Affiliate link. Joute earns a commission at no extra cost to you. Our verdict stays independent.
Le cron de tracking demarre lundi prochain a 6h UTC. Joute scrape hebdomadairement les pricing pages de cet outil et trace les variations sur 12 mois.
Donnees disponibles des la premiere capture. Revenez lundi.
ExplainDev in brief
ExplainDev is useful for junior developers or for quickly understanding code in a less familiar language. For seniors, general-purpose AI assistants do the same thing.
- Price10 €/month
- CategoryCode
- RecommendedWith caveats
The essentials in 20 seconds
- Chrome and IDE extension that explains selected code in natural language
- Adapts explanation level to your profile (junior, senior, domain)
- Useful for code review, learning and GitHub PRs
- Price: €10/month
Verdict: ExplainDev is practical for learning and code review in unfamiliar technologies. But in 2026, Claude or GitHub Copilot Chat do the same thing in their interface, for free.
What is ExplainDev
ExplainDev is an extension (Chrome and VS Code) that lets you select code and get a natural language explanation. You select a block of code, click "Explain", and the tool generates an explanation adapted to your level.
It also integrates into GitHub pull requests to explain diffs.
Strengths
Adaptation to user level
ExplainDev tries to adapt the explanation depending on whether you're a beginner or expert. The same Python function will be explained differently if your profile.
GitHub PR integration
On a GitHub pull request, ExplainDev can explain changes in context. Useful for reviewers discovering a part of the code.
Multi-language support
Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go, Rust, Java and other common languages are supported.
Limits
Feature available everywhere now
In 2024-2026, virtually all general-purpose AI assistants (Claude, ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot Chat) can explain code. ExplainDev's differentiating argument has eroded.
Increasingly hard-to-justify pricing
€10/month for a feature you already have in Copilot or Cursor is difficult to justify.
Pricing
- Free: limited
- Pro: €10/month
Alternatives
- GitHub Copilot for integrated code explanation in VS Code
- Codeium for free code assistance with chat
- Claude or ChatGPT with code pasted directly into the chat
Verdict
ExplainDev was useful before the democratization of general AI assistants. Today, tools you already use (Cursor, Copilot) do the same thing. The free plan may still be worth it for occasional needs.
FAQ
Can ExplainDev explain complex configuration files?
Yes, YAML and JSON configuration files (Kubernetes, GitHub Actions) are also supported.
Is there a JetBrains integration?
The focus is on VS Code and Chrome. JetBrains integration is less developed.
Joute may earn a commission if you sign up via our links. Learn more about our affiliate policy.
Screenshots ExplainDev
7
ExplainDev : 0/10.
ExplainDev is useful for junior developers or for quickly understanding code in a less familiar language. For seniors, general-purpose AI assistants do the same thing..
Test ExplainDev yourself
A free trial is available. Plan thirty minutes to form your own opinion.
Affiliate link. Joute earns a commission at no extra cost to you. Our verdict stays independent.
ExplainDev
10 €/month