Code With Love Logo

AWS CodeWhisperer: A Free Alternative to GitHub Copilot (At Least For Now)

Image of Michael Amore image
Michael AmoreDecember 30, 2022

3 min read

TL;DR

AWS has a GitHub Copilot competitor. It's called AWS CodeWhisperer and you can start using it for free today by installing the AWS Toolkit for VS Code.

Introduction

AI is all the rage these days, and rightfully so. We are seeing some amazing AI-driven applications popup that are producing some really stunning results. One area that AI has gotten quite good at is writing code, particularly using the Codex models from OpenAI.

Over the last year, GitHub's Copilot has been talked about a lot in the tech circles. Copilot is a code completion tool that uses AI to suggest code snippets based on the context of your code, and it's really good at it. However, Copilot is no longer free. Although you can try it free for 60 days, but after that it's $10/month.

So I was delighted when I stumbled across AWS CodeWhisperer, which is a free alternative to GitHub Copilot. So I downloaded it and I'm testing it out.

Step 1: Install AWS CodeWhisperer in VS Code Via the AWS Toolkit Extension

You can either install this extension from the VS Code Extensions panel or by downloading it from The VS Code Extension Marketplace. You'll know the extension has been successfully installed when you see the AWS logo in the left sidebar of VS Code, as shown below:

The AWS Toolkit Extension successfully installed in VS Code

Step 2: Enable AWS CodeWhisperer in VS Code

Once the extension is installed, you'll need to enable AWS CodeWhisperer in VS Code. To do this, click on the AWS logo in the left sidebar of VS Code. Under the "Developer Tools" section, expand "AWS CodeWhisperer" and click the "Start" button.

Start AWS CodeWhisperer in VS Code

You will be presented with a panel that asks you how you want to connect to AWS. You can either connect with your company SSO or using your personal email.

Connect to AWS

Once your connected to AWS, a terms of service should popup in VS Code. Click the blue "Accept" button and AWS CodeWhisperer should now be enabled in VS Code.

Connect to AWS

Step 3: Configuration

You can configure AWS CodeWhisperer by clicking on the gear icon that is displayed when you hover over the "AWS CodeWhisperer" section within "Developer Tools". The options seem limited to turning the feature on or off and toggling whether you want to share feedback with Amazon, but perhaps this will expand in the future.

Start AWS CodeWhisperer configuration in VS Code

Wrap It Up

I'm just getting started with AWS CodeWhisperer, so it's hard to say how it compares to GitHub Copilot. However, I'm excited to see what it can do and I'm hopeful that it will remain free, but I'm not holding my breath. If you're interested in trying it out, you can download it from the VS Code Extension Marketplace.

Code With Love

Take a break from the internet for a few minutes and go show love to someone. Remind a friend or family member why you are grateful to have them in your life. Smile at a stranger. It's the little things that make the biggest difference.

Remember ... When you code with love, you can change the world.

Now go change the world!

Sources and Inspiration for this Article