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Trae

Name: Trae
Price: 10 USD
Author: Challenging Voice

Free AI IDE built on VS Code

4.2 Coding

4.2 Very good 4.2

Bottom line: Trae is a strong coding tool, best known for builder mode that scaffolds full projects from a prompt. It has a free plan.

Genuinely free with access to capable models Reports of broad data collection raise privacy questions

Reviewed by Challenging Voice Editorial · Updated Jun 2026 How we rate

PricingFrom $10/mo

Free planYes

PlatformsMac, Windows

Best forCoding

UpdatedJun 2026

Ask AI about Trae ChatGPT Claude Perplexity

Overview

Trae is a free AI-powered IDE from ByteDance, built on the VS Code foundation with a redesigned interface and a Builder mode for scaffolding whole projects from natural language. It bundles AI chat, code generation, and GitHub integration into a familiar editor. The free tier covers thousands of monthly completions, and a Pro plan raises premium model limits.

Key features

Builder mode that scaffolds full projects from a prompt
AI chat and code generation inside a VS Code base
GitHub integration with a familiar extension ecosystem

Pricing

Pros & cons

Pros

Genuinely free with access to capable models
Familiar to anyone who already uses VS Code

Cons

Reports of broad data collection raise privacy questions
Free premium model requests hit a monthly cap

How it compares

Tool	Rating	Free	From	Best known for
Trae (this tool)	4.2	Yes	$10/mo	Builder mode that scaffolds full projects from a prompt
Cursor	4.7	Yes	$20/mo	Codebase-aware chat
GitHub Copilot	4.6	Yes	$10/mo	Inline code suggestions
Aider	4.6	Yes	Free	Terminal-based editing with automatic git commits per change

Our verdict

4.2 / 5 4.2

Trae is a strong coding tool, best known for builder mode that scaffolds full projects from a prompt. It offers a free plan, with paid upgrades from $10/mo.

What makes it different: Trae stands out for builder mode that scaffolds full projects from a prompt.

How we score it

Overall 4.2

Value for money 4.7

Feature depth 4.7

Popularity 3.7

Best for DevelopersEngineering teamsStudentsIndie hackers