Amp

Amp is a sophisticated, frontier coding agent developed by Sourcegraph to maximize developer capabilities using the latest AI models. It functions as both a command-line interface (CLI) and an extension for popular code editors like VS Code, Cursor, and Windsurf. Amp is engineered for autonomous reasoning, comprehensive code editing, and executing complex programming tasks. It aims to act as a powerful pair programmer, capable of understanding codebase context, fixing errors, implementing features, and refactoring code with minimal guidance. By always using the best available models and providing unconstrained token usage, Amp delivers raw AI power directly into the developer's workflow.

How to use Amp

To get started with Amp, users first sign in on the official website and install the tool, either as a VS Code extension or a CLI for macOS, Linux, and Windows (via WSL). Once authenticated, you can interact with Amp using natural language prompts. For example, you can ask it to "Fix all the TypeScript errors in this file" or "Add a dark mode toggle to this React component." Amp can be guided using `AGENTS.md` files for project-specific instructions, and users can mention files with `@` to provide context. The CLI allows for both interactive sessions and non-interactive execution of commands for scripting and automation.

Core Features of Amp

• Autonomous Coding Agent: Capable of independent reasoning, complex code editing, and task execution across the entire codebase.
• Multi-Platform Support: Available as a powerful command-line interface (CLI) and an integrated extension for VS Code and compatible editors (Cursor, Windsurf).
• Advanced AI Model Access: Automatically uses the best and latest models (like Claude Sonnet 4.5 and GPT-5 for the Oracle) without requiring user selection, ensuring top performance.
• Extensible Tooling: Supports built-in tools, custom tools via Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, and simple scripts through Toolboxes.
• Subagents & Oracle: Can spawn subagents for parallel tasks and consult an 'Oracle' (a powerful secondary model like GPT-5) for complex reasoning, planning, and code review.
• Librarian for Code Search: A specialized subagent that can search and read code from public and private GitHub repositories to provide context and examples.
• Amp Tab: An in-editor code completion engine that suggests multi-line edits and changes across multiple files based on semantic context and diagnostics.
• Collaboration Features: Supports workspaces for teams, with shared conversation threads to provide context for code reviews and collaborative development.
• Deep IDE Integration: The CLI can connect directly with VS Code, Neovim, and JetBrains IDEs to view open files, access diagnostics, and edit code directly.

Use Cases for Amp

Amp is ideal for a wide range of software development tasks. Developers can use it for rapid debugging by asking it to identify and fix errors in files or entire projects. It excels at code refactoring, such as converting CSS to Tailwind or improving code structure. It can also be used to implement new features from high-level descriptions, like adding a UI component or setting up an API endpoint. For codebase exploration, Amp can quickly find where specific logic is handled or explain the relationship between different parts of the code. It's also a valuable tool for automating tests, writing documentation, and reviewing API designs.

Advantages of Amp

Amp's primary advantage is its focus on providing raw, unconstrained AI power to developers. Its principle of always using the best models ensures users benefit from cutting-edge AI without manual configuration. The ability to use subagents, the Oracle, and the Librarian allows it to tackle highly complex problems that are beyond the scope of typical AI assistants. Its deep integration into the developer's existing workflow via CLI and IDE extensions minimizes friction. Furthermore, its collaborative features and extensibility with custom tools make it a powerful asset for both individual developers and entire engineering teams.

Pricing and Plans

Amp offers a freemium pricing model with three main tiers:

• Free: This plan is free of charge and supported by ads. It uses a mix of top open-source and frontier models with some limitations on context windows and tool usage. Use of this plan requires opting into sharing training data.
• Paid Usage (Smart Mode): This is the default pay-as-you-go plan. Usage is billed based on credits consumed by LLM interactions and other tools. Costs are passed through directly from providers with no markup for individual and non-enterprise workspaces. New users typically receive $10 in free credits to start.
• Enterprise: This plan is priced 50% higher than the standard paid plan and is designed for organizations. It includes features like SSO, zero data retention for inputs, advanced thread visibility controls, and managed user settings. Upgrading to Enterprise requires a one-time $1,000 purchase, which is converted into usage credits.