Claude Code GUI / ChatUI for VS Code
Claude Code ChatUI is a full-featured GUI extension for Claude Code CLI in VS Code and Cursor. Works natively on Windows (no WSL required) and macOS. Supports both official Anthropic accounts and third-party API providers with GUI configuration. Key features: MCP plugin management, Skills system, Hooks system, real-time token & cost tracking, AI Assistant integration (Gemini + Grok), and multi-language UI (English, 简体中文, 繁體中文). Actively maintained with 236+ commits.
🌐 Languages: English | 简体中文 | 繁體中文
Note: This extension automates the official
claudeinteractive CLI to provide a GUI. It does not modify authentication, proxy network traffic, or touch your credentials — it reuses your already-logged-in subscription. Please review and comply with Anthropic's Terms of Service.
Why This Extension?
| Feature | Official Claude Code | Claude Code GUI (MaheshKok) | Claude Code UI (AuraTech) | This Project |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows No WSL | ❌ Requires setup | ❌ Requires CLI config | WSL path mapping | ✅ Native |
| Third-party API GUI Config | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ Exclusive |
| MCP Plugin GUI Management | CLI-level only | ✅ MCP Hub | ✅ MCP commands | ✅ GUI config (Global + Workspace) |
| Skills System GUI | CLI-level only | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ Exclusive |
| Hooks System GUI | CLI-level only | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ Exclusive |
| AI Assistant Integration | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ Gemini + Grok |
| Real-time Token Tracking | ❌ | ✅ Usage meter | ✅ Cost tracking | ✅ |
| macOS Support | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| npm + Native Installer | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Actively Maintained | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ (236+ commits) |
📸 Preview
📅 Recent Updates
| Version | Date | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| v5.0.8 | 2026-06-15 | Enables the 1M-token context window by default — long sessions were silently crashing into Prompt is too long at ~165K because the launched model never carried the 1M window (bare --model claude-opus-4-8 = 200K) while the progress bar could show a 1M denominator, and with auto-compaction off there was no safety net. The driver now appends the [1m] suffix for 1M-capable models (Opus 4.6/4.7/4.8, Sonnet 4.6) at spawn and on mid-session /model switch. Toggle via enable1MContext. ⚠️ 1M is in-subscription only on Max/Team/Enterprise + Opus |
| v5.0.7 | 2026-06-16 | Fixes the extension failing to run on a freshly-installed machine — a new machine shows two startup gates in sequence (workspace-trust + bypass-permissions warning) but the driver only answered one, so the first prompt's Enter hit the second dialog's "No, exit" and claude exited code 1 in a re-spawn loop. Both gate types are now tracked independently and scanned for ~25s post-spawn |
| v5.0.6 | 2026-06-15 | Fixes editing a skill/hook/any .claude/ file freezing the turn ~69s (the CLI's self-edit confirmation menu, unanswered by the PTY driver under bypassPermissions, is now auto-accepted session-wide). Disables the framework's lossy auto-compaction by default (DISABLE_AUTO_COMPACT=1; manual /compact still works). Restores inline rendering of subagent (Agent/Task) tool steps without double-counting their tokens. Raises the Context Window default 200K→400K |
| v5.0.5 | 2026-06-15 | Fixes messages being silently swallowed after a /compact or a session switch (the provider-wide compact-mode flag now resets on every session switch, and a send during compaction is visibly rejected instead of lost). Also shrinks the oversized QUESTION option-card title (.ask-question-header 14px→13px) so it no longer towers over the conversation badges |
| v5.0.4 | 2026-06-15 | Packaging fix — the v5.0.3 VSIX shipped with zero node_modules (--no-dependencies dropped the native node-pty runtime), so it installed but the chat panel wouldn't open. node-pty's win32-x64 binaries are now bundled correctly |
| v5.0.3 | 2026-06-15 | Interactive option cards — Claude emits a fenced ```ask block (native AskUserQuestion disabled) that renders as clickable single/multi-select cards; clicking injects the chosen label as the next turn. Fixes the "still processing" lock when an ask block follows a tool call (stop_reason: null), plus card layout/typography polish |
| v5.0.2 | 2026-06-14 | First-turn image vision via staged PTY injection — pasted/selected images arrive as a native [Image #N] multimodal attachment (0 Read, no "I don't see an image"); idempotent under the reinject watchdog; graceful degrade to Read if no chip; CJK/space paths + multi-image verified |
| v5.0.1 | 2026-06-13 | PTY interactive driver replaces claude -p (usage bills against your subscription); output read from transcript JSONL; permission mode setting; optional Stop hook completion fallback; win32-x64 only |
| v4.1.3 | 2026-06-02 | Claude Opus 4.8 model support; Opus 4.7 demoted to Previous; Opus 4.5 hidden from UI (kept for history & pricing) |
| v4.1.2 | 2026-05-18 | Security: npm audit 23→5 vulns; tsconfig strict checks (noImplicitReturns, noUnusedParameters); code dedup: unified escapeHtml, centralized MODEL_DISPLAY_NAMES, generic openModal/closeModal |
| v4.1.1 | 2026-04-21 | Gemini Vertex AI ADC mode; MCP env backfill fix (APPDATA/PATH/proxy); Windows node stdio wrapper fix; hierarchical auth UI |
| v4.1.0 | 2026-04-16 | Opus 4.7 model support; xHigh thinking intensity; /ultrareview command; Compute Mode restore bug fix |
| v4.0.10 | 2026-04-13 | Cursor history crash fix; history panel XSS fix |
| v4.0.9 | 2026-04-02 | Project metadata & README rewrite for AI search discoverability |
| v4.0.8 | 2026-04-02 | Codex MCP template, CLAUDE.md conditional injection |
| v4.0.7 | 2026-04-02 | Stream parser upgrade: 6 bug fixes, new CLI message types |
| v4.0.5 | 2026-03-30 | AI Assistant Panel: Grok + Vertex AI support; macOS scroll fix |
| v4.0.2 | 2026-03-28 | Hooks GUI management panel with 26 event types, 4 hook types, 5 templates |
| v3.1.9 | 2026-03-29 | CSP security policy, XSS fixes, Windows orphan process cleanup |
| v3.1.8 | 2026-03-12 | Grok MCP template, default model → Sonnet 4.6, cost bubble dedup |
| v3.1.7 | 2026-02-18 | Claude Sonnet 4.6 model support, Compute Mode upgrade |
| v3.1.4 | 2026-01-29 | macOS platform support added |
| v3.1.0 | 2026-01-13 | Skills panel: copy, enable/disable toggle, plugin protection |
| v2.1.0 | — | MCP integration, HTTP/SSE transport, server templates |
| v2.0.0 | — | Complete UI redesign, statistics dashboard, custom API endpoint |
See CHANGELOG.md for full details.
🚀 Quick Start
Step 1: Environment Setup
- Install Git for Windows (includes Git Bash)
- Install Node.js (LTS version recommended, ≥ 18)
- Open PowerShell as Administrator and set environment variable:
setx SHELL "C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe"
- Restart your computer (required for changes to take effect)
Step 2: Install Claude Code CLI
After restarting, open a new terminal window:
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
⚠️ VPN Users: Please ensure TUN mode is enabled throughout the installation and usage process, otherwise you may not be able to connect to Claude services.
Step 3: Log in to Claude Code
Using Official Account
claude
A browser window will open for authorization. Log in and copy the token back to the terminal.
Using 🔑 Third-Party API
If you're using a third-party API, configure it in the extension:
- Press
Ctrl+Shift+Cto open the chat interface - Click the settings button ⚙️ in the top right corner
- Check "Use Custom API Endpoint"
- Enter your API key in the API Key field (e.g.,
sk-ant-xxxxxxxxxx) - Enter the API address in the Base URL field (e.g.,
https://v3.codesome.cn) - Settings are saved automatically. "Settings updated successfully" confirms the configuration
Switch back to official account: Uncheck "Use Custom API Endpoint".
💡 Tips:
- If the API key is incorrect, chat will show "processing" until timeout
- You can switch between official account and third-party API anytime via the toggle
💡 This extension supports various third-party API services (e.g., v3.codesome.cn, openrouter.ai). Please consult your