PluginRisingofficial publisher

Kilo Code

Plugin : A set of capabilities installed into an AI application or a host · requires vscode

Open source coding agent, successor to Roo Code, with modes, MCP, and model routing.

The continuation of Roo Code, actively maintained and available across multiple surfaces.

Official site GitHub · 27,744 ★

Overall score

8.3 /10

Security: one caveat, see the card

Utility

8.0

Reliability

10.0

Security

One caveat

Ease

1 click · Comfortable

Security reflects where data goes, requested permissions and incidents on record at the verification date. It is not a guarantee of zero risk: check the deployment mode and the connections you enable.

What it does, concretely

Kilo Code is aimed at developers who want an AI coding agent directly in their working environment, without being locked into a single model provider or paying a markup on API calls. It addresses the problem of opaque costs and lack of transparency found in proprietary code assistants.

In practice, Kilo Code installs as an extension in VS Code or JetBrains, or runs from the command line. It reads your codebase, generates code across multiple files from natural language instructions, executes terminal commands, and can control a browser. It offers 500+ models at direct provider pricing with no markup, and allows switching models mid-task.

The tool suits solo developers or teams who want to keep control over their AI spending, freely choose their models, and audit agent behavior through MIT-licensed open source code. It also targets teams looking to integrate an agent into CI/CD pipelines via autonomous mode.

That said, Kilo Code requires some familiarity with development environments. Users looking for a fully turnkey tool with no configuration or API key management will find the onboarding more demanding, even though a Kilo account allows getting started without a personal API key.

What it offers

·Five built-in specialized agents: Code, Plan, Ask, Debug, and Review, each suited to a specific type of task.
·Access to 500+ AI models at direct provider pricing with no markup, with the option to bring your own API key.
·Automatic model routing via Auto Model mode, which selects the model based on budget and task type.
·Inline autocomplete with ghost-text suggestions and tab-to-accept.
·Terminal and browser control to run commands and automate web actions.
·MCP protocol support with a marketplace to connect MCP servers and extend agent capabilities.
·Autonomous mode for CI/CD pipelines via the kilo run --auto command, with no confirmation prompts.
·Automated code review on pull requests and cloud agents accessible from the web, without a local machine.

Our tips

Start with the Plan agent before writing code on a complex feature: it produces a structured architecture plan that reduces back-and-forth later.
Use Auto Model in Efficient mode for routine tasks to keep costs down, and switch to Frontier only for problems that require more reasoning.
In CI/CD, use kilo run --auto only in isolated, trusted environments, as this mode disables all confirmation prompts and lets the agent act freely.
Connect MCP servers via the built-in marketplace to extend agent capabilities to external tools without modifying source code.
If you use JetBrains, install the plugin directly from the IDE settings via Settings > Plugins by searching for Kilo Code, without going through a third-party site.

Watch out

Autonomous mode (--auto) disables all confirmations: using it outside an isolated environment exposes your files and system to uncontrolled modifications.
The agent reads and edits your files and runs terminal commands; it is advisable to review proposed actions before accepting them, especially on production projects.

In practice

Price: Free
Commercial use: Commercial use: yes
Available on: vscode, jetbrains, cli
Host: vscode
Licence: Apache-2.0
FR interface: No

Security and data

Rating: Security: one caveat, see the card
Your data: Local or cloud depending on use
Maintenance: Active
Last release: 23 October 2026

Links and repository checked on 25 October 2026 · added on 1 April 2025

How to install Kilo Code

1. Open VS Code and go to the Extensions tab (Ctrl+Shift+X). 2. Search for "Kilo Code" and click Install, or use the direct link from the VS Code Marketplace. 3. Create an account at kilo.ai to access models without a personal API key, or enter your own API key in the extension settings. 4. Select the agent suited to your task (Code, Plan, Ask, Debug, or Review) in the Kilo Code panel. 5. Always review the changes proposed by the agent before accepting them, especially terminal commands, as the tool has read and write access to your files.

npm install -g @kilocode/cli

In the same category

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