What Is Kilo Code? Open-Source AI Agent for VS Code, JetBrains, and CLI
Kilo Code is the open-source agentic coding platform with 500+ models, MCP marketplace, and Roo Code migration path. Pricing, agents, vs Cursor/Claude Code, and Reddit/HN questions answered.
Kilo Code is one of the fastest-growing open-source AI coding agents in 2026—an extension and CLI that turns VS Code, JetBrains, or your terminal into a multi-model agent harness with 500+ LLMs, MCP marketplace, and zero markup BYOK pricing.
If you saw it on Reddit after Roo Code shut down, on Hacker News debating Kilo Pass vs OpenRouter, or in an XDA review praising local LLM support—this guide answers what Kilo is, how it works, and the questions people actually ask online.
Kilo's pitch: model freedom (pick Claude today, DeepSeek tomorrow), prompt transparency (see full context per request—no silent compression), and one portable core shared across IDE, CLI, and cloud.
History: Cline → Roo Code → Kilo
Understanding Kilo requires the fork lineage:
snippet
Cline (open-source VS Code agent)
└── Roo Code (3M installs, specialist modes)
└── Kilo Code (active fork + rebuild)
April 21, 2026: Roo Code creator Matt Rubens announced the Roo Code repo would archive May 15—the team going all-in on Roomote, a cloud agent product (early dev, no full public release yet).
Kilo's response: Rebuilt the VS Code extension on OpenCode—portable open-source server shared with CLI and cloud agents. Shipped GA April 2, 2026 with parallel tool calls, subagents, and Agent Manager (what's new docs).
For Roo users: Kilo is the officially recommended migration path—not Roomote, if you want to keep coding inside your editor without a new subscription product.
Built-In Agents (Formerly "Modes")
Kilo renamed Modes → Agents in the 2026 rebuild (using agents docs):
Agent
Tool access
Best for
code (default)
Full — read, edit, bash, MCP
Implementation, debugging
ask
Read-only
Explaining codebase
plan
Read + bash (no writes)
Architecture, exploration
debug
Full
Troubleshooting
Deprecated: Orchestrator mode—agents with full access now delegate to subagents natively. Custom agents supported via .kilo/agents/*.md.
Legacy v5.x pin: Need old Orchestrator or Memory Bank? Kilo still ships a Roo-derived v5.x extension you can pin (migration guide).
Pricing: BYOK, Kilo Pass, Teams
Free + BYOK (most Reddit power users)
Extension/CLI: $0
Bring keys from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, Ollama
Zero markup — pay provider list price
New users often get $20 bonus credits on first top-up (promo varies)
Paid credits roll over; bonus credits expire monthly
Pro
$49/mo
Higher bonus tier
Expert
$199/mo
Agent-heavy workflows
Teams
$15/user/mo
Shared modes, analytics, centralized billing
HN debate (thread): Kilo Pass credits roll over (unlike some Cursor tiers), but they are tied to Kilo Gateway—for VS Code/CLI only, not a general sk-or-... API key like OpenRouter for your Python scripts.
Cost reality check
Heavy Claude Opus usage via BYOK can run $40–80/mo—comparable to Claude Code Max. DeepSeek / Gemini Flash routes can drop to $5–15/mo. Kilo's advantage is you choose the tradeoff, not the vendor.
Q: I upgraded and lost my custom profiles—where did they go?
A: Profiles were simplified. Star models in the model picker instead of maintaining profile layers.
Q: Where is Orchestrator mode?
A: Deprecated. Code/Plan/Debug agents spawn subagents automatically. Pin legacy v5.x if you need the old Orchestrator.
Q: Where did code indexing go?
A: Temporarily unavailable in the rebuilt extension—actively being rebuilt. Follow Kilo's GitHub issue tracker.
Q: Checkpoints disappeared?
A: Renamed to snapshots—Git-based, stored under ~/.local/share/kilo/snapshot/. Revert from chat via diff badges.
Q: Where is auto-approve / command allowlist?
A: Replaced by per-tool permissions (Allow / Ask / Deny) for bash, read, edit, glob, grep, etc.
Models and cost
Q: Can I use Ollama / local models?
A: Yes. Configure local providers in model settings; switch via dropdown without rebuilding workflow (XDA review).
Q: Is there an "auto" model that silently picks for me?
A: No—Kilo explicitly shows which model runs each request and displays context window usage. Transparency by design.
Q: Kilo Pass vs OpenRouter top-up?
A: OpenRouter gives a universal API key for any app. Kilo Pass credits work inside Kilo tools only—but bonus credits and rollover can beat rate-limited subscriptions if you stay in the Kilo ecosystem (HN).
Q: Which agent should use which model?
A: Settings → Models → Model per Mode (now "Model per Agent"). Star favorites for quick access.
Security and trust
Q: Is my code sent to Kilo's servers?
A: With BYOK, requests go to your chosen provider under their policy. Review Anthropic/OpenAI terms for your key. Enterprise tier adds SSO, audit logs, model allowlists.
Q: Can I inspect what the agent will run?
A: Yes—open source repo, visible prompts, granular bash permissions, diff review before commit.
vs other tools
Q: Kilo vs Cline?
A: Both open-source BYOK agents. Kilo adds JetBrains, cloud agents, Agent Manager, broader model catalog, and Roo migration path. Cline has longer install history.
Q: Should Roo users pick Roomote or Kilo?
A: Roomote = cloud PR reviews, Slack/GitHub triggers (new product). Kilo = keep coding in VS Code/JetBrains with local control. Roo's own migration post points to Kilo for editor users (RoboRhythms analysis).
Q: Does Roo Code stop working after May 15?
A: Installed versions keep running—no kill switch. You lose updates, bug fixes, and new model support. Migrate to Kilo for maintenance.
MCP and Agent Skills
Kilo ships an MCP Server Marketplace—browse and wire servers without hand-editing JSON for every integration. Same protocol as Claude Code MCP and Codex.
For repeatable workflows, pair Kilo with Agent Skills—portable SKILL.md folders discoverable at /skills on explainx.ai.
Funding:$8M seed (December 2025)—Cota Capital, General Catalyst, Breakers, Quiet Capital, Tokyo Black
Community: Discord #vscode; 790+ open GitHub issues—actively shipping (v7.x prereleases)
Summary
Kilo Code is the open-source, model-agnostic answer to proprietary AI IDEs: 500+ LLMs, MCP marketplace, BYOK with zero markup, and a unified OpenCode core across VS Code, JetBrains, and CLI.
After Roo Code archived in May 2026, Kilo became the default editor-native migration path—while the Roo team builds Roomote for cloud workflows. Reddit and HN threads converge on the same questions: local models? yes; credits rollover? yes for paid, not bonus; vs Cursor? freedom vs integrated UX.
