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AI/TLDR

Kilo Code

Open-source agentic coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains, and the terminal

github.com/Kilo-Org/kilocode★ 22.9kkilo.ai

Overview

Kilo Code is an open-source coding agent that you run inside your editor or terminal. You describe what you want in plain English, and the agent writes code, runs terminal commands, automates the browser, and checks its own work. It is one of the most popular open-source coding agents and is released under the MIT license.

The same agent runs in several places: a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin, a command-line tool, Slack, and the cloud. It connects to more than 500 AI models, so you can pick the one that fits your task. You can bring your own API keys or use Kilo's account, and the CLI can run fully autonomously for CI/CD pipelines.

Kilo Code also supports different working modes (Architect for planning, Coder for writing code, Debugger for fixing bugs) and a marketplace of MCP servers that extend what the agent can do.

What it does

  • Generates code from natural-language instructions and checks its own work
  • Runs terminal commands and automates the browser as part of a task
  • Inline autocomplete suggestions as you type, powered by AI
  • Works across VS Code, JetBrains, a CLI, Slack, and the cloud
  • Connects to 500+ AI models, with bring-your-own API keys optional
  • Multiple modes (Architect, Coder, Debugger) plus custom modes and an MCP server marketplace

Getting started

You can run Kilo Code as a VS Code extension or as a command-line tool. The CLI install is a single npm command, and you can also run it without installing using npx.

Install the VS Code extension

Install the Kilo Code extension from the VS Code Marketplace, then create an account to access the available models.

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Search "Kilo Code" in the VS Code Marketplace

Install the CLI

Install the command-line agent globally with npm, or run it directly with npx without installing.

bashbash
npm install -g @kilocode/cli
# or run directly
npx @kilocode/cli

Start the agent in your project

From any project directory, run the kilo command to start an interactive session.

bashbash
kilo

Run autonomously in CI/CD

Use the --auto flag to run a task with no permission prompts. Only use this in trusted environments like CI/CD pipelines, since it lets the agent act without confirmation.

bashbash
kilo run --auto "run tests and fix any failures"

Commands and code are distilled from the project's own documentation — always check the official repo for the latest.

When to use it

  • Generating new code or refactoring existing code from plain-English descriptions inside VS Code or JetBrains
  • Automating repetitive coding tasks and running terminal commands without leaving the editor
  • Running tests and fixing failures automatically in a CI/CD pipeline with the autonomous CLI mode
  • Trying out and comparing many different AI models for coding from a single agent

How Kilo Code compares

Kilo Code alongside other open-source autonomous coding agents tools AI/TLDR tracks, ranked by GitHub stars.

ToolStarsWhat it does
opencode★ 176kOpenCode is an open source AI coding agent that runs in your terminal, with built-in build and plan agents and an optional desktop app.
Gemini CLI★ 105kAn open-source command-line AI agent from Google that connects your terminal to Gemini models for reading code, editing files, running shell commands, and searching the web.
OpenHands★ 77.8kAn open-source AI software-development agent that plans tasks, edits files, runs commands, and tests code, usable from a terminal CLI, a local web GUI, or a Python SDK.
Goose★ 49.8kGoose is an open-source AI agent that runs on your machine for code, research, automation, and more, with a desktop app, CLI, and API built in Rust.
Continue★ 34.1kContinue is an open-source coding agent available as a CLI, VS Code extension, and JetBrains plugin, plus version-controlled AI checks that run on pull requests in CI.
Vibe Kanban★ 27.1kVibe Kanban lets you plan tasks on a kanban board, run coding agents like Claude Code and Codex in isolated workspaces, then review their diffs and ship pull requests.
Serena★ 25.6kSerena is an open-source MCP toolkit that gives any LLM coding agent symbol-level code retrieval, editing, and refactoring across 40+ languages.
Kilo Code★ 22.9kOpen-source agentic coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains, and the terminal