Amp vs TraeComparisonUpdated 2026-03-16
SUMMARY
Amp (CLI) uses markdown configuration while Trae (IDE) uses markdown. They differ on 2 of 11 compared features. Both tools provide AI-assisted development but take different approaches to project configuration.
FEATURE COMPARISON
| Feature | Amp | Trae |
|---|---|---|
| Config format | markdown | markdown |
| Hierarchy support | ✓ | ✓ |
| Global config | ✓ | ✓ |
| Project config | ✓ | ✓ |
| Subdirectory scoping | ✓ | ✗ |
| File inclusion / imports | ✗ | ✗ |
| Ignore file | ✗ | ✗ |
| IDE integration | CLI | ✓ |
| Schema / structure | Free-form (Markdown) | Free-form (Markdown) |
| Git committed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Encoding | UTF-8 | UTF-8 |
FILE MAPPING
| Purpose | Amp | Trae |
|---|---|---|
| Project instructions | AGENTS.md | AGENTS.md |
| Project rules | .agents/checks/*.md | .trae/rules/*.md |
SIDE-BY-SIDE CODE SAMPLES
Amp
AGENTS.md
markdown
# Agent Instructions
## Project Context
Go microservices monorepo using Bazel for builds.
## Build & Test
- Build all: bazel build //...
- Test all: bazel test //...
- Integration tests: docker compose up -d && bazel test //integration/...
- Lint: golangci-lint run ./...
## Code Conventions
- All services follow standard layout in /cmd and /internal
- Use structured logging with slog
- Error wrapping with fmt.Errorf("op: %w", err)
- See @docs/api-style-guide.md for API conventions
## Cross-Repo References
- Shared proto definitions in sourcegraph/proto
- Common Go libraries in sourcegraph/lib
## Security
- Never log sensitive data (tokens, passwords, PII)
- All external inputs must be validated
- Use parameterized queries for database access
Trae
.trae/rules/*.md
markdown
---
description: React component conventions and patterns
globs: "*.tsx,*.jsx"
alwaysApply: false
---
# React Component Rules
1. Use functional components with TypeScript interfaces for props
2. Prefer server components by default — add "use client" only for interactivity
3. Colocate component tests in adjacent __tests__/ directories
4. Use named exports, not default exports
5. Extract custom hooks into hooks/ directory when reused across components
## Styling
- Use Tailwind CSS v4 utility classes
- Follow mobile-first responsive design
- Keep component-specific styles colocated
## State Management
- Use React 19 use() for async data in server components
- Prefer URL state (searchParams) over client state where possible
- Use Zustand for complex client-side state
KEY DIFFERENCES
Amp: Supported. Trae: Not supported.
Amp: CLI. Trae: Supported.
WHICH SHOULD I USE?
Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use Amp, configure AGENTS.md. If you use Trae, configure .trae/rules/*.md. Many projects include config files for multiple tools so each team member can use their preferred editor.
PORTABILITY TIP
sync-instructions.sh
bash
# Maintain a single source of truth:
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md CLAUDE.md
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md .cursorrules
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md AGENTS.md
SEE ALSO
File references:
agentconfig.ing2026-03-16COMPARE(1)