About Amazon Q Developer
Amazon Q Developer is AWS’s generative AI assistant for software development, formerly known as Amazon CodeWhisperer. It helps developers write code, understand AWS services, diagnose cloud issues, scan for vulnerabilities, generate CLI commands, review code, and automate multi-step development tasks.
The tool is especially useful for developers working inside AWS-heavy environments, IDEs, terminals, repositories, and cloud operations workflows. Compared with general developer tools like shadcn/ui or GitFluence, Amazon Q Developer focuses on AI assistance across coding, AWS architecture, security, operational troubleshooting, and application transformation.
Key Features
Code suggestions : Generates real-time code suggestions from comments, surrounding code, and project context.
Agentic coding : Can perform multi-step tasks such as implementing features, documenting, testing, reviewing, and refactoring code.
IDE and CLI support : Works in tools such as VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Eclipse preview, and command-line environments.
AWS expertise : Answers AWS architecture, billing, console, networking, resource, and operational questions using AWS context.
Security scanning : Scans code for vulnerabilities and suggests remediation guidance.
Application transformation : Supports Java upgrades and .NET porting workflows for modernization projects.
Chat integrations : Available in Microsoft Teams and Slack for AWS operations and troubleshooting workflows.
Enterprise controls : Pro includes IAM Identity Center integration, enterprise access controls, and privacy protections for proprietary content.
Pros
✔ Strongest fit for teams already building on AWS.
✔ Covers coding, AWS operations, security scanning, and application transformation in one assistant.
✔ Free tier is useful for trying IDE chat, code suggestions, and limited agentic interactions.
✔ CLI support helps developers translate natural language into shell workflows.
✔ Enterprise controls are useful for organizations with AWS governance requirements.
✔ CodeWhisperer users have a clear migration path under the Amazon Q Developer brand.
Cons
✖ Product naming can be confusing because CodeWhisperer is now part of Amazon Q Developer.
✖ Best value is for AWS-centric teams; non-AWS developers may prefer more general coding assistants.
✖ Pro usage and transformation capabilities include quotas and additional pay-as-you-go details.
✖ Generated code and security suggestions still require developer review and testing.
✖ AWS account, identity, and organizational setup can add complexity for teams.
Plans & Pricing
| Plan | Type | Price | Usage Limit | Inclusions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Tier | Free | $0 | 50 agentic chat interactions/month; up to 1,000 lines of code transformed/month | IDE/CLI assistance, code suggestions, chat, limited transformation, and AWS guidance for getting started. |
| Amazon Q Developer Pro | Subscription | $19/user/month ⚠️ (verify current regional terms) | Higher agentic usage; 4,000 LOC/month for transformation capabilities per Pro subscription | Advanced enterprise features, Pro privacy protections, IAM Identity Center support, customization, and expanded development/operations workflows. |
| Pay-as-you-go transformation | Usage-based | Usage-based after included quotas | Applies to transformation usage beyond included pooled lines | Additional application transformation usage, such as Java upgrade workloads, based on current AWS pricing terms. |
Source: aws.amazon.com/q/developer and Amazon Q Developer pricing (verify on official AWS pricing page).
FAQs
Q1: Is Amazon CodeWhisperer still available?
AWS documentation says CodeWhisperer is becoming part of Amazon Q Developer, so the current product name is Amazon Q Developer.
Q2: What is Amazon Q Developer used for?
It is used for code suggestions, IDE chat, CLI help, AWS guidance, security scanning, code reviews, agentic coding, and application transformation.
Q3: Does Amazon Q Developer have a free tier?
Yes. AWS lists a perpetual Free Tier with 50 agentic chat interactions per month and limited code transformation usage.
Q4: Who should use Amazon Q Developer?
It is best for developers and cloud teams building, operating, securing, and modernizing software on AWS.
Final Verdict
Amazon Q Developer is a top-tier assistant for developers deeply integrated into the AWS ecosystem, offering excellent agentic coding and security scanning capabilities. The free tier offers great value, though teams working outside of AWS may prefer more general coding assistants.
Created on: May 28, 2026
Last updated: July 12, 2026
