Kilo Code is an open-source AI coding agent that runs in VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, the terminal, mobile (iOS + Android), and Slack. It connects to 500+ models through OpenRouter and direct provider integrations at provider rates (no markup). Apache-2.0 licensed (Kilo CLI is MIT). Forked from Roo Code, which itself forked Cline. Currently the top-3 coding app on OpenRouter (peaked #1 Apr 2026) by token volume.

How is Kilo Code different from Claude Code or Cline?

Three big differences: (1) Multi-IDE support — Claude Code is CLI-first, Kilo runs natively in VS Code, JetBrains, CLI, mobile, and Slack. (2) Model breadth — Claude Code is Anthropic-only by default; Kilo connects to 500+ models. (3) Orchestrator mode — Kilo's planner/coder/debugger sub-agents coordinate on complex tasks; Claude Code uses a single-agent approach with explicit /tasks invocation. Versus Cline: Kilo is the more actively developed downstream fork (1.5M+ users vs Cline's older base) and ships the orchestrator + multi-IDE features Cline lacks.

Does Kilo Code mark up token costs?

No. A dollar of Kilo credits equals a dollar of model usage at OpenRouter / provider rates. There's no per-token commission. You can also bring your own API keys and bypass Kilo credits entirely — your spend goes directly to Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, etc.

Is Kilo Code safe for production codebases?

Apache-2.0 means you can audit every line. The agent runs as your IDE user with whatever filesystem and shell access your IDE has. Standard agent-security rules apply: review skill allowlists, scope OAuth credentials minimally, and use draft-mode for git operations. See our /kilocode/security/ guide for the full hardening checklist.

Last updated: 2026-04-27

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Kilo Code

Open-source AI coding agent — VS Code, JetBrains, CLI, mobile, Slack. 500+ models at provider rates. Multi-agent orchestrator mode.

🟢 Apache-2.0 (Kilo CLI: MIT) top-3 on OpenRouter coding (peaked #1 Apr 2026) (188B tokens, 22.9%) 1.5M+ users · $8M seed (2026) 500+ models, no markup Multi-IDE: VS Code · JetBrains · CLI · mobile · Slack

Kilo Code is one of the most-used open-source coding agents on OpenRouter right now. As of April 2026 it processes 188B tokens/month through OpenRouter — 22.9% of all coding-category traffic, more than Claude Code and Hermes combined. It runs natively across VS Code, JetBrains, the CLI, mobile apps, and Slack, with orchestrator mode coordinating planner / coder / debugger sub-agents on complex tasks. This hub is your full guide: setup, model routing, the orchestrator architecture, an honest comparison vs Claude Code, and the security posture you need before connecting it to production.

📊 Why we cover Kilo Code first among the new wave

When we run the monthly OpenRouter coding-category snapshot (openrouter-monthly column, started April 2026), Kilo has been #1 every check since launch — by a margin of 2× the next contender. We added Kilo as the 7th platform on OpenClawDatabase because excluding the most-used independent coding agent would be journalistic malpractice. Cline and Roo Code (Kilo's upstream forks) are covered in the glossary and inline in the Kilo guides; the active development lives in Kilo.

Guides

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Setup — All 5 Surfaces

Install in VS Code (extension), JetBrains (plugin), CLI (npm install -g @kilocode/cli), iOS/Android, and Slack. First-run config, profile creation, and the orchestrator-on toggle. ~10 minutes per surface.

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Models via OpenRouter (500+)

How Kilo routes to Claude (Sonnet 4.6, Opus 4.7), GPT-5.5, Gemini 3.1 Pro, Kimi K2, Qwen, and 495+ others through one credential. Bring-your-own-key for direct billing. Cost-per-task patterns we tested.

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Orchestrator Mode

The killer feature. Planner decomposes the task, coder writes, debugger validates. When each sub-agent fires, how to read the trace, when to disable it for simple work. With real run examples.

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Kilo vs Claude Code

Honest side-by-side. What Kilo wins (multi-IDE, model breadth, orchestrator). What Claude Code wins (Anthropic native polish, official support, Cowork integration). Which to pick for which workload.

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Security Posture

Apache-2.0 audit posture, OpenRouter request routing (your prompts traverse OpenRouter unless using direct keys), credential scoping, the IDE-permission inheritance trap. Pre-prod hardening checklist.

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When NOT to pick Kilo Code

If you only ever use Claude and prefer Anthropic's official tooling, Claude Cowork + Claude Code is cleaner. If you need long-running unattended autonomy (memory across sessions, scheduled task execution), Hermes is purpose-built for that. If you need a sandboxed agent for production secrets, IronClaw's deny-by-default model is safer than Kilo's IDE-permission inheritance. Kilo is best for: developers who want maximum model flexibility, multi-IDE support, and an active multi-agent orchestrator out of the box.

At a Glance

Factor	Detail
What it is	Open-source AI coding agent — extension/plugin/CLI/mobile/Slack
License	Apache-2.0 (core); MIT (Kilo CLI)
Fork lineage	Cline → Roo Code → Kilo Code (work upstream-merged)
OpenRouter rank (Apr 2026)	#1 coding category · 188B tokens · 22.9% share
Adoption	1.5M+ users; $8M seed; replatformed on new Kilo CLI early 2026
Surfaces	VS Code · JetBrains · CLI · iOS · Android · Slack
Model access	500+ via OpenRouter (no markup) or BYO API keys
Pricing model	Pay-as-you-go via Kilo credits or direct billing — $0 for self-hosted
Differentiator	Orchestrator mode (planner/coder/debugger) coordinated on complex tasks
Best for	Developers who want max model + IDE flexibility + multi-agent
Less ideal for	Long-running unattended autonomy (use Hermes), production secrets handling (use IronClaw), Anthropic-pure stack (use Claude Cowork)
Time to first useful output	~10 minutes including IDE install + provider setup

Kilo Code Use Cases (paired with our Use Cases hub)

Kilo's orchestrator mode shines whenever a task has multiple natural sub-steps. These pair particularly well:

Code review automation — orchestrator splits "summarize diff" → "find bugs" → "suggest fixes" cleanly
Dependency updater — planner reads changelogs, coder writes upgrade PR, debugger runs tests
PR summarizer — multi-agent makes summaries denser without losing nuance
Release notes generator — pair with mobile Kilo for review-on-the-go workflow
All 12 use cases →

Related on This Site

OpenClaw — the conversational/skills-oriented self-hosted alternative; pairs with Kilo for non-coding work
Hermes — long-running autonomous agent; complements Kilo for unattended tasks
Claude Cowork — Anthropic's first-party stack, a different philosophy
IronClaw — when production-grade sandboxing matters more than IDE convenience
Decision guide — pick the right agent for your workload
What is Cline? · What is Roo Code? · What is orchestrator mode?
Monthly OpenRouter analysis — original data on coding-agent adoption

See also: News · Cost calculator (the 500+ models Kilo routes to are all in there) · Security hub