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trae

Trae

AI-native IDE by ByteDance

freetelemetry concernsupdated Aug 16, 2026

VS Code fork with Builder Mode for full-stack project generation from natural language prompts. Offers free access to Claude 3.7 Sonnet, GPT-4o, and DeepSeek models. With 6M+ users and a cloud IDE option, Trae is one of the most accessible AI coding tools for developers who want powerful AI features without upfront costs or complex setup.

Read our Trae review

A detailed review by the aicoolies team — click to read

Trae is a free AI-powered code editor developed by ByteDance that provides unlimited access to frontier AI models including Claude and DeepSeek for code generation, completion, and chat-based development assistance. It solves the problem of AI code editor pricing by offering premium AI capabilities at no cost, lowering the barrier to entry for developers who want to experiment with AI-assisted coding. Launched in January 2025, Trae is built on the VS Code foundation and supports most VS Code extensions and settings.

Trae operates in two primary modes: Builder mode for zero-to-one application development where developers provide natural language specifications and Trae generates complete applications with proper file structure and implementation code, and Chat mode for analyzing existing code, answering questions, and providing real-time recommendations. The editor includes AI code auto-completion, terminal suggestions that can paste or execute commands directly, MCP integration for connecting to external tools, and SSH/WSL support for remote development. Trae supports importing existing VS Code settings and extensions, making migration straightforward for developers already in the VS Code ecosystem.

Trae targets developers who want powerful AI coding assistance without paying subscription fees, making it particularly attractive for students, freelancers, indie developers, and those in regions where AI tool subscriptions are less accessible. It is suitable for web development, full-stack projects, and rapid prototyping with its Builder mode. However, developers should be aware of the data collection practices associated with ByteDance products and evaluate whether the privacy trade-offs are acceptable for their use case, particularly when working with proprietary or sensitive codebases.

Pricing

Free (all AI features included)

Platforms

macOS, Windows, Cloud IDE (browser)

Categories

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Use Cases

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Comparisons

Zed vs Trae: The Fast Native Editor vs the Free AI-First IDE

Zed and TRAE IDE are both modern coding environments with serious AI capabilities, but they optimize for different buyers. Zed starts with native speed, open-source control, multiplayer collaboration, and a flexible agent layer; TRAE starts with an AI-first workflow in which autonomous SOLO Mode, bundled usage, and cloud task capacity are part of the product experience. This comparison is for a developer choosing an AI-first IDE where agentic capability and entry cost carry more weight than source availability or native-editor performance.

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Google Antigravity vs Trae: Multi-Agent Platform or Lower-Cost AI IDE?

Google Antigravity and Trae both offer agentic coding beyond autocomplete, but their current product directions are diverging. Google Antigravity wins for multi-agent orchestration, parallel workspaces, CLI continuity, and a growing enterprise platform; Trae is the more approachable choice for developers who want an IDE with SOLO mode, custom subagents, and lower-cost membership tiers.

Trae vs Cursor — The Free ByteDance IDE vs the Paid Agentic Standard

Trae and Cursor are both AI-native IDEs built on the VS Code foundation, but they arrive at very different propositions: Trae is ByteDance's free, generously-featured alternative, while Cursor is the paid incumbent that has defined the category. The choice between them is less about raw capability and more about what you're willing to trade — subscription cost, data policy, and model lock-in on one side; ecosystem maturity, agent depth, and enterprise trust on the other.

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FAQ

What is Trae?

VS Code fork with Builder Mode for full-stack project generation from natural language prompts. Offers free access to Claude 3.7 Sonnet, GPT-4o, and DeepSeek models. With 6M+ users and a cloud IDE option, Trae is one of the most accessible AI coding tools for developers who want powerful AI features without upfront costs or complex setup.

Is Trae free?

Yes — Trae is free to use. Free (all AI features included)

What are the best Trae alternatives?

The top editor-verified Trae alternatives are Void, Twinny.

How does Trae score in our review?

Our hands-on review scores Trae 78/100 overall, based on speed, privacy, and developer-experience testing.