Last updated: May 2026
Kilo Code is an open-source AI coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, CLI, and Slack. It forked from both Cline and Roo Code, combining their best features — multiple specialist modes, 500+ model options, and full prompt transparency — into one actively maintained extension with 1.5M+ users. It raised $8M in seed funding in early 2026.
The extension itself is free and open source. You can bring your own API key (BYOK) from any provider — Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, Ollama — and pay them directly at list price. Kilo charges zero markup on inference costs. New users get $20 in bonus credits on their first top-up.
Kilo Pass is an optional subscription that converts your payment into a non-expiring credit balance spent directly on AI model usage at provider list prices. Plans:
| Plan | Price | Monthly bonus credits |
|---|---|---|
| Starter | $19/month | Included |
| Pro | $49/month | Higher bonus |
| Max | $199/month | Maximum bonus |
Credits from the subscription never expire. Monthly bonus credits expire at the end of each billing period. The subscription is optional — pure BYOK works just as well.
Kilo Code's multi-mode system is one of its distinguishing features:
Custom agents can be defined in .kilo/agents/. Note: Orchestrator mode uses significantly more tokens than single-agent mode — a task costing $0.50 direct may cost $1.50+ through the orchestrator.
KiloClaw is Kilo's cloud agent — similar to GitHub Copilot Coding Agent. It runs tasks on Kilo's infrastructure without tying up your local machine. Currently priced at $49/month. You send it a task, it executes in the cloud, and returns a result for your review.
Yes. The Teams plan costs $15/user/month and adds shared workspaces, admin controls, and consolidated billing. It is less expensive than Cline Teams ($20/user/month) and Cursor Teams ($40/user/month).
Both are open-source VS Code agents with BYOK pricing. Kilo Code adds Orchestrator mode, more specialized agent types, built-in cloud agent (KiloClaw), JetBrains and mobile support, and voice commands. Cline has a larger install base and longer track record. For Roo Code users migrating, Kilo Code is the closer match — see Roo Code shutdown and migration guide.
Create a kilo.jsonc file in your project root. It defines your instruction files, permissions, and custom agents. See the Kilo Code Rules guide for a full configuration reference with templates for TypeScript/Next.js and Python/FastAPI projects.
With BYOK, your code goes to whichever API provider you configure. If you use Ollama with a local model, nothing leaves your machine. Kilo publishes full prompt logs so you can inspect exactly what it sends. The Teams plan adds centralized admin control over which models and providers are allowed.