What makes it different from GitHub Copilot?

Deeper AWS-specific knowledge and integrated code security scanning are the primary differentiators.

Does it work in JetBrains?

Yes, Amazon Q Developer has plugins for major JetBrains IDEs.

Is code used to train models?

Pro tier code is not used for model training. Review the free tier terms.

Verified July 24, 2026AI Coding Assistant

Amazon Q Developer

Amazon Web Services / aws.amazon.com

AWS's AI coding assistant integrated into VS Code, JetBrains, and the AWS Console, specialising in AWS service development and code security scanning.

Visit Amazon Q Developer

Pricing

$19/mo

Free plan

Yes

What is Amazon Q Developer?

Amazon Q Developer (formerly Amazon CodeWhisperer) is AWS's AI coding assistant, integrated into VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, the AWS console, and the AWS CLI. Its primary differentiation from GitHub Copilot and Cursor is its depth of AWS-specific knowledge and its code security scanning capabilities.

For developers who build on AWS services, Amazon Q Developer understands AWS APIs, SDK patterns, service limits, and best practices in a way that general coding assistants do not. Suggestions for DynamoDB queries, Lambda functions, S3 operations, and CloudFormation templates reflect AWS-specific patterns rather than generic suggestions.

The code security scanning feature analyses code for potential security vulnerabilities as it is written, flagging issues like SQL injection, hardcoded credentials, and insecure random number generation. This proactive security feedback is a meaningful advantage for teams with security compliance requirements, and it differentiates Q Developer from tools that focus purely on code generation.

Code transformation features can migrate legacy Java applications to newer Java versions, automatically updating deprecated APIs and dependencies. This is valuable for teams with older Java codebases that need modernisation.

The free tier provides limited monthly suggestions suitable for evaluation. The Pro tier at $19 per user per month is competitively priced against GitHub Copilot Business and provides higher limits plus the security and transformation features.

For non-AWS development, Amazon Q Developer is less differentiated. GitHub Copilot and Cursor offer comparable or better general-purpose coding assistance. Q Developer is most compelling for teams whose primary development target is AWS services.

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How Amazon Q Developer works

Amazon Q Developer runs as code llm software built around text and code workflows. Users typically start with a prompt, upload, or connected data source, and the underlying model handles the heavy lifting before returning a result you can refine or export. It's available on vs code, jetbrains, and aws console, with API access for teams that want to embed it into their own products.

Key Features

What makes it worth shortlisting

The capabilities that matter most for teams evaluating Amazon Q Developer.

AWS-specific code generation

Produces suggestions informed by AWS SDK patterns, service limits, and best practices for cloud development.

Code security scanning

Analyses code for security vulnerabilities including SQL injection, hardcoded credentials, and insecure patterns.

Java code transformation

Automatically upgrades legacy Java applications to newer versions, updating deprecated APIs and dependencies.

VS Code and JetBrains integrationAWS Console integrationAWS CLI integrationCode explanationTest generationMulti-line completionSecurity vulnerability detection

Best use cases

AWS service development

Code security review

Java modernisation

Cloud application development

Who should use it

AWS developers

Java developers

Cloud engineers

DevOps engineers

AWS-centric development teams

Pros

Deep AWS service knowledge provides more relevant suggestions for cloud development
Code security scanning proactively identifies vulnerabilities
Java code transformation helps modernise legacy codebases
Free tier available for evaluation

Cons

Less differentiated than competitors for non-AWS development
$19/month Pro tier matches Copilot pricing but with narrower focus

Pricing Analysis

Is it worth the price?

Free tier with limited monthly suggestions. Pro $19/user/month with higher limits, security scanning, and code transformation features. Enterprise through AWS accounts.

Model

Freemium

Starting price

$19/mo

Free trial

Similar Tools

Tools like Amazon Q Developer

GitHub Copilot is broader and has a larger community. Cursor provides a more integrated AI-native editor experience. Tabnine emphasises privacy-first enterprise deployment.

GitHub Copilot

Coding

AI coding assistant built into VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, and more with inline autocomplete, chat, and multi-file agent editing.

Cursor

AI-native code editor built on a VS Code fork with codebase-wide context, multi-file editing, and autonomous coding agents.

Windsurf

AI-native code editor from Codeium offering deep codebase context, agentic coding flows, and multi-model support as a VS Code alternative.

Tabnine

AI code completion tool focused on privacy-first enterprise deployment, supporting on-premise and self-hosted models for organisations with strict data requirements.

Replit

Browser-based development environment with AI coding assistance, hosting, and collaboration built in, used widely by students and rapid prototypers.

Devin AI

Autonomous AI software engineer that can complete multi-step engineering tasks including setting up environments, writing code, running tests, and deploying.

SubscriptionFrom $500/mo

★4.0(1500)

Comparison

Amazon Q Developer vs GitHub Copilot

A side-by-side look at the closest alternative in this category.

Full comparison

Amazon Q Developer

Amazon Web Services

GitHub Copilot

GitHub (Microsoft)

Overview

Rating

4.36,000 reviews

4.535,000 reviewsTop rated

Technical & deployment info

Key facts about model providers, platforms, and team support.

Model Provider

Amazon

Platforms

VS Code, JetBrains, AWS Console, AWS CLI

Deployment

SaaS

Integrations

AWS services, GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket

Team Collaboration

Yes

Launch Year

2022

Trust

Security & privacy

Compliance signals and data-handling notes as reported by the vendor.

SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR compliant. Pro tier code suggestions not used for model training. Enterprise through existing AWS accounts.

Pro tier code is not used to train models. Data handling follows AWS enterprise terms. Review Amazon Q Developer's specific data handling documentation.

Reviews

What users are saying

Verified reviews from signed-in users, stored in the backend and averaged into this tool's rating.

0.00 reviews

No other reviews yet — be the first to share how this tool performs in practice.

FAQ

Common questions about Amazon Q Developer

Yes, with limited monthly suggestions. Pro $19/user/month.

Editorial Verdict

Should you use Amazon Q Developer?

Amazon Q Developer is the best AI coding assistant for teams primarily developing on AWS who value AWS-specific guidance and integrated security scanning. For general-purpose coding, GitHub Copilot or Cursor offer more versatility.

Last verified July 24, 2026.