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Trae
Code AI

Trae

Adaptive AI-powered code editor with native agentic workflows

4.8
freeintermediateFeaturedTrendingVerifiedSince 2024-12
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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.

How It Works
1

Download and install Trae for macOS, Windows, or Linux from trae.ai.

2

Open your project repository — Trae automatically indexes your codebase for semantic context.

3

Use Chat Mode (Cmd+L) to ask questions about your architecture, syntax, or bug causes.

4

Switch to Builder Mode (Cmd+I) to delegate multi-file features or full-stack integrations.

5

Review the interactive diffs, accept or reject individual edits, and run tests via the integrated terminal.

Platforms
macoswindowslinux
Best For
Developerssoftware-engineerstech-foundersStudents
Screenshot
Trae screenshot

Capabilities & Features

Free Tier
Customizable
Multimodal
Image Input
File Upload
Web Search
Code Execution
Plugins
Memory
Collaboration
API AccessNo Signup RequiredOpen SourceWorks OfflineVoice InputImage OutputVideo InputVideo OutputAudio OutputWhite LabelSelf-HostableBrowser Extension

Common Use Cases

1

code-generation

2

automated-refactoring

3

multi-file-editing

4

bug-fixing

5

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.

Pricing Modelfree

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.

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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)

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