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.
Pricing
$19/mo
Free plan
Yes
Category
Coding
Platforms
4
Free plan
Yes
API access
Yes
Open source
No
Platforms
4
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.
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.
Watch Amazon Q Developer in action
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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.
Best use cases
Who should use it
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
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
No
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.
Amazon Q Developer vs GitLab Duo
A side-by-side look at the closest alternative in this category.
Amazon Q Developer
Amazon Web Services
GitLab Duo
GitLab
Free tier with limited monthly suggestions. Pro $19/user/month with higher limits, security scanning, and code transformation features. Enterprise through AWS accounts.
Free plan includes limited Duo features. Duo Pro $19/user/month. Duo Enterprise custom pricing.
SOC 2, ISO 27001, GDPR compliant. Pro tier code suggestions not used for model training. Enterprise through existing AWS accounts.
GitLab enterprise security. SOC 2 Type II. ISO 27001. GDPR compliant. Customer data not used to train AI models.
Pro tier code is not used to train models. Data handling follows AWS enterprise terms. Review Amazon Q Developer's specific data handling documentation.
GitLab Duo processes code and project data through AI providers. Customer code is not used to train models.
- 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
- AI embedded in the DevSecOps platform for teams already on GitLab
- Root cause analysis for CI/CD failures saves significant debugging time
- Vulnerability explanation makes security findings more accessible
- No new vendor relationship for existing GitLab customers
- Less differentiated than competitors for non-AWS development
- $19/month Pro tier matches Copilot pricing but with narrower focus
- Duo Pro at $19/user/month adds to existing GitLab licensing costs
- Feature depth varies vs GitHub Copilot for pure code completion
- Most valuable for teams fully committed to the GitLab platform
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
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.
What users are saying
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Common questions about Amazon Q Developer
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.