Trae
ByteDance's AI-native IDE with free access to frontier models, focused on smart collaboration.
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Our review
Trae is ByteDance's AI-native IDE that gives you free access to frontier models while keeping the familiar VS Code experience, plus a Builder mode for agentic work. Since February 2026 billing is token-based across five tiers — Free / Lite / Pro / Pro+ / Ultra, from $3 to $100. Appealing to developers who want strong models on a budget.
The ecosystem is newer, there are usage quotas, and it can lag occasionally. But the combination of 'frontier models for free plus a VS Code feel' makes Trae a genuinely attractive newcomer.
Pros
Cons
Key features
Best for
FAQ
What is Trae?
ByteDance's AI-native IDE with free access to frontier models, focused on smart collaboration.
What are the pros and cons of Trae?
Pros: Free frontier models, VS Code experience, Chinese-friendly, Builder mode. Cons: Newer ecosystem, Quota limits, Occasional lag.
How much does Trae cost?
Free: Free; Lite: $3/mo; Pro: $10/mo; Pro+: $30/mo; Ultra: $100/mo.
Who is Trae for?
Best for Daily coding, Project development, Learning, Chinese users.
What are the alternatives to Trae?
Consider Cursor, Windsurf (Devin Desktop), GitHub Copilot.
Pricing
- • Base quota
- • Frontier models
- • Entry quota
- • Higher limits
- • High limits
- • Top limits