# Trae.ai: Free AI-Powered IDE Revolutionizing Developer Productivity
> [!NOTE] Fuente original: [carlosluengo.com](https://carlosluengo.com/posts/blog-post-5)
**Trae.ai** is a free, AI-powered integrated development environment (IDE) created by **ByteDance** (the company behind TikTok). Its goal is to act as a real-time **AI coding assistant** built into the editor, helping developers write, understand, and automate code.
- Built on a customized version of **VS Code**.
- Offers **context-aware suggestions**, autocomplete, and code correction.
- Includes a **"Builder" mode** that generates entire projects from natural language descriptions.
- Supports **VS Code extensions and Git**.
- Available for **Windows and macOS** (Linux support not yet available).
- Interface in English and Simplified Chinese.
![[_assets/carlosluengo/assets/img/2025/20250503-trae.png]] *[TRAE AI]*
### Why was it launched?
Trae.ai addresses two key problems:
- The need to **speed up coding** using AI.
- The **high cost** of similar tools (e.g., Copilot, Cursor).
ByteDance launched Trae as a **completely free and unlimited tool**, aiming to democratize AI-assisted coding and compete in this fast-growing space.
![[_assets/carlosluengo/assets/img/2025/202503_pricingtrae.png]]
### Differences from *Vibe Coding*
| Aspect | Vibe Coding | Trae.ai |
|----------------------|--------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|
| What is it? | A method of coding by idea | A real tool implementing that method |
| Usage mode | Chatbot (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude) | Full IDE with built-in AI |
| Integration | External to code editor | Internal, part of the IDE |
| Automation | Manual, iterative | Can build full projects instantly |
| Code awareness | Context must be provided manually | AI sees and understands full project context |
Trae.ai takes *vibe coding* to the next level by embedding the AI assistant directly into the coding workflow, with full contextual awareness and smart editing capabilities.
![[_assets/carlosluengo/assets/img/2025/202505_vibecoding.png]]
### What AI powers Trae.ai?
Trae.ai uses some of the most advanced language models:
- **Claude 3.5 and 3.7** (Anthropic) – optimized for code.
- **GPT-4** (OpenAI).
- **DeepSeek** – open-source models.
All of this is available **without API setup or extra costs**. The AI can:
- Understand natural language queries.
- Analyze and generate high-quality code.
- Refactor functions or entire files.
- Provide inline help and explanations.
![[_assets/carlosluengo/assets/img/2025/20250504-modelstrae.png]]
### How is it free?
ByteDance is **subsidizing** Trae.ai, focusing on user acquisition and market disruption rather than monetization (for now). Their goals:
- Build a **large user base**.
- Offer a **free alternative** to expensive AI coding tools.
- Explore **future monetization options** once adoption is high.
Currently, Trae.ai is:
- **100% free** – no subscriptions, no usage limits.
- Fully featured.
- In active development.
### Comparison: Trae.ai vs. Other Tools
| Tool | Main Purpose | AI Used | Key Features | Pricing | Ease of Use |
|------------------|----------------------------------|-------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
| **Trae.ai** | Full IDE with integrated AI | Claude 3.5/3.7, GPT-4, DeepSeek | Context-aware chat, autocomplete, Builder mode, Git, agents | **Free & unlimited** | High – familiar for VS Code users |
| **ChatGPT** | General-purpose AI chatbot | GPT-3.5 (Free), GPT-4 (Plus) | Code generation via chat, no direct project integration | Freemium ($20/mo for GPT-4) | High – very accessible, but outside IDE |
| **Notion AI** | Writing/productivity assistant | GPT-4, Claude | Writing, summaries, brainstorming (not code-focused) | $10/mo AI add-on | High for Notion users |
| **Vibe Coding** | Development *method* (not a tool)| Varies (GPT-4, Claude, etc.) | Conversational code generation, manual integration | Depends on tools used | Medium – flexible but requires manual setup |
### Conclusion
Trae.ai is a **powerful and disruptive** offering: it combines the strength of top-tier AI (Claude, GPT-4) with a complete code editor – and it's **completely free**.
In a world where access to advanced AI often comes at a premium, Trae.ai stands out as a truly **open and accessible tool** for developers at all levels.
> If you’re looking for a serious AI pair programmer without the cost, **Trae.ai is one of the best free options available right now**.
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