Balázs Barta

Design Technologist

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Trae Review: TikTok's take on AI-powered coding

Balázs Barta ∙ Published on January 28, 2025
Trae Review: TikTok's take on AI-powered coding

The AI code editor space is getting crowded. From Cursor’s early innovations to Zed’s performance focus and WindSurf’s collaborative features, developers have plenty of options. Now there’s a new kid on the block: Trae, backed by ByteDance, the company behind TikTok. But in a market full of AI-powered editors, does this newcomer bring anything new to the table?

When VS Code meets modern design

First impressions matter, and Trae immediately stands out. While it’s built on VS Code, you wouldn’t know it at first glance. The team has clearly taken inspiration from JetBrains’ Fleet - and that’s not a bad thing. When you’re designing a modern code editor, why not steal from the best? The result feels more polished and intuitive than VS Code’s default interface.

Comparison of Trae and Fleet interfaces showing similar design patterns

The UI is carefully arranged, each section serving a specific function. The use of screen real estate is very impressive - from the well-structured sidebar to the integrated terminal, everything feels exactly where it should be. Even the default icons are a step up from VS Code’s standard set, offering better clarity and visual appeal.

However, customization is where Trae currently falls short. You’re limited to just three theme options - Light, Dark, and Blue. There’s no support for custom themes yet, and VS Code theme-related plugins, like rainbow brackets, don’t work. For developers who love to personalize their coding environment, this might feel restrictive. But what’s there by default is so well-designed that you might not miss your custom themes as much as you’d expect.

The AI powerhouse

What truly sets Trae apart isn’t just its looks - it’s the integration with multiple top-tier AI models. While other editors require subscriptions or tokens for advanced AI features, Trae offers unlimited access to both Claude 3.5 Sonnet and GPT-4o completely free. This dual-model approach gives you the flexibility to choose the AI that best suits your needs.

The ability to switch between models isn’t just a feature checkbox - it’s a game-changer for development workflows. Each model has its strengths, and having both at your disposal without usage limits means you can freely experiment and find what works best for different tasks.

AI features that matter

Trae’s AI capabilities go far beyond basic code completion, offering a comprehensive suite of features that transform how you interact with your code:

Intelligent context awareness

The AI doesn’t just see your current file - it understands your entire development context. You can point the AI to specific code snippets, files, folders, or your entire workspace, ensuring responses are precisely tailored to your project. This contextual understanding means you get solutions that align with your existing codebase, not generic suggestions.

Multimodal development

In a first for code editors, Trae supports image-based interactions. Need help with an error? Drop a screenshot into the chat. Working on implementing a design? Share the mockup directly. The AI can analyze and respond to visual inputs, bridging the gap between design and implementation.

Seamless AI integration

Trae offers multiple ways to interact with its AI capabilities:

  • Side chat for broader discussions and project-wide questions
  • Inline chat embedded directly in your code editor for contextual help without breaking flow
  • Smart auto-completion that understands your coding patterns and project context
  • Builder mode for developing complete features or projects through natural conversation

Builder walks through creating a Todo app, showing how it combines terminal commands, file analysis, and code generation

Builder: Beyond code generation

Builder takes AI assistance to the next level, helping you develop entire features or projects from scratch. Unlike simple code generation tools, Builder:

  • Analyzes your existing codebase to understand patterns and conventions
  • Uses multiple specialized tools for code analysis, file editing, and command execution
  • Integrates seamlessly with your development workflow
  • Generates production-ready code that fits your project’s architecture

The experience feels more like having a team of expert developers at your disposal than a typical AI assistant. Need to implement a new feature? Builder doesn’t just generate code - it helps architect the solution, considers edge cases, and even suggests testing strategies.

Growing pains and limitations

Being in beta, Trae still has some rough edges to smooth out. Project indexing can be unreliable, sometimes requiring a restart to function properly. The search functionality occasionally misses files, and the extension ecosystem is currently limited compared to VS Code’s vast marketplace.

There are also some workflow quirks to consider. The AI features, while powerful, can sometimes feel disconnected from one another - you might find yourself switching between Builder and Chat modes when a more integrated approach would be more efficient. These aren’t deal-breakers, but rather reminders that Trae is still evolving as a development tool.

The good news is that these limitations feel like temporary growing pains rather than fundamental flaws. Given ByteDance’s resources and the rapid pace of updates, it’s likely many of these issues will be addressed in future releases.

The elephant in the room: Privacy concerns

While Trae’s features are impressive, its privacy policy raises some serious red flags. Being a ByteDance product means it falls under Chinese data regulations, and the terms of service include concerning clauses about data collection and usage.

The privacy policy states that your code and interactions can be used for AI training and product improvement. For developers working on sensitive projects or proprietary code, this could be a dealbreaker. It’s a stark reminder that free services often come with hidden costs.

The verdict: A glimpse of the future

Trae represents an exciting evolution in AI-powered development tools. ByteDance’s resources and technical expertise suggest a promising future, with current limitations likely to be addressed through updates. The beautiful interface, coupled with unlimited access to both Claude and GPT-4, makes it a compelling option for developers wanting to explore AI assistance without subscription costs.

However, the privacy implications remain a major concern. Like its parent company TikTok, Trae offers an engaging experience that forces us to consider the trade-offs between convenience and data privacy. These concerns aren’t likely to disappear with future updates.

Should you try it? If you’re curious about AI-powered development and don’t mind the privacy implications, absolutely. The interface alone is worth experiencing, and the unlimited access to top-tier AI models is genuinely valuable - especially since this might become a paid feature in the future. As Trae’s documentation suggests, the free access to Claude and GPT-4 is being reconsidered, so it’s worth taking advantage of while you can.

For now, Trae might not be ready to be your primary IDE, but it excels as a secondary tool for specific tasks or projects where data privacy isn’t critical. It offers a fascinating glimpse into the future of development tools - one that’s both exciting and thought-provoking.