Amazon Q Developer.
AWS-native developer assistant — formerly CodeWhisperer, now agentic.
What it is.
AWS rebranded CodeWhisperer as Amazon Q Developer in 2024 and added agentic features through 2025. Q runs across VS Code, JetBrains, the AWS Console, and the CLI. The differentiator is AWS-native grounding — Q reads CloudFormation, queries CloudWatch, proposes IAM policies, and runs the Java application-modernisation workflow that ports legacy Java 8 to Java 17.
Where it fits.
Engineering organisations running on AWS where billing, IAM, and infrastructure context matter more than raw model quality. The Java upgrade agent ported a billion-dollar AWS internal codebase from Java 8 to Java 17 in 2024 — the case study most enterprise buyers cite. Procurement integrates with existing AWS spend.
- Deepest AWS service grounding of any assistant
- Bundled into existing AWS enterprise agreements
- Java modernisation agent with proven production track record
- Outside AWS workflows the value drops sharply
- Agent UX trails Cursor and Copilot on general tasks
Frequently asked.
Did Q replace CodeWhisperer?
Yes. AWS folded CodeWhisperer into Q Developer in 2024. Existing CodeWhisperer customers migrated automatically.
Which models power Q Developer?
Amazon Nova for fast paths; Claude via Bedrock for reasoning-heavy tasks. AWS controls the routing layer.
What is the Java modernisation agent?
Q's automated workflow that upgrades Java 8 applications to Java 17. AWS used it to port a billion-dollar internal codebase in 2024.
