Amazon CodeWhisperer
by Amazon Web Services (AWS)
AI-powered developer assistant built into the AWS ecosystem.
Score
Score
Our verdict
Amazon Q Developer (formerly CodeWhisperer) is AWS's AI coding assistant that offers unlimited code completions for free, built-in security vulnerability scanning, and deep AWS service integration. It excels for developers working within the AWS ecosystem who need code suggestions optimized for cloud services. The main caveat is that code completion quality trails GitHub Copilot and Cursor for general-purpose coding, and its strongest value is tied to AWS-specific development.
Overview
Screenshot
Score breakdown
Overall score
Scores are editorial assessments by the Compare Best AI team on a 0–10 scale.
Expert review
CBAI Editorial Team
Compare Best AI · Editorial Team
Amazon Q Developer, the evolution of CodeWhisperer, represents AWS's comprehensive answer to GitHub Copilot and Cursor. What sets it apart is its deep integration with the AWS ecosystem — the assistant understands AWS APIs, CloudFormation templates, CDK constructs, and service configurations better than any competitor, making it invaluable for cloud-native development.
How we tested
Days tested
14 days
Tasks evaluated
- ·AWS Lambda function generation
- ·CloudFormation template writing
- ·General Python/JS coding
- ·Security scan accuracy
- ·Agent code transformation
- ·IDE integration stability
Method
Side-by-side with GitHub Copilot Pro and Cursor Pro on AWS and general coding tasks
Reviewer
CBAI Editorial Team
Plans & pricing
Free
Individual developers wanting free AI coding assistance
- Unlimited code completions
- Unlimited chat interactions
- Security scanning
- Code reference tracking
- VS Code and JetBrains support
- No agent capabilities
- No organizational features
Pro
Teams needing advanced AI features and admin controls
- Everything in Free
- Agent capabilities
- Code transformation
- Higher usage limits
- Admin and policy controls
- SSO integration
- Organizational features
Enterprise
Large organizations with custom security and compliance needs
- Everything in Pro
- Custom deployment options
- Advanced compliance
- Dedicated support
- Custom integrations
- SLA guarantees
Pricing may vary by region. Always verify on the vendor's website.
Feature comparison
| Feature | Amazon CodeWhisperer | GitHub Copilot | Cursor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Code Completion | |||
| Unlimited free completions | |||
| AWS service optimization | |||
| Security | |||
| Built-in vulnerability scanning | |||
| Code reference tracking | |||
| AI Features | |||
| Agent mode | |||
| Code transformation/modernization | |||
| IDE Support | |||
| VS Code | |||
| JetBrains IDEs | |||
| Pricing | |||
| Free tier | |||
Is it right for you?
Good fit for
AWS developers
AI suggestions optimized for AWS services, CloudFormation, CDK, and cloud-native architectures.
Security-conscious teams
Built-in vulnerability scanning catches security issues as you code, not after deployment.
Budget-conscious developers
The most generous free tier among AI coding assistants with unlimited completions and chat.
Legacy modernization teams
Agent capabilities automate Java upgrades and .NET transformations that would take weeks manually.
Less suited for
Non-AWS development
Code quality outside the AWS ecosystem doesn't match Copilot or Cursor for general-purpose programming.
Multi-file refactoring
Cursor's Composer mode and Claude Code handle complex cross-file refactoring more effectively.
Broad IDE support needs
Limited to VS Code, JetBrains, and Cloud9; no Neovim, Xcode, or Visual Studio support.
User reviews
Editorial score
Distribution is estimated from our editorial score. Verified user reviews coming soon.
Use cases
Typical ways teams rely on this tool — from everyday tasks to specialized workflows.
- Cloud Development
- Code Generation
- Security Scanning
- Code Modernization
- AWS Integration
- Bug Fixing
- Test Writing
Integrations
Reported connectors
Apps and services commonly connected out of the box or via official connectors.
- VS Code
- JetBrains IDEs
- AWS Cloud9
- AWS Console
- AWS CLI
- Lambda
- S3
- API Gateway
- CloudFormation
Privacy & compliance
Security & data practices
Highlights we track from the vendor's documentation. Always confirm current terms, subprocessors, and regional policies on their official site.
- SOC 2
- GDPR-ready
- Data not used for training
Details
Category
Price
- Free (unlimited)
- Pro $19/user/mo
- Enterprise custom
Free version
Best for
- AWS cloud development and infrastructure-as-code
- Security scanning for code vulnerabilities and leaked credentials
- Individual developers needing free AI coding with enterprise-grade security
Frequently asked questions
Amazon CodeWhisperer
Developer Tools
Ready to get started?
Visit the Amazon CodeWhisperer website to explore plans and start your free trial.
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