Trae
Adaptive AI-powered code editor with native agentic workflows
About Trae
Trae is an advanced AI-first integrated development environment (IDE) built by ByteDance to accelerate software development with deep contextual awareness. It integrates frontier AI models, including Claude 3.5 Sonnet and GPT-4o, directly into your coding environment, enabling intelligent code completion, complex refactoring, multi-file codebase generation, and automated debugging. Unlike traditional editor plugins that treat AI as a bolt-on chatbot, Trae embeds AI as a core collaborator. It offers two distinct operational modes: Builder Mode, which orchestrates autonomous multi-step coding tasks across your entire repository, and Chat Mode, which answers deep technical questions with full codebase grounding. Designed for developers, startups, and engineering teams, Trae provides a familiar, blazing-fast VS Code-compatible interface with native terminal integration, git management, and zero subscription costs during its introductory preview.
Under the hood, Trae features a proprietary codebase indexing engine that analyzes semantic dependencies, abstract syntax trees (ASTs), and project structures in real time. This ensures that every generated code suggestion or automated patch respects existing architectural patterns and libraries without hallucinating non-existent interfaces. In Builder Mode, Trae can take a high-level natural language prompt, break it down into executable tasks, create new files, install dependencies via the terminal, and iteratively run and test code until requirements are met. It also includes inline code transformations and instant diff reviews to give engineers complete oversight of every modification.
Download and install Trae for macOS, Windows, or Linux from trae.ai.
Open your project repository — Trae automatically indexes your codebase for semantic context.
Use Chat Mode (Cmd+L) to ask questions about your architecture, syntax, or bug causes.
Switch to Builder Mode (Cmd+I) to delegate multi-file features or full-stack integrations.
Review the interactive diffs, accept or reject individual edits, and run tests via the integrated terminal.
Capabilities & Features
Common Use Cases
code-generation
automated-refactoring
multi-file-editing
bug-fixing
full-stack-scaffolding
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Trae free to use?
Yes, Trae is currently completely free with access to advanced models like Claude 3.5 Sonnet and GPT-4o without requiring your own API keys.
Is Trae compatible with VS Code extensions?
Yes, Trae is built on the open-source VS Code platform, allowing you to import your existing extensions, settings, themes, and keybindings seamlessly.
What is Builder Mode in Trae?
Builder Mode is an agentic workflow inside Trae that autonomously creates files, executes terminal commands, modifies multiple modules, and debugs code to fulfill complex developer instructions.
Free Plan
Currently 100% free with unlimited access to Claude 3.5 Sonnet and GPT-4o models during preview.
Paid Plan
No paid tier required currently; preview access includes full capabilities.
Pros & Cons
Free unlimited access to frontier models (Claude 3.5 Sonnet & GPT-4o)
Native Builder Mode handles complex multi-file repo changes
Seamless VS Code extensions and keybindings compatibility
Deep semantic codebase indexing for accurate contextual suggestions
Interactive diff viewer for safe, line-by-line review of AI changes
Currently in public preview; pricing may change in the future
Requires desktop application installation (no web-only editor)
Alternatives
View allCursor
The AI code editor that knows your whole codebase
An AI-first code editor built on VS Code that understands your entire codebase for smarter completions and chat.
GitHub Copilot
Your AI pair programmer for faster coding.
An AI-powered developer tool that provides autocomplete-style suggestions as you code. It learns from your project context to generate relevant functions and snippets.
Windsurf
AI agent-powered IDE for developers
Windsurf is an AI-native code editor built by Codeium that integrates an AI agent directly into the development environment. It helps developers write, refactor, and debug code while maintaining flow state with contextual AI assistance.
Warp
The terminal for the 21st century
A modern, Rust-based terminal with AI built-in to help you find and run commands using natural language.
Replit
Collaborative cloud IDE with built-in AI agent
Replit provides a comprehensive cloud environment for writing, hosting, and deploying applications. Its AI agent can build entire features or full-stack apps from natural language.
Anthropic Console
Enterprise-grade AI for developers
The developer gateway to Claude models, offering advanced controls like prompt caching and Artifacts rendering via API.
Compare Trae with Alternatives
Side-by-side feature, pricing, and pros & cons breakdowns
