+
Yes — it runs anywhere VS Code and the Claude Code CLI run, which covers Windows, macOS and Linux.
Who builds it?+
Square Software SHPK — a software development company. We built Claude Launcher for our own workflow and released it free for the community.