Trae CN Complete Getting Started Guide: Free AI IDE for China, Zero-Cost AI Coding

Trae CN is ByteDance’s China-edition AI IDE, built on VS Code. It is completely free, requires no VPN, and comes with built-in access to top Chinese coding models including Doubao Seed Code, DeepSeek V3/R1, Kimi K2, GLM-4.5, and Qwen3-Coder.

For developers in China, this is currently the best zero-cost starting point for AI-assisted coding.

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Prerequisites

• Windows 10/11 or macOS 10.15+
• A phone number (for registering a ByteDance account)
• About 15 minutes of setup time

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Step 1: Download and Install

Visit trae.cn to download the installer for your platform:

• macOS: Download the .dmg file and drag it into the Applications folder
• Windows: Download the .exe installer and follow the prompts to complete installation

Tip: Trae CN and the international version Trae (trae.ai) are separate products. Make sure you download the version from trae.cn.

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Step 2: Log In to Your Account

1. On first launch, select your theme and language (recommended: dark theme + Simplified Chinese)
2. Click “Log In” in the top-right corner and register a ByteDance account using your phone number
3. After logging in, all features are available for free — no credit card required

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Step 3: Get to Know the Interface

The Trae CN interface closely resembles VS Code, with two new AI feature entry points:

Left Sidebar
├── File Explorer (same as VS Code)
├── Source Control (Git)
└── Trae AI Panel (new)

Right / Bottom
├── AI Chat Window     ← Interactive coding via conversation
└── SOLO Workspace     ← Agent-driven autonomous development

Keyboard shortcuts:

• Cmd/Ctrl + I: Open the AI Chat sidebar
• Cmd/Ctrl + L: Open SOLO mode

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Step 4: Choose a Model

Click the model selector at the top of the Chat window to switch between models:

Model	Best For
Doubao Seed Code	Everyday code completion and generation; ByteDance’s in-house model, fast
DeepSeek-V3	Strong general-purpose capabilities, complex logic and reasoning
DeepSeek-R1	Math and algorithm challenges, with visible reasoning process
Kimi K2	Agent tasks, long-context understanding
GLM-4.5	Chinese language understanding, document generation
Qwen3-Coder	Code-specialized, multi-language support

Tip: Not sure which to pick? Use Doubao Seed Code for everyday tasks, switch to DeepSeek-V3 for complex work, and choose DeepSeek-R1 for algorithm problems.

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Step 5: Chat Mode — Basic Usage

Chat mode is ideal for an interactive, ask-and-edit workflow:

Open an Existing Project

# Open a project folder with Trae CN
File → Open Folder → Select your project directory

Basic Conversation Examples

Type your request in the Chat input box:

Write a Python FastAPI endpoint that accepts a POST request with name and age parameters and returns a JSON greeting

Trae will generate the code and provide buttons to “Insert into File” or “Create New File” — apply changes with a single click.

Referencing File Context

Type @ in the Chat to reference:

• @filename: Have the AI read a specific file
• @folder: Read an entire directory
• @code block: Reference the currently selected code

@src/api/user.py What's wrong with this endpoint? Help me improve the error handling

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Step 6: SOLO Mode (Agent-Driven Autonomous Development)

SOLO is Trae CN’s core differentiating feature, with two sub-modes:

SOLO Coder: Iterating on Existing Projects

Ideal for adding features and refactoring code in an existing project:

1. Open your project folder
2. Press Cmd/Ctrl + L to enter SOLO mode
3. Describe your requirements and check the Plan option to have the AI produce an execution plan first
4. After confirming the plan, SOLO automatically executes: reads files, writes code, and runs tests

Add JWT login authentication to my existing Express project, including registration and login endpoints plus middleware

SOLO Builder: Building New Projects from Scratch

Ideal for rapidly scaffolding applications from nothing:

1. Create a new empty folder and open it with Trae
2. Enter SOLO Builder mode
3. Describe your application:

Create a React + TypeScript to-do app:
- Support adding, deleting, and marking tasks as complete
- Store data in localStorage
- Use Tailwind CSS with a dark theme

SOLO Builder will automatically:

1. Generate a requirements document (requirements.md)
2. Determine the tech stack and install dependencies
3. Progressively generate all code files
4. Launch a local preview

Tip: Builder mode supports integration with Supabase (database), Vercel (deployment), and Stripe (payments) — build a full-stack application without leaving the IDE.

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FAQ

Q: Is Trae CN really completely free?

Yes. Currently all features and model calls are completely free, including access to top-tier models like DeepSeek and Kimi K2. ByteDance has not yet announced any monetization plans, so take advantage of the free period while it lasts.

Q: Will ByteDance store my code?

Trae CN sends conversation context to the cloud for processing. If your project involves trade secrets, consider:

• Disabling the “Data Collection” option in Settings
• Or switching to the Trae international version with a self-hosted OpenAI API

Q: How does it compare to Cursor?

Dimension	Trae CN	Cursor
Price	Completely free	$20/month
China access	Direct connection	VPN required
Model quality	Top Chinese models	Top global models
Completion speed	Fast	Very fast
Ecosystem maturity	Growing	Mature

Bottom line: Trae CN is the top choice for developers in China. If you need the ultimate coding experience and have VPN access, Cursor is an alternative.

Q: Can I use VS Code extensions in Trae CN?

Yes. Trae CN is built on VS Code and is compatible with .vsix format extensions. Most VS Code extensions can be installed and used directly.

Q: What’s the difference between Trae CN and the international version?

	Trae CN	Trae (International)
Website	trae.cn	trae.ai
Pricing	Completely free	Pro $10/month
Built-in models	Doubao/DeepSeek/Kimi	Claude/GPT/Gemini
Network	Direct access in China	VPN required

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Advanced Tips

Custom AI Behavior Rules

Create .trae/rules.md in your project root (similar to .cursorrules) to let the AI understand your project conventions:

# Project Guidelines
- Use TypeScript with strict mode enabled
- Use JSDoc format for function comments
- Use the Result<T, E> pattern for error handling
- Follow Conventional Commits for commit messages

Connect Custom Models

Trae CN supports custom model providers. You can connect to additional models on Volcengine Ark:

1. Go to Settings → Model Providers → Add
2. Enter the Volcengine Ark Base URL and API Key
3. You can now use other proprietary models available on Ark

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Congratulations! You now have a solid grasp of Trae CN’s core features. If you have any questions, feel free to provide feedback on GitHub Issues.