--- title: Kilo Code slug: kilo-code url: "https://toolweight.com/tools/kilo-code" homepage: "https://kilocode.ai" categories: coding-agents last_verified: 2026-11-07 dataset_version: 0738be72 license: CC-BY-4.0 --- # Kilo Code > Open-source VS Code agent in the Cline/Roo lineage, with an orchestrator mode and a CLI. - Open-source VS Code extension descended from the Cline and Roo Code lineage. - Merges features from both and adds an orchestrator mode that decomposes work across specialised sub-modes. - Ships its own credit-based provider alongside standard BYOK, and has added a CLI. - Moves fast on a mature architecture, but its commercial side is less documented than rivals'. ## Identity | | | | --- | --- | | Name | Kilo Code | | Company | Kilo Code | | One-liner | Open-source VS Code agent in the Cline/Roo lineage, with an orchestrator mode and a CLI. | | Site | https://kilocode.ai | | Repo | https://github.com/Kilo-Org/kilocode | | Open source | Yes | | Licence | Apache-2.0 | | Compared in | 1 | ## Where it is compared ### [Coding agents](https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents) Ranked **#9 of 17** on default weights. | Field | Value | Confidence | Verified | Source | Note | Permalink | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Surface | IDE extension, CLI | Community-reported | - | - | VS Code extension first; a CLI followed. | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--surface | | Default model | - | Unknown | 2026-11-07 | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--default_model | | Model breadth | any provider / router | Community-reported | - | - | Inherits broad provider support from the Cline/Roo lineage. | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--model_breadth | | Repo indexing | embeddings index | Community-reported | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--repo_indexing | | Plan mode | ● | Community-reported | - | - | The mode system includes architect and orchestrator modes. | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--plan_mode | | Checkpoint & undo | ● | Community-reported | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--checkpointing | | Headless / CI | ◐ | Inferred | - | - | Via the CLI; maturity unverified. | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--headless_ci | | Local models | ● | Community-reported | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--local_models | | Where it stops | 3 | Inferred | - | - | Edits and runs commands in the IDE terminal; no first-class PR path we could verify. | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--stops_at | | MCP | ● | Community-reported | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--mcp_support | | Subagents | ● | Community-reported | - | - | Orchestrator mode delegates to specialised sub-modes. | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--subagents | | Hooks | - | Unknown | 2026-11-07 | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--hooks | | Skills / commands | ● | Community-reported | - | - | Custom modes and rules files. | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--skills_commands | | Background agents | ○ | Inferred | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--background_agents | | Opens PRs | ○ | Inferred | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--pr_authoring | | Permissions | granular allowlist | Inferred | - | - | Auto-approve settings per action class, as in Cline; no OS sandbox. | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--permission_model | | BYOK | ● | Community-reported | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--byok | | Licence | Apache-2.0 | Community-reported | - | https://github.com/Kilo-Org/kilocode | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--licence | | Pricing model | BYOK tokens only | Inferred | - | - | Free extension with optional first-party credits. | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--pricing_model | | Entry price | $0/seat/mo | Inferred | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--entry_price | | Token markup | ○ | Inferred | - | - | BYOK at provider list is the default path, which is what this column asks. It also sells first-party credits whose margin we have not verified, the same optional arrangement opencode, Cline and Zed have, and all four are graded the same. | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--gateway_markup | | GitHub stars | 9,000 | Community-reported | - | - | Rounded, low confidence. | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--github_stars | | Terminal-Bench | - | Unknown | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--terminal_bench | | Bench model | - | Unknown | - | - | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--terminal_bench_model | | Positioning | Open-source AI coding agent for VS Code, with everything included. | Vendor-claimed | - | https://kilocode.ai | - | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--positioning | | First release | 2025-03-01 | Inferred | - | - | Approximate, we have not verified the first public release date. | https://toolweight.com/compare/coding-agents#kilo-code--first_release | **Verdict.** A fast Cline and Roo Code descendant with orchestrator mode, but the least-documented commercial side here. ## Alternatives - [Aider](https://toolweight.com/tools/aider), Minimal terminal pair-programmer with a tree-sitter repo map and automatic git commits. - [Amp](https://toolweight.com/tools/amp), Sourcegraph's opinionated agent with no model picker and an ad-supported free tier. - [Claude Code](https://toolweight.com/tools/claude-code), Anthropic's terminal-first agent, with IDE, web and GitHub Action surfaces. - [Cline](https://toolweight.com/tools/cline), Open-source VS Code and JetBrains agent built around an explicit plan/act split. - [Codex CLI](https://toolweight.com/tools/codex-cli), OpenAI's open-source Rust agent, with the strongest local sandboxing on this page. - [Cursor](https://toolweight.com/tools/cursor), VS Code fork with a real codebase index, background cloud agents and a CLI. - [Devin](https://toolweight.com/tools/devin), Fully delegated cloud engineer: file a task in Slack or the web app, get a PR back. - [DIY harness](https://toolweight.com/tools/diy-harness), Your own loop over a model API with an agent SDK, the build-it-yourself reference point. - [Gemini CLI](https://toolweight.com/tools/gemini-cli), Apache-2.0 terminal agent from Google with an unusually generous free tier. - [GitHub Copilot (Agent HQ)](https://toolweight.com/tools/github-copilot), Copilot's coding agent plus a control plane for running third-party agents on your repos. - [Goose](https://toolweight.com/tools/goose), Block's Apache-2.0 agent, MCP-native from the start, as both a CLI and a desktop app. - [Grok Build](https://toolweight.com/tools/grok-build), xAI's coding harness, launched July 2026, on this page but not yet verified. ## Logo & brand colours SVG files: https://toolweight.com/teams/kilo-code/logo.svg and https://toolweight.com/teams/kilo-code/mono.svg. JSON: https://toolweight.com/api/v1/brands/kilo-code. | Hex | oklch | | --- | --- | | #000000 | oklch(0.0% 0.000 0.0) | ## Licence and attribution Data from Toolweight (https://toolweight.com), licensed CC-BY-4.0. - Licence: [CC-BY-4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) - Canonical HTML: https://toolweight.com/tools/kilo-code - Machine-readable: https://toolweight.com/tools/kilo-code.md · https://toolweight.com/api/v1 · https://toolweight.com/mcp - Toolweight takes no affiliate revenue and sells no placements.