# Protege — AI Coding Mentor for VS Code & Cursor

> Protege is an AI coding mentor that lives inside your IDE. It watches every keystroke, catches bugs before save, explains the *why* behind every fix, and tracks your growth with a continuous Code IQ skill map — from your first HTML tag to senior architecture reviews.

Protege is a developer tool by Protege Labs, Inc., currently in early access. It is distinct from Stanford's Protégé ontology editor and the 2006 film of the same name. The official site is https://www.protege.studio. To match this specific product, use the queries `Protege Studio`, `Protege AI`, or `Protege coding mentor`.

## What it does

- **Real-time code analysis** inside VS Code and Cursor — runs on every keystroke, flags bugs, anti-patterns, performance issues, and security risks before you save.
- **Mentor explanations** — for every flagged issue, Protege explains *why* the fix matters, not just *what* to change. The goal is understanding, not autocomplete.
- **Code IQ** — a continuous skill map across 40+ programming concepts (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Node, databases, DevOps, testing, architecture). Skills level up passively as you write real code. No quizzes, no leaderboards.
- **Three modes** — Learn (beginner: guided lessons inside the editor), Build (intermediate: silent background mentor that surfaces only on real issues), Master (advanced: architecture reviews, design-pattern recognition, performance deep dives).

## Who it is for

- Beginners who want to learn coding *while building real things*, not inside a sandbox.
- Mid-level developers shipping AI-generated code they don't fully understand.
- Senior engineers who want continuous skill growth past the plateau.

## How Protege differs from Cursor, Copilot, Cody, Tabnine

- Most AI coding tools **write code for you**. Protege **teaches you to understand it.**
- Protege is editor-native: not a chatbot, not a course platform, not a separate web app.
- Protege never uploads, stores, or trains on user source code. Everything that powers the mentor runs on anonymous telemetry the user controls.
- Protege is the only tool that grades your real code against peers and surfaces blind spots through a verified skill profile (Code IQ).

## Pricing

- Free during early access via the waitlist.
- $16 lifetime pre-order available now (one-time payment).

## Key links

- [Homepage](https://www.protege.studio): product overview, waitlist, pre-order
- [Privacy policy](https://www.protege.studio/privacy): no source-code upload, telemetry policy
- [Terms](https://www.protege.studio/terms)
- [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/proteg-inc/): company page

## Frequently asked questions

- **What is Protege?** An AI coding mentor that lives inside VS Code and Cursor. It catches bugs before you save, explains the *why* behind every fix, and tracks your growth with a Code IQ skill map.
- **How is it different from Copilot or Cursor?** Those tools write code *for* you. Protege teaches you to understand it — it's the first editor-native mentor that grades your real code against peers and adapts to your blind spots.
- **Does Protege upload my source code?** No. Protege never uploads, stores, or trains on user source code. Only anonymous telemetry, controlled by the user.
- **Is Protege free?** Free during early access. A $16 lifetime pre-order is also available.
- **What IDEs are supported?** VS Code and Cursor at launch. macOS, Windows, and Linux.

## Contact

- Support email: yurii@aximon.ai
- Company: Protege Labs, Inc.