Free trial
A free start is advertised with no credit card required, and the Free tier of Auto Model routes to free and experimental models. The homepage does not state a time-limited trial.
Learn moreKilo Code
Open source coding agent that follows you across IDE, terminal, cloud and Slack
Intermediate
What is Kilo Code?
Kilo Code is a code modifier tool. Open source AI coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains, CLI, Cloud and Slack. Over 500 models through the Kilo Gateway at zero markup, bring-your-own-key or local model options, and specialized Ask, Plan, Code and Debug agents.
Kilo Code is an open source AI coding agent distributed under the MIT license, with the agent itself running in VS Code (and any Open VSX editor such as Cursor or Windsurf), JetBrains IDEs, a command line interface, a browser-hosted Cloud tier, and Slack. A beta desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux extends the same agent to code and data work, letting several agents run side by side in one window. The pitch is uniformity: one agent, one configuration, across every surface a developer touches during a working day. The product is organized around specialized agents rather than a single chat box. An Ask agent answers questions, a Plan agent drafts structured approaches to complex features before any code is written, a Code agent writes and refactors against the whole codebase, a Debug agent traces errors and proposes fixes, and Custom agents cover narrower workflows. Model selection is delegated to Auto Model, which routes between three strategies: Efficient for session-aware spending, Frontier for the most capable paid models when the task demands it, and Free for zero-cost and experimental options. Pricing is deliberately transparent. Kilo reports more than 500 models available through its Gateway with zero inference markup, and developers can instead supply their own provider keys or point the agent at local models. Because the source is public, prompts, context windows and model routing decisions can be inspected rather than assumed, and the codebase can be forked, modified or self-hosted. Team and enterprise arrangements, cloud agents, a code reviewer, codebase-wide understanding and MCP support all appear in the product materials. Kilo suits individual developers who want model freedom without vendor lock-in, and teams standardizing an agent across mixed IDE and CI environments. Versus single-vendor assistants, the appeal is portability and cost control; the tradeoff is that configuring models, keys and agent behavior is left more visibly to the user.
How do you use Kilo Code?
1Choose your surface
Decide where the agent should run first: VS Code, a JetBrains IDE, the terminal, Cloud in a browser, or Slack. The install page lists each option with its own setup path.2Install the VS Code extension
For editor work, install the Kilo Code extension from the VS Code marketplace or Open VSX. It also works in Cursor, Windsurf and other Open VSX editors.3Add the JetBrains plugin if needed
IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm and the rest of the JetBrains family get a dedicated plugin documented in the Kilo docs. Follow that page for the plugin install and sign-in flow.4Or install the CLI
Running a single install script puts Kilo in any shell, script or CI job. The CLI page also lists npm, pnpm, bun, brew and paru alternatives if a script does not suit your environment.5Pick a model strategy
Start with Auto Model and choose Efficient, Frontier or Free depending on budget and task. Switch to your own provider keys or a local model if data handling requires it.6Start an agent and inspect its work
Sign in to the Kilo app and open a session. Begin with the Ask or Plan agent on an unfamiliar codebase, then hand off to Code or Debug once the approach is clear.
Pros and cons
Pros
- MIT licensed source code means prompts, context handling and model routing can be audited, forked or self-hostedAI
- Over 500 models through the Gateway with no inference markup, plus bring-your-own-key and local model supportAI
- One agent spans VS Code, JetBrains, CLI, Cloud, Slack and a desktop app, so sessions can move between surfacesAI
- Specialized Ask, Plan, Code and Debug agents cover discovery, design and repair without switching productsAI
- Auto Model offers Efficient, Frontier and Free routing tiers so cost and capability can be tuned per taskAI
Cons
- The desktop app is still labeled beta, so teams should not depend on it as the primary surface yetAI
- Model choice and key management are pushed onto the user, which adds setup work compared with fixed-model assistantsAI
- The breadth of surfaces and agents makes the product harder to evaluate quickly than a single-IDE pluginAI
- Homepage does not publish concrete per-model or plan pricing, so budgeting requires checking the pricing pageAI
- Local model support is stated but hardware requirements and performance expectations are not documented on the homepageAI
How much does Kilo Code cost?
Pricing
The homepage states that models are billed at cost with zero AI inference markup, and that developers can bring their own API keys or use local models instead. Auto Model adds Efficient, Frontier and Free routing tiers, and a free start is offered with no credit card required. Specific plan prices live on the separate pricing page.
Learn moreSupport
The site points to a knowledge base in the docs section for guidance, a leaderboard for model rankings, and a contact sales route for team and enterprise inquiries. The homepage does not describe paid support tiers.
Learn moreIntegrations
Works inside VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf and other Open VSX editors, the JetBrains IDE family, any terminal or CI job, Slack via an @Kilo mention, and the browser through Cloud agents. The Gateway supplies access to 500+ models.
Learn moreFeatures
Specialized Ask, Plan, Code and Debug agents plus custom agents; one agent across VS Code, JetBrains, CLI, Cloud, Slack and a beta desktop app; Auto Model routing in Efficient, Frontier and Free modes; cloud agents and code review; codebase-wide understanding; local and cloud agents with parallel isolated worktrees; MCP support; MIT licensed source with prompt and context visibility.
Learn moreFrequently asked questions about Kilo Code
How much does Kilo Code cost?
The homepage states that models are billed at cost with zero AI inference markup, and that developers can bring their own API keys or use local models instead. Auto Model adds Efficient, Frontier and Free routing tiers, and a free start is offered with no credit card required. Specific plan prices live on the separate pricing page.Does Kilo Code offer a free trial?
A free start is advertised with no credit card required, and the Free tier of Auto Model routes to free and experimental models. The homepage does not state a time-limited trial.How do you use Kilo Code?
The walkthrough on this page covers 6 steps: 1. Choose your surface 2. Install the VS Code extension 3. Add the JetBrains plugin if needed 4. Or install the CLI 5. Pick a model strategy 6. Start an agent and inspect its work.What platforms does Kilo Code support?
Kilo Code is available on Web App, MacOS, Windows, Linux, Browser extension and Discord.What does Kilo Code integrate with?
Works inside VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf and other Open VSX editors, the JetBrains IDE family, any terminal or CI job, Slack via an @Kilo mention, and the browser through Cloud agents. The Gateway supplies access to 500+ models.What are the limitations of Kilo Code?
The desktop app is still labeled beta, so teams should not depend on it as the primary surface yet. Model choice and key management are pushed onto the user, which adds setup work compared with fixed-model assistants. The breadth of surfaces and agents makes the product harder to evaluate quickly than a single-IDE plugin.
Status
StatusActive
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Added10/21/2026
Platforms
Web AppMacOSWindowsLinuxBrowser extensionDiscord
Pricing
FreeFreemiumPaid
