Accelerate Coding with Amazon CodeWhisperer - AI Code Suggestions and Security Scanning
Generate real-time code suggestions within your IDE, with OWASP Top 10 security scanning and open-source license reference detection. Learn tips for effective usage.
Overview of CodeWhisperer
CodeWhisperer is an AI coding companion that generates real-time code suggestions within your IDE. Available in VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, and AWS Cloud9, it automatically generates functions, classes, and test code from comments and existing code context. While integrated into Amazon Q Developer, CodeWhisperer's code completion features remain available.
Security Scanning and License Detection
Security scanning analyzes code files and detects vulnerability patterns included in the OWASP Top 10. Detection results include CWE numbers and remediation suggestions to help understand and fix vulnerabilities. License reference detection flags generated code that resembles open-source training data, presenting the relevant open-source project and license (MIT, Apache 2.0, etc.). This helps ensure code usage complies with organizational license policies.
Organizational Deployment and Management
CodeWhisperer Professional edition integrates with IAM Identity Center for organization-wide user management. Administrators can view code suggestion acceptance rates, security scan detection counts, and per-user usage statistics on the dashboard. To get suggestions aligned with organizational coding standards, use the customization feature that lets CodeWhisperer learn from code styles and patterns in your repository. The reference tracker displays license information when suggested code resembles open-source code, reducing the risk of unintentionally incorporating copyleft-licensed code such as GPL or LGPL. The Individual edition is free with no limit on monthly code suggestions, though security scans are limited to 50 per month. For understanding CodeWhisperer workflows, related books (Amazon) can be a useful reference.
Tips for Effective Usage and Limitations
CodeWhisperer's suggestion accuracy heavily depends on how context is provided. Writing specific documentation comments describing input/output types and processing details for functions produces more accurate code. Conversely, vague comments or insufficient context within the file result in overly generic code or incorrect logic. Generated code should always be reviewed, particularly to verify that error handling, edge case processing, and security considerations are appropriate. AWS SDK call code tends to be relatively accurate, while business logic generation tends to be less precise. It also supports test code generation, making it efficient to have it suggest corresponding unit tests from function implementations.
CodeWhisperer Pricing
The Individual Tier is free, with unlimited code suggestions and 50 security scans per month included. The Professional Tier costs approximately $19.00 per user per month, removing security scan limits and providing an organization-wide usage dashboard and customization features. Compared to GitHub Copilot ($10-19/month), the free Individual Tier and higher accuracy for AWS SDK code suggestions are key differentiators.
Summary
Amazon Q Developer (formerly CodeWhisperer) is a service that provides AI-powered code suggestions and security scanning within the IDE. The Individual tier is free and improves both coding productivity and code quality through automatic code completion, function generation, and security vulnerability detection.