Fusion vs TraeUpdated 2026-03-16

SUMMARY

Fusion (IDE) uses mdc configuration while Trae (IDE) uses markdown. They differ on 4 of 11 compared features. Both tools provide AI-assisted development but take different approaches to project configuration.

FEATURE COMPARISON

FeatureFusionTrae
Config formatmdcmarkdown
Hierarchy support
Global config
Project config
Subdirectory scoping
File inclusion / imports
Ignore file
IDE integration
Schema / structureHybrid (MDC frontmatter + Markdown)Free-form (Markdown)
Git committed
EncodingUTF-8UTF-8

FILE MAPPING

PurposeFusionTrae
Project rules.builder/rules/*.mdc.trae/rules/*.md
Project rules.builderrulesUser Rules
Project instructionsAGENTS.mdAGENTS.md

SIDE-BY-SIDE CODE SAMPLES

Fusion
.builder/rules/*.mdc
mdc
---
description: React component conventions
globs: src/components/**/*.tsx
alwaysApply: false
---

# React Component Rules

## Structure
- Use functional components with TypeScript
- Define props interface above the component
- Export components as named exports

## Styling
- Use the project design system tokens for spacing and colors
- Prefer utility classes over custom CSS
- Keep component-specific styles colocated

## Patterns
- Wrap async data in Suspense boundaries
- Use forwardRef for reusable interactive components
- Keep components under 150 lines; extract hooks for logic

## Accessibility
- All interactive elements need aria-labels
- Use semantic HTML elements (nav, main, section)
- Ensure keyboard navigation works for custom widgets

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

1. Config format

Fusion: mdc. Trae: markdown.

2. Hierarchy support

Fusion: Not supported. Trae: Supported.

3. Global config

Fusion: Not supported. Trae: Supported.

4. Schema / structure

Fusion: Hybrid (MDC frontmatter + Markdown). Trae: Free-form (Markdown).

WHICH SHOULD I USE?

Recommendation

Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use Fusion, configure .builder/rules/*.mdc. 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

agentconfig.ing2026-03-16COMPARE(1)