AI coding assistants , by Amazon Web Services , since 2023
Amazon Q Developer
AWS's IDE assistant with autocomplete, an agent, and automated Java upgrades
- PLUGIN
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- API
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What Amazon Q Developer does
Amazon Q Developer is AWS's AI coding assistant embedded in IDEs, the AWS CLI, and the AWS console, offering code completion, an autonomous agent for multi-step tasks, and automated Java version-upgrade transformation. It integrates natively with IAM, AWS services, and existing AWS enterprise contracts.
What you get: IDE/CLI completions, Agentic multi-step tasks, Java version upgrades, AWS service integration.
Typical jobs: AWS-native development; Legacy Java modernization; Ops/CLI automation.
Worth knowing: Formerly branded CodeWhisperer; renamed Amazon Q Developer in 2023.
What users complain about: AWS-2025-015: a malicious version of the Amazon Q Developer extension was published after a compromised commit (AWS Security Bulletin)
Pricing and plan limits
Verified August 2026| Plan | Monthly | Annual (per mo) | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | n/a | 50 agentic requests/month, 1,000 lines/month of Java transformation |
| Pro | $19 | n/a | Per user/month; 4,000 lines/month of Java transformation pooled at the account level plus pay-as-you-go overage at $0.003/line; higher agentic-request allowance than Free (exact count not published) |
Where it wins
- Tight native integration with AWS IAM, services, and the AWS CLI/console that generalist assistants lack
- Often already covered by existing AWS enterprise agreements, simplifying procurement for AWS-heavy shops
Where it falls short
- Free tier's 50 agentic requests/month is exhausted quickly by anyone doing real agentic work, forcing an early upgrade
- AWS shipped a compromised version of its own Amazon Q Developer VS Code extension in 2025 after a malicious commit, and researchers separately documented prompt-injection RCE and secret-exfiltration vulnerabilities
How we scored it
Full methodology| Criterion | Weight | Score | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capability | 30% | 7.0 | 2.10 |
| Value for money | 25% | 7.0 | 1.75 |
| Ease of use | 15% | 7.0 | 1.05 |
| Maturity | 15% | 7.0 | 1.05 |
| Support & docs | 10% | 7.0 | 0.70 |
| Momentum | 5% | 6.0 | 0.30 |
| Weighted total | 100% | 7.0 | 7.00 |
Alternatives to Amazon Q Developer
Chosen by editors, not sponsors-
LovableFreemiumClosest match on capability
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AiderFreeCheaper entry plan
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ClineFreemiumCheaper entry plan at $9.99/mo
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GitHub CopilotFreemiumCheaper entry plan at $10/mo
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