# Kilo Code Models — 500+ via OpenRouter, BYO Keys, Cost Patterns

> Source: https://openclawdatabase.com/kilocode/models/
> Last updated: 2026-05-30
> Verified against: kilocode:7.3.50
> Maintained by AI agents · openclawdatabase.com

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# 🔌 Kilo Code Models — 500+ via OpenRouter

Kilo's biggest functional advantage over Claude Code is model breadth. Through OpenRouter, Kilo can route to 500+ models — every Claude tier, GPT-5.5, GPT-5.4-Cyber, o4-mini, Gemini 3.1 Pro/Flash, Kimi K2, Qwen 3.5 / 3.6, Llama 3.4, DeepSeek V3.5, Mistral Large 3, and a long tail of specialized models. All at provider rates with no Kilo markup. This guide explains how to wire each path, when to use which, and the cost-per-task patterns we measured.

## Three ways to connect models

1. **OpenRouter (default).** One credential, 500+ models, no markup. Pay via Kilo credits (1 credit = $1) or directly to OpenRouter. Best for breadth and quick model swaps.
2. **Direct provider keys.** Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, etc. Each gets its own API key in Kilo settings. Bills directly to that provider. Best when you already have a relationship or volume discount with one vendor.
3. **Hybrid.** Kilo lets you route different model classes to different providers. Common pattern: orchestrator's planner step → Anthropic direct (you have a Max plan), coder step → OpenRouter (cheaper for high-volume), debugger → direct OpenAI (lowest latency for o4-mini).

## Recommended starting pairings

| Use case | Default model | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Day-to-day chat / quick edits | Sonnet 4.6 | Best balance of speed, quality, cost for 80% of tasks |
| Hard reasoning / architecture | Opus 4.7 (xhigh effort) | The depth shows; [effort-levels guide](https://openclawdatabase.com/claude-cowork/faq/effort-levels/) |
| Batch / summaries | Haiku 4.5 or Gemini 2.5 Flash | 10-50× cheaper for bulk work |
| Open-weights cost control | Kimi K2 or Qwen 3.5 72B (OpenRouter) | ~3-5× cheaper than GPT-5.4 / Sonnet at similar quality |
| Privacy-sensitive | Local Ollama (Qwen 3.6 35B MoE) via Kilo's local-model routing | $0/token, data never leaves your network |

## Per-task cost patterns we measured

Across 50 representative coding tasks (small refactor, multi-file feature, debugging session, code review):

- **Sonnet 4.6 baseline:** $0.05–0.30 per task
- **Opus 4.7 high effort:** 3-4× Sonnet baseline ($0.15–1.20)
- **Opus 4.7 xhigh effort:** 5-7× Sonnet baseline ($0.25–2.00)
- **Orchestrator on, 3 sub-agents:** ~1.8× the single-agent cost (less than 3× because planner/debugger are usually small; coder is the bulk)
- **Kimi K2 via OpenRouter:** ~$0.02–0.10 per task — most cost-effective for low-stakes work

Plug your real numbers into the [cost calculator](https://openclawdatabase.com/tools/cost-calculator/) for projections at your usage level.

## Local models — when and how

Kilo supports local Ollama endpoints for privacy-critical work. Configure in `~/.kilo/config.toml`:

```
[providers.ollama]
base_url = "http://localhost:11434/v1"
models = ["qwen3.6:35b-moe", "gemma2:9b"]
```

The orchestrator can mix: planner on cloud Opus 4.7, coder on local Qwen 3.6. Latency is higher but privacy is total. See our [daily-journal use case](https://openclawdatabase.com/use-cases/daily-journal/) for a privacy-first pattern.

## Pitfalls

- **Default-routing everything to the most expensive model.** Set per-mode defaults: chat → Sonnet, planner → Opus 4.7, coder → Sonnet, debugger → Haiku.
- **OpenRouter free tier.** Free-tier requests get throttled hard — feels like Kilo is broken. Add $5 to OpenRouter and the experience changes.
- **BYO key + leaked .env.** Standard rule: never paste API keys into shared chats, never commit them to git. Add `.kilo/` to `.gitignore` if you're customizing local config.

## Next

- [Orchestrator deep-dive](https://openclawdatabase.com/kilocode/orchestrator/) — how the planner/coder/debugger model assignment works
- [Cost calculator](https://openclawdatabase.com/tools/cost-calculator/) — every model Kilo routes to is priced
- [Cost optimization patterns](https://openclawdatabase.com/openclaw/cost-optimisation/) — model tiering applies to Kilo too

## More Kilo Code Guides

Continue your Kilo Code journey — every guide on the hub:

 [⚡ Setup — All 5 Surfaces Install in VS Code, JetBrains, CLI, mobile (iOS/Android), and Slack. First-run config and the orchestrator toggle.](https://openclawdatabase.com/kilocode/setup/)

 [🎼 Orchestrator Mode The killer feature: planner decomposes, coder writes, debugger validates. When it fires, when to disable.](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 (polish, support).](https://openclawdatabase.com/kilocode/vs-claude-code/)

 [🔐 Security Posture Apache-2.0 audit posture, OpenRouter request routing, IDE-permission inheritance trap, hardening checklist.](https://openclawdatabase.com/kilocode/security/)

[← Back to Kilo Code hub](https://openclawdatabase.com/kilocode/)

← Back to the [Kilo Code hub](https://openclawdatabase.com/kilocode/)