Yes, you can start using Kilo for free. The core IDE extensions, CLI, and many features are accessible without an upfront cost. You pay only for the AI model usage (tokens) via the Kilo Gateway on a pay-as-you-go basis at the exact provider rates. There is also an optional "Kilo Pass" subscription that provides bonus credits on top of your payment.

What IDEs does Kilo support?

Kilo provides native extensions for VS Code and all JetBrains IDEs, including IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, and WebStorm. You can also use Kilo via the Command-Line Interface (CLI) for terminal-based workflows and through Cloud Agents accessible via a web browser.

How do Cloud Agents work?

Cloud Agents allow you to run AI-powered coding tasks in Kilo's secure cloud infrastructure instead of on your local machine. This is ideal for long-running operations (like large refactors), resource-intensive tasks, or continuing work when your laptop is closed. You can start a task in your IDE and monitor/control the Cloud Agent's progress from any device.

How does Kilo handle code privacy?

Kilo takes code privacy seriously. As an open-source tool, its code can be inspected for security. For individual use, context is primarily processed locally or in your secure session. For teams and enterprises, the platform offers data privacy controls, the ability to bring your own API keys (BYOK), and options to restrict models/providers to ensure your code is not sent to unauthorized endpoints.

What are the main pricing plans?

For individuals, use is pay-as-you-go for AI inference. The optional Kilo Pass offers credit bonuses at $19/$49/$199 per month. For teams, the "Teams" plan is $15 per user per month, adding collaboration and management features. "Enterprise" plans with advanced security and support require contacting sales. The hosted KiloClaw agent costs $49/month plus inference fees.

Can I use my own API keys with Kilo?

Yes, Kilo supports "Bring Your Own Keys" (BYOK) for any AI model provider or subscription. This allows you to use your existing credits directly through the Kilo Gateway, maintaining control over costs and access. This feature is available to all users and is centralized in the Teams plan for easier management.

Kilo AI: Open-Source Coding Agent for VS Code & JetBrains

Kilo Overview

Kilo is an agentic engineering platform that supercharges the entire software development lifecycle. By unifying AI-powered coding, review, and deployment workflows into a single, open-source environment, Kilo enables developers and teams to "move at Kilo Speed"—achieving a state of high-productivity flow. It's trusted by over 1.5 million developers and processes trillions of tokens monthly, distinguishing itself through model flexibility, cross-device session persistence, and a commitment to open-source transparency.

How to use Kilo

Start by installing the Kilo extension in your preferred environment: VS Code, any JetBrains IDE (IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm), or via the command-line interface (CLI). Once installed, you can immediately begin using features like AI tab autocomplete. To leverage its full agentic capabilities, you can activate different modes such as Ask, Architect, Code, Debug, or Orchestrator directly within your editor. For long-running tasks, initiate Cloud Agents to offload processing. You can manage AI model usage, credits, and team settings through the unified Kilo Gateway and dashboard.

Core Features of Kilo

Multi-Environment Support: Native integration with VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, CLI, Slack, and web-based Cloud Agents.
Model Gateway: Single API endpoint to access and route requests across 500+ models from major providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, etc.) and local/stealth models, paying exact provider rates.
AI Agent Modes: Built-in modes for specific tasks: Ask (Q&A), Architect (design), Code (implementation), Debug (troubleshooting), and Orchestrator (task management).
Cloud Agents: Run resource-intensive or long-running AI agents in the cloud without consuming local machine resources.
Automated Code Reviewer: AI agent that analyzes pull requests, suggests improvements, and catches bugs before merging.
One-Click Deploy: Deploy applications (e.g., Next.js, static sites) directly from the IDE with intelligent configuration detection.
Managed Indexing & Memory Bank: Automatically indexes your codebase for deep semantic understanding and stores architectural decisions/context to avoid re-explanation.
Session Persistence: Start a coding session on one device (e.g., mobile) and seamlessly continue it on another (e.g., desktop IDE) with full context.
Voice Prompting: Use natural voice commands to interact with AI agents within the IDE.
Open Source Core: The complete plugin is open-source (Apache-2.0/MIT), allowing inspection, customization, and contribution.

Use Cases for Kilo

Kilo is ideal for individual developers and engineering teams looking to integrate AI deeply into their development process. Use cases include rapidly prototyping new features, refactoring or migrating large codebases, conducting thorough code reviews, debugging complex issues, building full-stack applications with the visual App Builder, and onboarding new team members using captured "superpower" modes. It's particularly valuable for teams wanting to centralize and manage AI tool usage, track ROI, and maintain security and privacy controls.

Advantages of Kilo

Kilo's primary advantage is its integrated, open, and flexible approach to AI-assisted development. It eliminates tool-switching friction by consolidating coding, review, and deployment. Developers gain unparalleled model choice without vendor lock-in, thanks to the Gateway. The open-source nature ensures transparency—no hidden context compression, with full prompts visible. Features like session persistence and Cloud Agents enable truly asynchronous, multi-device workflows. For organizations, it provides centralized management, usage analytics, and enterprise-grade data controls to prevent AI sprawl.

Pricing and Plans

Kilo operates on a freemium model. You can start coding with AI for free and add pay-as-you-go credits to access models via the Kilo Gateway, paying exact provider rates with no commission. An optional "Kilo Pass" subscription offers bonus credits (e.g., $19/month provides $28.5 in credits). For teams, "Teams" plan is $15/user/month and includes usage analytics, shared modes, centralized billing, and data privacy controls. "Enterprise" plans offer additional security, compliance, and support features (custom pricing). The hosted AI agent, KiloClaw, is priced at $49/month for hosting plus AI inference costs.