Cursor Tab vs Kilo Autocomplete
Both offer inline ghost-text completions, but they take different approaches. Cursor Tab has a purpose-built model with edit suggestions and cursor jumps. Kilo is open source with pay-per-token pricing and works in VS Code and JetBrains. Here's how they compare.
Side-by-Side Comparison
How Kilo Autocomplete stacks up against Cursor Tab
| Feature | Kilo Autocomplete | Cursor Tab |
|---|---|---|
| Inline completions (ghost text + Tab) | ||
| Multi-line completions | ||
| Auto-trigger suggestions | Yes, configurable delay (default 3s) | Yes, continuous streaming |
| Manual trigger keybinding | Cmd+L / Ctrl+L | Tab to accept, Escape to dismiss |
| Model used | Codestral (Mistral AI) | Fusion (proprietary) |
| Model flexibility | Fixed (Codestral only, for now) | Fixed (Fusion only) |
| IDE support | VS Code, JetBrains | Cursor IDE only |
| Pricing model | Pay-per-token at provider cost | Included in Cursor subscription ($20/mo Pro) |
| Open source | ||
| On-prem / self-hosted | Local models via Ollama/LM Studio in fallback chain |
Inline completions (ghost text + Tab)
Multi-line completions
Auto-trigger suggestions
Manual trigger keybinding
Model used
Model flexibility
IDE support
Pricing model
Open source
On-prem / self-hosted
Where Kilo Stands Out
Open source
The Kilo extension is open source. You can inspect the code, understand exactly how autocomplete works, and contribute. Cursor's Tab feature is proprietary and closed.
Open pricing
Kilo charges per token at the model provider's cost, with no markup. There's no separate autocomplete SKU or seat-based fee. Cursor bundles autocomplete into its $20/month Pro plan — just for the IDE and autocomplete. Kilo gives you access to the entire end-to-end agentic engineering platform for free.
IDE flexibility
Kilo Autocomplete works in VS Code and JetBrains IDEs. Cursor Tab only works in the Cursor IDE — a VS Code fork. If your team uses JetBrains or prefers stock VS Code, Cursor Tab isn't an option.
Provider fallback chain
Kilo's autocomplete has a fallback chain: Mistral → Kilo Code → OpenRouter → Requesty → Bedrock → Hugging Face → LiteLLM → LM Studio → Ollama. If one provider is down, the next picks up. You can also run completions through local models.
The Bigger Picture
Autocomplete is one piece of the puzzle. Kilo Code is a full agentic engineering platform: AI-powered code generation, multi-step orchestration, cloud agents, deploy, code review, and more. Autocomplete fits into a workflow where your AI assistant understands your whole project, not just the line you're typing.