Devin is now generally available

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

What Devin Is and How It Works

  • Framed less as “Copilot-style autocomplete” and more as an autonomous assistant you assign projects to.
  • Runs in a cloud VM (Linux, with shell, browser, file system, and internet) and can open docs, run code, debug, and create PRs.
  • Asynchronous workflow: users often kick off multiple tasks, let it work, then review output and PRs later.

Comparison to Claude / ChatGPT / Cursor / Copilot

  • Some say comparison to raw models (Claude 3.5, o1) is misleading because Devin’s value is in tools + workflow, not just code generation.
  • Others insist comparison is valid: if it can’t solve problems that stump Claude/o1, the high price is hard to justify.
  • Several want head‑to‑head, up‑to‑date benchmarks vs Claude 3.5/3.6 and o1 Pro; current public comparisons are viewed as outdated or incomplete.

Capabilities and Use Cases

  • Reported strengths:
    • Large, complex refactors and migrations touching many files, beyond simple search/replace.
    • Multi-document writing projects (proposals, legal/feasibility docs, training materials).
    • API integrations and long-tail “annoying” debugging, especially with messy or poorly documented APIs.
  • Can in principle work in any language since it reads compiler errors; mixed feedback on C/C++ quality.
  • Can handle very large repos, but initial scanning and knowledge building can take hours to days.

Performance, Speed, and Resource Use

  • Users note it used to be quite slow; recent updates reportedly 3–4x faster, but some still want a “speed/demo” mode.
  • Uses credits (ACUs); rough guidance: small frontend task ≈ 1–2 ACUs; VM burns ACUs while actively working.

Pricing and Access

  • Current visible offering: $500/month team tier with included credits; lower-cost $50 personal tier exists but is closed to new signups.
  • Some want pay-as-you-go or cheaper, constrained tiers to experiment; $500 just to try is seen as a barrier.
  • Complaints that pricing isn’t obvious early in the signup flow.

Data, Trust, and Legal Terms

  • Questions about data handling, training on user code, and third-party model providers; answers in thread are partial/unclear.
  • ToS clause granting broad license to customer data is debated; some see it as standard SaaS language, others as worrisome.
  • A subset of commenters distrust the company due to earlier accusations of misleading marketing and the lack of independent benchmarks or public testing.

Developer Experience and Future of Work

  • Some see Devin as a “superpower” that offloads repetitive maintenance and boilerplate.
  • Others worry delegating complex integration and architecture work to a black box erodes deep understanding and craftsmanship.
  • Questions arise about long-term impact on junior/mid-level developer roles; outlook is mixed and largely unresolved.

Naming and Branding Reactions

  • Side discussion about using common first names (“Devin”, “Alexa”) as product names; some find it inconsiderate or cheesy, others don’t care.