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Kilo Code

Open-source agentic engineering platform

Open-source agentic AI coding platform for VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, CLI, Slack, and Cloud that combines inline autocomplete, browser automation, automated refactoring, and custom planning/coding/debugging modes. Operates on a plan-act-observe-fix loop with 500+ model support (Gemini, Claude, GPT via OpenRouter). Memory Bank feature maintains repo-resident context across sessions, and codebase indexing keeps the agent grounded in your project.

About Kilo Code

Kilo Code is an open-source agentic AI coding platform for VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, the command line, Slack, and Cloud that combines inline autocomplete, browser automation, automated refactoring, and custom modes for planning, coding, and debugging into a single tool. It operates using a plan-act-observe-fix loop where it analyzes your repository to understand file structure and dependencies, plans the required steps, executes them by editing files and running terminal commands, and reviews output to fix issues automatically. Kilo Code addresses the need for a comprehensive AI coding agent that handles the full development workflow from design through implementation and debugging.

Kilo Code supports 500+ AI models including Gemini, Claude, and GPT families, and integrates with OpenRouter for flexible backend connections. Key differentiators include a Memory Bank that serves as a structured, repository-resident knowledge base helping the agent maintain context across sessions, codebase indexing for quickly locating relevant code and documentation, an MCP Server Marketplace for extending agent capabilities with external tools, and multiple built-in modes including Code, Ask, Architect, and Debug modes. The platform is the number one coding agent on OpenRouter with over 1.5 million users and 40T+ tokens processed.

Kilo Code is designed for developers who want a feature-rich, open-source alternative to commercial AI coding agents like Cursor and GitHub Copilot. It is particularly appealing for cost-conscious developers who want access to a wide range of AI models without being locked into a single provider. Compared to Cline and Roo Code, Kilo Code offers broader IDE support with JetBrains and CLI availability, a built-in MCP marketplace, and the Memory Bank feature that helps maintain persistent context across coding sessions.

Pricing & Platform Specs

Pricing Summary

Freemium AI pair programmer and semantic codebase indexing platform. Free/Individual tier ($0/mo) provides core code search, local repo indexing, and BYOK capabilities. Pro tier ($15-$20/user/mo) delivers advanced frontier LLM reasoning, unlimited code queries, VS Code and JetBrains IDE integrations, and shared team context. Enterprise tier offers custom pricing with SAML SSO, on-premise/VPC indexing, SOC 2 compliance, and dedicated engineering support.

full pricing breakdown →

Supported Platforms

VS Code, JetBrains, CLI

Explore categories, tags & use cases

Open-source autonomous coding agent for VS Code

Cline is an Apache-2.0 open-source AI coding agent runtime for editor, terminal, and SDK workflows. It reads and edits files, runs commands, uses browsers, plans then acts, and requires explicit approval for each step unless users enable auto-approve. Current Cline sources show 8M+ installs, 63.6k+ GitHub stars, BYOK/provider flexibility, local model support, MCP, plugins, hooks, and Enterprise governance.

Open Source

Spec-driven agentic IDE and CLI by AWS

Spec-driven agentic AI IDE from AWS, built on Code OSS (the VS Code foundation), that transforms ad-hoc prompting into a structured workflow by auto-generating requirements documents, design specs, and implementation plans before writing code. Kiro keeps AI-written code tied to explicit acceptance criteria defined up front.

freemium

LSP-powered semantic coding agent via MCP

Serena is a free, open-source coding agent toolkit that provides IDE-like semantic code retrieval and editing capabilities to any LLM via the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Built on Language Server Protocol (LSP) integration, it enables symbol-level navigation, cross-file refactoring, and relational code understanding across Python, TypeScript, Go, Rust, Java, PHP, and more — without requiring file-level reads or text-based search.

Open Source

Side-by-Side Comparisons

Kilo Code logo
Kilo Code
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Cursor logo
Cursor

Kilo Code vs Cursor — Free VS Code Extension vs Premium AI IDE for Coding

Kilo Code is a free, open-source VS Code extension with 9.5K+ stars, four structured workflow modes, and 500+ model support via its MCP marketplace. Cursor is the market-leading AI IDE at $20/month with $2B ARR, deep codebase indexing, and Background Agents. This comparison examines whether the free extension can match the premium IDE's capabilities for different developer profiles.

Kilo CodeCursor
Cline logo
Cline
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Kilo Code logo
Kilo Code

Cline vs Kilo Code — Open-Source VS Code AI Coding Extensions Head-to-Head

Cline and Kilo Code are both open-source VS Code extensions that transform your editor into an AI coding agent without requiring a separate IDE. With Cline at 59K+ GitHub stars and Kilo Code at 9.5K+ stars backed by $8M Series A funding, both have proven real-world adoption. This comparison examines which free extension delivers more value — Cline's battle-tested unified agent loop or Kilo Code's structured workflow modes and 500+ model MCP marketplace.

ClineKilo Code

Community experience

Sources & verification

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Content verified

Verification dates are editorial checks. Routine CMS saves and automatic updatedAt timestamps do not advance them.

FAQ

What is Kilo Code?

Open-source agentic AI coding platform for VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, CLI, Slack, and Cloud that combines inline autocomplete, browser automation, automated refactoring, and custom planning/coding/debugging modes. Operates on a plan-act-observe-fix loop with 500+ model support (Gemini, Claude, GPT via OpenRouter). Memory Bank feature maintains repo-resident context across sessions, and codebase indexing keeps the agent grounded in your project.

Is Kilo Code free?

Kilo Code offers a free tier alongside paid plans. Freemium AI pair programmer and semantic codebase indexing platform. Free/Individual tier ($0/mo) provides core code search, local repo indexing, and BYOK capabilities. Pro tier ($15-$20/user/mo) delivers advanced frontier LLM reasoning, unlimited code queries, VS Code and JetBrains IDE integrations, and shared team context. Enterprise tier offers custom pricing with SAML SSO, on-premise/VPC indexing, SOC 2 compliance, and dedicated engineering support.

Is Kilo Code open source?

Yes — Kilo Code is open source.

Is Kilo Code still maintained?

Yes — Kilo Code is active. Its listing was last verified on September 6, 2026.

What are the best Kilo Code alternatives?

The first editor-selected Kilo Code alternatives are Cline, Kiro, Serena.

How does Kilo Code score in our review?

The published editorial review lists Kilo Code at 82/100 overall across speed, privacy, and developer experience. Check the review's evidence status and test metadata for its verification level.