I was using Claude Code wrong… then I discovered this

Alex Finn breaks down every way to run Claude Code — CLI, VS Code extension, Cursor extension, desktop app, mobile app, and third-party wrappers like Lovable and Bolt — and makes the case that Claude Code via CLI inside Visual Studio Code is definitively the best setup available as of late 2025.

The core argument centers on plan mode: Finn contends that Claude Code’s CLI plan mode is unmatched by any other interface because it actively interviews the user with multiple-choice questions, surfaces design considerations the developer hasn’t thought of, and builds shared understanding before writing a single line of code. The VS Code extension lacks this interactive planning entirely, the desktop app has no plan mode at all despite its polished multi-agent management UI, and using Claude Code inside Cursor introduces bugs and slowdowns without adding meaningful capability.

Finn also explains the setup process step by step — installing Claude Code via a single terminal command, opening it inside VS Code with Ctrl+tilde, positioning the panel on the right for better vertical space, and activating plan mode with double Shift+Tab. He walks through a live note-taking app build to demonstrate how plan mode generates structured, clarifying questions before any code is generated. The video is a practical reference for developers deciding how to integrate Claude Code into their workflow, especially those currently paying for Cursor solely to run Claude Code inside it.

📺 Source: Alex Finn · Published December 30, 2025
🏷️ Format: Comparison