Devin

Cloud coding agent that plans, edits, runs, and tests software tasks

NOT REALLY · consider alternatives
price variesestimated build time not a true replacement; consolation build in one to two daysreplaced by 0 people

Do not mistake the interface for the product. Devin's durable value is model, context, integration, which a solo one-shot build cannot reproduce responsibly. The prompt therefore builds only the closest honest personal consolation tool.

Build verification: not recorded. How we judge buildability

What you give up

  • IDE-wide polish and latency
  • enterprise policy, telemetry, and support
  • frontier coding model quality
  • large-context infrastructure

Why people still pay

Devin: Developers pay for reliable context assembly, fast models, editor integration, evaluations, and safe handling of complex repositories.

Your build guide

The stack, security requirements, and agent rules for a focused replacement.

Before you start

  • Python 3.12
  • Git
  • OpenAI API key in .env
  • Explicit README warning that this is a consolation build, not a production replacement
01
Use exactly this stack: Python 3.12 + Typer + SQLite.
02
Model selected repositories or projects, operations, results, revisions, and run logs; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.
03
Interface for this autonomous coding agent workflow: a CLI with a dry-run or preview command and an explicit output path.
engineering roadmap

Implementation plan

1

Phase 1, architecture and data

Use exactly this stack: Python 3.12 + Typer + SQLite. Model selected repositories or projects, operations, results, revisions, and run logs; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.

2

Phase 2, implement

For autonomous coding agent, select one repository and record its branch, HEAD revision, allowed tools, and agent run ID.

3

Phase 3, implement

Make changes on a branch with an inspectable diff and record each command, result, and approval.

4

Phase 4, review and output

Run the project’s verification command and show the diff plus final status before merge or export.

5

Phase 5, recovery and acceptance

Verify this invariant with a saved fixture: A failed tool call or interrupted run must retain the branch and trace; no file outside the selected repository may change. State the practical limit: IDE-wide polish and latency.

the pro prompt
Build me a focused autonomous coding agent workflow for the personal core of Devin. Requirements:

- Use exactly this stack: Python 3.12 + Typer + SQLite. Model selected repositories or projects, operations, results, revisions, and run logs; keep stable source IDs and timestamps.
- Paid product context: Cloud coding agent that plans, edits, runs, and tests software tasks. Build only this DIY scope: Build a repository-local autonomous coding agent assistant that indexes one codebase, calls one model, proposes diffs, runs tests, and records every change.
- For autonomous coding agent, select one repository and record its branch, HEAD revision, allowed tools, and agent run ID.
- Make changes on a branch with an inspectable diff and record each command, result, and approval.
- Run the project’s verification command and show the diff plus final status before merge or export.
- Use a CLI with a dry-run or preview command and an explicit output path. Required input or access: Git; OpenAI API key in .env. Keep credentials in .env.
- Acceptance: with one labelled sample, show the input, saved intermediate state, and exported result; verify this invariant: A failed tool call or interrupted run must retain the branch and trace; no file outside the selected repository may change.
- Out of scope: IDE-wide polish and latency; enterprise policy, telemetry, and support. Keep this a personal, inspectable workflow.
- Include a README with setup, a sample input, required keys or permissions, data location, and the supported scope.

$ open in your agent (prompt prefilled, you press enter), copy the prompt or copy AGENTS.md · generated from this app's build plan

share on X ↗

Alternatives to building your own

OpenCodeA local terminal agent; you provide the machine and supervision.194kaug 2026open source↗OpenHandsThe closest free answer: a self-hosted agent that plans, edits, runs and tests in a sandbox.83kaug 2026open source↗ClineA code agent in your editor; asynchronous cloud work is not included.66kaug 2026open source↗

all 6 free alternatives to Devin →· no votes, no pay-to-list · just what's real

Devin pricing

planmonthlyannual (per mo)what you get
free$0/user$0/user1 member; light agent quota with no public numeric message/ACU allowance; unlimited inline edits and Tab completion.Model access is limited.
pro$20/user—1 user; daily and weekly agent quotas are enforced but their exact numeric size is not published; unlimited inline edits and Tab.Additional usage is available at model/API pricing.
max$200/user—1 user; substantially higher weekly quota and no daily cap; exact numeric allowance is not published.Additional usage is available at model/API pricing.
teams$80/workspace—Unlimited Flex/free seats; full developer seats are charged separately at $40/month each.Official examples show an $80 team base with the credit/seat allocation changing by full-seat count: 0 full seats receives $80 on-demand credits; 1 full seat allocates $40 to the seat and $40 to credits.
enterprise——Custom seats, usage, security, support and deployment.Contact sales.

free tier1 member; light agent quota is not numerically published; unlimited inline edits and Tab completion

billingcurrent self-serve plans are monthly; legacy annual subscriptions may remain until renewal

hidden costsTeams adds $40/month for each full developer seat; automations and reviews draw from shared credits; auto-reload can add metered spend, although purchased credits do not expire.

pricing sources checked 2026-08-14 · pricing source ↗

Questions about Devin

Can you build your own Devin with AI?

A full replacement is not the recommended project. Do not mistake the interface for the product. Devin's durable value is model, context, integration, which a solo one-shot build cannot reproduce responsibly. The prompt therefore builds only the closest honest personal consolation tool.

What does the Devin build prompt cover?

The prompt starts with this scope: Build a repository-local autonomous coding agent assistant that indexes one codebase, calls one model, proposes diffs, runs tests, and records every change. Full-product capabilities excluded from the comparison include: IDE-wide polish and latency; enterprise policy, telemetry, and support; frontier coding model quality. Follow the implementation plan and its prerequisites before expanding the build.

How do I use the prompt, AGENTS.md and agent skills?

Start with the Devin prerequisites and stack, then copy the prompt into your coding agent. Save the project rules as AGENTS.md in the project root. Linked skills are optional packages or source instructions for specific tasks; review their current contents and install only those matching the chosen stack. A skill does not supply API credentials or verify the finished app.

How long will this Devin project take?

The catalogue estimate is not a true replacement; consolation build in one to two days for the limited scope. Setup, integration approvals, debugging, deployment and ongoing maintenance can add time. This is an estimate, not a delivery guarantee.

What would I give up by replacing Devin?

IDE-wide polish and latency; enterprise policy, telemetry, and support; frontier coding model quality; large-context infrastructure. Devin: Developers pay for reliable context assembly, fast models, editor integration, evaluations, and safe handling of complex repositories.

What can I use instead of building Devin?

OpenCode: A local terminal agent; you provide the machine and supervision. OpenHands: The closest free answer: a self-hosted agent that plans, edits, runs and tests in a sandbox. Cline: A code agent in your editor; asynchronous cloud work is not included. Compare all listed options at https://howtovibecodeit.dev/devin/alternatives. Check each option's license, hosting needs and feature limits.

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