Trae — Free AI IDE by ByteDance with Claude & GPT-4

Key Features

Two AI Modes

Chat Mode (Cmd+I):

• Ask questions about your code
• Generate snippets inline
• Explain functions
• Quick fixes and refactoring

Builder Mode (Cmd+Shift+Y):

• Multi-file agentic editing
• Project-aware context
• Accepts/rejects changes per file
• Runs commands autonomously

Free Model Access

No API keys, no subscription:

VS Code Compatibility

• Full VS Code extension support
• Existing keybindings work
• Settings sync from VS Code
• Same extension marketplace

Builder Mode Workflow

1. Describe what you want:
   "Add user authentication with JWT, password hashing, and protected routes"

2. Trae plans the changes across multiple files

3. Review diffs per file:
   ✓ src/auth/middleware.ts — Accept
   ✓ src/routes/auth.ts — Accept
   ✗ src/config.ts — Reject (keep my existing config)

4. Apply accepted changes

Context Providers

Trae understands your project:

• Full codebase indexing
• Git history awareness
• Terminal output context
• Documentation references

Key Stats

• 8,000+ GitHub stars
• By ByteDance
• Free Claude Sonnet + GPT-4o
• VS Code-based (full compatibility)
• Builder mode for multi-file edits

FAQ

Q: What is Trae? A: Trae is a free AI IDE by ByteDance with built-in Claude and GPT-4o access, featuring Chat and Builder modes for AI-assisted coding.

Q: Is Trae really free? A: Yes, including AI features. ByteDance subsidizes the model costs.

Q: How does Trae compare to Cursor? A: Both are VS Code-based AI IDEs. Trae is completely free. Cursor has more mature features but charges $20/mo for Pro.