Trae

Overview

Trae is an AI-native integrated development environment released by ByteDance in January 2025, and the first AI-native IDE in China. It deeply integrates LLMs such as Doubao and DeepSeek, reshaping the development paradigm through natural-language interaction, intelligent code generation, and multimodal collaboration. By the end of 2025 it had surpassed 6 million registered users and earned extremely high recognition among Chinese developers. In Q2 2026 it further refined its SOLO mode and design-to-code feature, and became fully compatible with MCP protocol v1.1.

Core features: AI-native IDE, multi-model built in, SOLO autonomous mode, design-to-code, MCP tool marketplace.

Installation

Trae ships as a standalone installer—download the package for your OS from the official site. Users in China can visit trae.cn; international users can visit trae.ai. Installers are available for Windows and macOS (both Intel and Apple Silicon).

# Download links
# China site: https://www.trae.cn/
# International site: https://www.trae.ai/

# Windows: download the .exe installer and double-click to run
# macOS:   download the .dmg and drag it into Applications
# Launch Trae and sign in to start using it

Trae is built on the VS Code core, so you can directly import your existing VS Code configuration and extensions.

Basic Usage

After launching Trae, describe your needs in natural language in the Chat panel and it will generate and edit code automatically. In SOLO mode it can autonomously handle the entire flow from requirement to implementation. The built-in Builder mode supports uploading design files to generate frontend code directly. You can also connect third-party models such as the Claude API for more power.

# Enter a request in the Chat panel (example)
"Create a paginated user list page using React + Tailwind"

# Enable SOLO autonomous mode
# Switch to SOLO in the sidebar, describe the full requirement, and let it plan and build autonomously

# Connect third-party models (configure API keys in settings)
# Settings → Models → Add Claude / OpenAI API key

The China edition of Trae ships with Doubao/DeepSeek models and a generous free quota; the international edition connects to models like Claude and GPT.

Tips

Trae's MCP marketplace supports one-click install and zero-config activation of all kinds of MCP tools, making it a powerful weapon for building AI agents. Use #filename to reference a specific file and @function to locate a code snippet so the AI understands context more precisely. The design-to-code feature is especially friendly for frontend developers—upload a Figma file or image and get runnable code.

# Reference files and symbols in a conversation
"Refactor the @login function in #src/utils/auth.ts and add error retry"

# One-click install of MCP tools
# Sidebar → MCP marketplace → search and install (e.g. database, browser, filesystem tools)

# Design to code
# Drag in a design image → Builder mode → auto-generate the corresponding component

Tip: For complex projects, let the AI read the project structure (@project root) first before issuing instructions.

Configuration

Trae is configured through its visual Settings panel. The China edition ships with Doubao/DeepSeek models and a free quota, while the international edition connects to Claude, GPT, and others via API keys added under Settings -> Models. SOLO mode, the MCP marketplace, and design-to-code are toggled in the sidebar. Because Trae is built on the VS Code core, your VS Code settings.json and keybindings carry over.

# Connect third-party models
# Settings -> Models -> Add API key (Anthropic / OpenAI / etc.)

# Enable SOLO autonomous mode
# Sidebar -> switch to SOLO -> describe the full requirement

# One-click MCP tools
# Sidebar -> MCP marketplace -> search and install
#   (database, browser, filesystem tools, zero config)

# Reference files/symbols in chat
"Refactor the @login function in #src/utils/auth.ts"

# Edit settings.json (VS Code-style, Cmd/Ctrl+,)
{
  "trae.solo.enabled": true,
  "trae.model.default": "doubao-pro"
}

The China edition's free Doubao/DeepSeek quota is generous; switch to Claude/GPT via API keys for heavier reasoning tasks.

FAQ

Common questions cover free quotas, third-party model support, data privacy, MCP usage, and design-to-code. Trae is free to download; the China edition includes a free model quota while the international edition uses BYOK (bring your own key) for Claude/GPT. MCP tools install with one click from the marketplace.

Q: Is Trae free?
A: The IDE is free to download. The China edition includes a free
   Doubao/DeepSeek quota; the international edition uses your own API keys.

Q: Can I use Claude or GPT?
A: Yes—add the provider's API key under Settings -> Models.

Q: Does my code get sent to third parties?
A: When you use a cloud model, requests go to that provider's API under
   their policies. Check each provider's privacy terms.

Q: How do I install MCP tools?
A: Open the MCP marketplace in the sidebar and install with one click;
   no manual config is needed.

Q: How does design-to-code work?
A: Drag a Figma file or image into Builder mode and Trae generates
   runnable frontend code from the design.

For complex projects, let the AI read the project structure first before issuing instructions.