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Cognition AI, a San Francisco-based startup backed by Founders Fund, gained prominence in early 2024 with its revolutionary AI software engineer, Devin. This tool can autonomously assist human developers by executing tasks based on natural language prompts provided through coding interfaces or third-party applications like Slack.
Since the inception of Devin, the landscape for AI coding tools has rapidly evolved, with many competitors such as GitHub Copilot, AWS Developer Q, Codeium’s Windsurf, and Cursor emerging to offer similar functionalities.
Initially utilizing OpenAI’s GPT-4 and GPT-4o series, Cognition has now unveiled Devin 2.0, an upgraded version of its software development platform. The new release, which is now available to the public, aims to enhance collaboration between human developers and Devin’s autonomous capabilities.
Moreover, amid economic fluctuations and increased costs associated with new tariffs, Cognition is responding with a significant price reduction. Devin 2.0 starts at a minimum of $20 per month, a dramatic decrease from the previous starting price of around $500.
Parallel Devins and a New Cloud IDE
Devin 2.0 builds on previous efforts to enhance software development workflows by enabling users to work alongside multiple autonomous agents. This latest version features an interactive, cloud-based integrated development environment (IDE) that allows users to run several instances of Devin simultaneously, facilitating the handling of multiple tasks concurrently. Each instance can operate independently, with developers able to intervene whenever necessary to provide guidance or make adjustments.
Interactive Planning and Task Scoping
A standout feature in Devin 2.0 is the Interactive Planning capability, which empowers developers to begin with broad ideas and collaboratively develop detailed project plans. The AI analyzes the codebase within seconds, identifies pertinent files, and suggests an initial plan even without explicit instructions from the developer. Users can review and modify this plan to ensure it aligns with their goals before moving forward with execution.
Exploring Your Enterprise’s Codebase
Devin 2.0 also introduces Devin Search, a tool that enhances the user’s ability to comprehend and navigate their codebase. Developers can pose targeted questions regarding their code and receive detailed, contextual responses that highlight relevant snippets. For intricate inquiries needing extensive investigation, a Deep Mode can be activated.
Additionally, the platform features Devin Wiki, which automatically indexes repositories every few hours. This tool generates up-to-date documentation, including architecture diagrams and source links, providing developers with a well-organized reference.
Efficiency Gains and Developer Control
Cognition Labs reports that Devin 2.0 demonstrates enhanced efficiency, completing over 83% more junior-level development tasks per Agent Compute Unit (ACU) compared to earlier versions, based on in-house benchmarks. Beta users have reported similar improvements during their testing phases.
Interactivity with Devin 2.0 is facilitated via a VSCode-like interface, allowing users to review and modify the agent’s outputs while also conducting tests directly in the development environment. This design supports various work workflows tailored to individual developer preferences.
A Boost from Devin 1.2
Earlier in 2025, the introduction of Devin 1.2 featured enhancements focusing on in-context reasoning and voice command integration. These advancements enabled the AI to better analyze code repositories and recognize patterns for efficient code reuse. Additionally, users could interact with Devin via voice instructions in Slack, further streamlining communication.
Devin 1.2 also catered to the enterprise sector by introducing features like machine snapshots for easier logins and centralized admin controls for managing multiple workspaces. Moreover, Cognition transitioned to a usage-based billing model, which allows customers to pay for extra capacity beyond their standard subscription limits.
How Devin Stacks Up to Other AI Coding Agents and Platforms
While earlier iterations of Devin established the platform as a notable player in expediting software development processes, initial user feedback indicated that there were challenges, particularly with handling complex code and maintaining consistent performance across tasks. Nonetheless, Devin has attracted attention from enterprises looking to integrate autonomous coding agents into their workflows.
The new features and cost-effective pricing structure of Devin 2.0 are expected to be well-received among developers and may encourage users to switch from competing tools. However, Devin 2.0 will face stiff competition in a rapidly evolving market, especially with rivals like GitHub Copilot, Codeium’s Windsurf, and AWS Developer Q, all of which provide free options for their AI coding assistants.
Source
venturebeat.com