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How to Manage Multiple Claude CLI Accounts Without Losing Your Mind

#claude #cli #opensource #devtool

Anyone using Claude Code (Claude CLI) across multiple accounts — work, personal, clients — knows the frustration. Everything lives in ~/.claude/. One account. One set of settings. Switching means logging out, logging in, reconfiguring MCP servers, re-applying instructions.

With 4 different accounts across different projects, doing this dance multiple times a day gets old fast.

multi-claude fixes this.

What it does

  • Isolated profiles — each account gets its own config directory
  • Shared MCP servers & settings — define once, auto-applied everywhere
  • Global CLAUDE md — instructions that work across every account
  • Direct launch — run claude-work or claude-personal directly from terminal
  • Cloud backup/restore — sync all profiles to cloud, restore on any machine
  • Export/import — transfer profiles between machines as a single token

Direct Launch

Every profile is registered on PATH automatically. No need to open a menu:

claude-work
claude-personal
claude-client-xyz
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On Linux/macOS/Termux, symlinks go in ~/.local/bin. On Windows, the accounts directory is added to user PATH.

Shared Settings

Define MCP servers, env vars, and plugins in ~/claude-shared/settings.json. Write global instructions in ~/claude-shared/CLAUDE md. They get deep-merged into every account on launch.

Merge strategy:

Scenario Result
Key only in account Kept
Key only in shared Added
Both exist (simple value) Shared wins
Both exist (nested object) Recursively merged

Account-specific instructions below the auto-managed markers are preserved.

Cloud Backup

Backup all profiles → get a one-time code → enter it on any other machine → everything restores.

  • Codes expire after 10 minutes
  • Single use
  • Encrypted in transit
  • Deleted from server after fetch

Install

Pick any:

npm i -g `@ghackk/multi-claude`
pip install multi-claude
brew install ghackk/tap/multi-claude
scoop install multi-claude
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Works on Windows, Linux, macOS, and Termux.

How It Works

Each account gets a directory: ~/.claude-work, ~/.claude-personal, etc. On every launch, shared settings from ~/claude-shared/ are deep-merged. The tool is pure bash (Unix) + PowerShell (Windows) — no compiled binaries, no daemon, no background process.

MIT licensed. Open source. Worth trying for anyone dealing with the multi-account problem.

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