Amp Code Free: The AI Coding Agent That Works in Your Editor

Looking for a powerful AI coding agent that actually understands your codebase? Amp Code by Sourcegraph is a frontier coding agent that runs directly in your editor and terminal, giving you unconstrained access to the best AI models. Even better, Amp Free mode offers unlimited access supported by ads, making advanced AI coding assistance available to everyone.

If you’re exploring AI tools for development, you might also want to check out how to use Claude Sonnet 4.5 and GPT-5 for free or learn about building AI affiliate websites.

What is Amp Code?

Amp is a frontier coding agent built by Sourcegraph that brings AI assistance directly into your development workflow. Unlike simple code completion tools, Amp is designed as a true agent that can understand your entire codebase, execute commands, edit files, and work autonomously on complex tasks.

Core Principles

Amp is built around four key principles that make it different from other AI coding tools:

Amp Free vs Smart Mode

Amp offers two distinct modes to fit different needs and budgets:

Amp Free Mode

Amp Free is completely free of charge, supported by ads and training data sharing. It uses a mix of top open-source models, frontier models with limited context windows, and pre-release models in testing.

Key Features:

Amp Smart Mode (Paid)

Smart mode is Amp’s default paid tier that offers the full frontier model experience with unconstrained usage.

Key Features:

Pricing:

• Pay-as-you-go based on actual model usage
• Direct pass-through of API costs with no markup
• Most users get $10 USD in free credits to start
• Workspace credits pool usage across team members

Amp IDE Extension: VS Code, Cursor, and Windsurf

The Amp IDE extension integrates directly into your code editor, providing a seamless AI assistant experience. It works with VS Code and compatible forks like Cursor and Windsurf.

Installation

Installing Amp in your IDE is straightforward:

For VS Code:

1. Visit ampcode.com and sign in
2. Install the Amp extension from VS Code Marketplace
3. Authenticate with your Amp account
4. Start coding with AI assistance

For Cursor or Windsurf: The same extension works in these VS Code-compatible editors. Follow the installation instructions on the Amp dashboard.

Key Features in the IDE

# Project Guide for AI Agents

## Commands
- **dev**: `npm run dev`
- **build**: `npm run build`
- **test**: `npm test`

## Architecture
- React + TypeScript frontend
- Node.js + Express backend
- PostgreSQL database

## Important Notes
- Always run tests before committing
- Use TypeScript strict mode
- Follow existing code patterns

Practical Example: Building with Amp

Here’s how a typical Amp workflow looks in your IDE:

You: "Fix all the TypeScript errors in this file"

Amp:
- Reads the file and diagnostics
- Identifies the type errors
- Fixes each error with proper types
- Runs TypeScript compiler to verify
- Shows you the changes made

Or for more complex tasks:

You: "Look at localhost:3000 and make the header more minimal"

Amp:
- Takes a screenshot of the localhost URL
- Analyzes the current header design
- Suggests improvements
- Modifies the CSS/components
- Takes another screenshot to verify
- Iterates until it looks right

Amp CLI: Terminal-Based AI Assistant

The Amp CLI brings AI coding assistance directly to your terminal—perfect for developers who live in the command line or need to integrate AI into scripts and workflows.

Installation

Installing the CLI is simple:

# Using the install script (Linux, macOS, WSL)
curl -fsSL https://ampcode.com/install.sh | bash

# Or using npm
npm install -g @sourcegraph/amp

# Or using pnpm
pnpm add -g @sourcegraph/amp

# Or using Yarn
yarn global add @sourcegraph/amp

Interactive Mode

Run amp without arguments for interactive mode:

$ amp
# Will prompt for login on first run
# Then start an interactive session

You can pipe input to start with context:

$ echo "commit all my changes" | amp

Execute Mode

Use -x or --execute for non-interactive mode (requires paid credits):

$ amp -x "what files in this folder are markdown files?"
README.md
AGENTS.md
docs/getting-started.md

Combine with pipes for powerful workflows:

$ cat package.json | amp -x "what package manager is used?"
npm

$ git diff | amp -x "write a commit message for these changes"
fix: resolve TypeScript errors in authentication module

Slash Commands

The CLI supports powerful slash commands:

Custom Slash Commands

Create your own slash commands by adding scripts to .agents/commands or ~/.config/amp/commands:

Markdown files become prompt templates:

# .agents/commands/pr-review.md becomes /pr-review

Executables run and send output to Amp:

#!/usr/bin/env bash
# ~/.config/amp/commands/outline
# Becomes /outline command

tree -L 2 "$@"

Shell Mode

Execute shell commands directly in the CLI:

# Regular shell mode (included in context)
.ls -la

# Incognito mode (not included in context)
$pwd

IDE Integration

The CLI can connect directly to your IDE:

# For VS Code or Neovim with Amp installed
$ amp --ide

# For JetBrains IDEs
$ amp --jetbrains

This gives Amp access to:

• Currently open files
• Selected code
• IDE diagnostics
• Direct file editing with undo support

Advanced Features

Oracle: Second Opinion from GPT-5

Amp includes access to a powerful “Oracle” tool that uses GPT-5 for complex reasoning and analysis. While Claude Sonnet 4.5 is great for day-to-day coding, sometimes you need deeper analysis.

Example usage:

"Use the oracle to review the last commit's changes. I want to make sure
the actual logic hasn't changed, only the implementation."

"Analyze how these two functions work, then ask the oracle to figure out
how we can refactor the duplication while keeping it backwards compatible."

The main agent decides autonomously when to consult the oracle, but you can explicitly request it for better results on complex problems.

Subagents for Parallel Work

Amp can spawn subagents to work on independent tasks in parallel. Each subagent has its own context window and can use tools like file editing and terminal commands.

When to use subagents:

Example:

"Use 3 subagents to convert these CSS files to Tailwind. One subagent per file."

Each subagent works independently and reports back when done, keeping your main thread clean and focused.

Custom Tools with MCP

Amp supports the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for adding custom tools. Configure MCP servers in your settings:

"amp.mcpServers": {
  "playwright": {
    "command": "npx",
    "args": ["-y", "@playwright/mcp@latest", "--headless"]
  },
  "linear": {
    "url": "https://mcp.linear.app/sse"
  }
}

This lets Amp interact with external services, APIs, and tools specific to your workflow.

Amp Tab: AI-Powered Completions

Amp Tab is an experimental completion engine that anticipates your next actions:

• Multi-line code suggestions
• Edits in other files based on context
• Semantic understanding of your changes
• Language server diagnostics integration

Enable in settings: "amp.tab.enabled": true

Press Tab to accept suggestions and jump to additional edits.

Real-World Example Prompts

Here are concrete prompts you can try with Amp:

"Fix all the TypeScript errors in this file"

"Run the tests and fix any failing ones"

"Review this API design and suggest improvements" (uses Oracle)

"Add a dark mode toggle to this React component"

"Plan how to add real-time chat to this app, but don't write code yet"

"Find where user authentication is handled in this codebase"

"git blame this file and tell me who added that function"

"Check git diff --staged and remove the debug statements"

"Look at the last commit and help me change this feature"

# Command line usage
amp -x 'what files in this folder are markdown?'

# With context from commands
git log --oneline -10 | amp -x "summarize recent changes"

# Visual debugging
amp -x "Look at localhost:3000 and make the header more minimal"

Workspaces: Team Collaboration

Amp Workspaces provide collaborative environments where teams can share knowledge and threads.

Key Features

Privacy Controls

Threads can be:

• Workspace-shared (default for workspace members)
• Private (only visible to you)
• Public (visible to anyone with link)

Change visibility anytime through the sharing menu.

Comparison with Other AI Coding Tools

Getting Started with Amp

Ready to try Amp? Here’s your roadmap:

Step 1: Choose Your Mode

For Learning & Personal Projects:

• Start with Amp Free mode
• Get unlimited usage with ads
• Perfect for experimenting and learning

For Professional Development:

• Use Amp Smart mode
• Get $10 free credits to start
• Pay only for what you use

Step 2: Install Amp

IDE Extension:

1. Visit ampcode.com and sign up
2. Install extension for VS Code, Cursor, or Windsurf
3. Authenticate and start coding

CLI Tool:

curl -fsSL https://ampcode.com/install.sh | bash
amp  # Login and start

Step 3: Create AGENTS.md

Help Amp understand your project:

# In your project root
amp /generate-agent-file

Or create manually with:

• Build/test commands
• Architecture overview
• Important conventions
• Common pitfalls

Step 4: Start Coding

Try these starter prompts:

"Run the tests and fix any failures"

"Look at this file and explain what it does"

"Help me add error handling to this function"

Integrations and Extensions

Amp integrates with many other AI and development tools you might already be using:

• Learn about MCP servers in BrightData for web scraping capabilities
• Explore best open-source LLMs as Claude alternatives
• Check out other AI tools and resources for development

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

Amp Code brings frontier AI capabilities directly into your development workflow—whether you prefer working in an IDE or the command line. With Amp Free, you get unlimited access to powerful AI coding assistance without spending a cent, while Amp Smart offers unconstrained access to the best models for professional development.

Key Takeaways:

✅ Amp Free - Unlimited AI coding with ads, perfect for learning ✅ Amp Smart - Unconstrained Claude 4.5 access, pay only what you use ✅ IDE Integration - Works in VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf seamlessly ✅ Powerful CLI - Terminal-based AI for scripts and automation ✅ Advanced Features - Oracle (GPT-5), subagents, custom tools via MCP ✅ Team Collaboration - Workspaces with thread sharing and pooled billing

Whether you’re building side projects, learning to code, or working on production applications, Amp provides the AI assistance you need at a price point that works for you.

Ready to experience the future of AI-powered coding? Install Amp today and start building with the assistance of frontier AI models!