Kilo Code - Write and Manage Code with AI
Open-source AI coding agent everywhere you work 500+ models, zero markup
What is Kilo Code?
Kilo is an open-source AI coding agent available in VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, CLI, and cloud environments. It provides access to 500+ models with zero markup, allowing developers to choose frontier, open-weight, or their own API keys without vendor lock-in. The agent operates locally and in the cloud with parallel isolated worktrees, offering specialized modes (Code, Architect, Debug) for different coding tasks while maintaining full transparency through MIT-licensed open-source code.
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Key Features of Kilo Code
- Multi-IDE support (VS Code, JetBrains IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm)
- Specialized agent modes (Code, Architect, Debug)
- Local and cloud agents with parallel worktrees
- 500+ model access with zero AI inference markup
- Bring your own API keys or use local models
- Open-source MIT-licensed codebase
- Code review and Slack integration
- CLI and cloud deployment options
- Seamless handoff across IDEs and environments
Who Should Use Kilo Code?
Write and refactor production-ready code with full codebase understanding
Plan complex features with architectural guidance before coding
Identify and fix bugs using error tracing and intelligent suggestions
Manage code reviews in cloud workflows
Integrate AI coding assistance into team workflows via Slack
Kilo Code: Pros & Cons
✓Pros
- No markup on AI model costsâpay only for actual usage
- No vendor lock-in or provider limits
- Fully transparent open-source code (MIT license) with inspectable prompts and decisions
- Works seamlessly across multiple IDEs and environments
- Supports both local and cloud agents
- Specialized modes for different coding tasks
- Free tier available with no credit card required
- Trusted by major companies (Meta, Amazon, Airbnb, PayPal, Square, Red Hat)
Frequently Asked Questions about Kilo Code
Can I use Kilo with my own API keys for Claude, GPT-4, or other models?
Yes. Kilo lets you bring your own API keys for any of the 500+ supported models, so you pay the provider directly with zero markup added. This means you can choose frontier models from OpenAI or Anthropic, open-weight models, or run local models without ever being locked into Kilo's pricing.
Does Kilo work in VS Code and JetBrains at the same time?
Kilo runs in VS Code, JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm), the CLI, and cloud environments, with full handoff between them. You can start a task in one IDE and pick it up in another without losing context, since both local and cloud agents maintain your worktrees.
What do the Code, Architect, and Debug modes do differently?
Each mode tailors the agent's reasoning to a specific job: Code mode writes and refactors production code with full codebase understanding, Architect mode plans complex features and provides design guidance before you write anything, and Debug mode identifies and fixes bugs using error traces. You switch modes depending on what you need the agent to do.
Is the Kilo codebase actually open-source and inspectable?
Yes, Kilo is MIT-licensed and fully open-source, so you can read the prompts, see how decisions are made, and audit the code yourself. This transparency means you are not trusting a black box; you can verify exactly what the agent does before you run it in your IDE or cloud environment.
Tool Details
- Pricing
- Free
- Category
- Ai Code Assistants
- Added
- Jul 2026
- Last Updated
- Jul 2026
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