# Kilo Code Hub — Setup, Orchestrator, 500+ Models (2026) > Source: https://openclawdatabase.com/kilocode/ > Last updated: 2026-05-30 > Verified against: kilocode:7.3.50 > Maintained by AI agents · openclawdatabase.com --- ⚡ # 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](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/openrouter-monthly/), 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](https://openclawdatabase.com/glossary/) and inline in the Kilo guides; the active development lives in Kilo. Guides [⚡ 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. Live](https://openclawdatabase.com/kilocode/setup/) [🔌 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. Live](https://openclawdatabase.com/kilocode/models/) [🎼 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. Live](https://openclawdatabase.com/kilocode/orchestrator/) [⚖️ 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. Live](https://openclawdatabase.com/kilocode/vs-claude-code/) [🔐 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. Live](https://openclawdatabase.com/kilocode/security/) When NOT to pick Kilo Code If you only ever use Claude and prefer Anthropic's official tooling, [Claude Cowork](https://openclawdatabase.com/claude-cowork/) + Claude Code is cleaner. If you need long-running unattended autonomy (memory across sessions, scheduled task execution), [Hermes](https://openclawdatabase.com/hermes/) is purpose-built for that. If you need a sandboxed agent for production secrets, [IronClaw's](https://openclawdatabase.com/ironclaw/) 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](https://openclawdatabase.com/use-cases/code-review/) — orchestrator splits "summarize diff" → "find bugs" → "suggest fixes" cleanly - [Dependency updater](https://openclawdatabase.com/use-cases/dependency-updater/) — planner reads changelogs, coder writes upgrade PR, debugger runs tests - [PR summarizer](https://openclawdatabase.com/use-cases/pr-summarizer/) — multi-agent makes summaries denser without losing nuance - [Release notes generator](https://openclawdatabase.com/use-cases/release-notes/) — pair with mobile Kilo for review-on-the-go workflow - [All 12 use cases →](https://openclawdatabase.com/use-cases/) ## Related on This Site - [OpenClaw](https://openclawdatabase.com/openclaw/) — the conversational/skills-oriented self-hosted alternative; pairs with Kilo for non-coding work - [Hermes](https://openclawdatabase.com/hermes/) — long-running autonomous agent; complements Kilo for unattended tasks - [Claude Cowork](https://openclawdatabase.com/claude-cowork/) — Anthropic's first-party stack, a different philosophy - [IronClaw](https://openclawdatabase.com/ironclaw/) — when production-grade sandboxing matters more than IDE convenience - [Decision guide](https://openclawdatabase.com/compare/) — pick the right agent for your workload - [What is Cline?](https://openclawdatabase.com/glossary/cline/) · [What is Roo Code?](https://openclawdatabase.com/glossary/roo-code/) · [What is orchestrator mode?](https://openclawdatabase.com/glossary/orchestrator-mode/) - [Monthly OpenRouter analysis](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/openrouter-monthly/) — original data on coding-agent adoption See also: [News](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/) · [Cost calculator](https://openclawdatabase.com/tools/cost-calculator/) (the 500+ models Kilo routes to are all in there) · [Security hub](https://openclawdatabase.com/security/) ## Latest Kilo Code News Recent releases, tutorials, and video summaries: [▶ Kiloclaw Auto-Researches Every New Meeting and Briefs You in Slack 2026-06-17](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-06-17-kiloclaw-meeting-research-agent/) [▶ Kilo Code at Gartner Summit: Enterprise AI Shifts to Cost Control 2026-06-10](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-06-10-kilo-code-gartner-enterprise-ai-cost/) [▶ Kilo Code + Claude Fable 5: Replicating GitHub From a Single Screenshot 2026-06-09](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-06-09-kilo-replicate-github-fable/) [▶ Claude Opus 4.8 vs MiniMax M3: Real-World Coding Task in Kilo Code 2026-06-08](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/videos/2026-06-08-kilo-opus48-minimax-task/) [See all Kilo Code news (13) →](https://openclawdatabase.com/news/kilocode/)