CLI Comparison

Kilo CLI vs Claude Code CLI

Two powerful CLI coding assistants. See how Kilo CLI offers more model choice, specialized modes, and transparent pricing.

Install Kilo CLI

See CLI Documentation

Best for:

Claude Code CLI

Developers committed to Claude models exclusively
Teams already paying for Anthropic subscriptions
Projects where rate limits aren't a concern

Kilo CLI

Developers wanting 500+ model options, not just Claude
Teams needing parallel execution and specialized modes
Projects where pay-per-token beats monthly subscriptions

Feature-by-feature comparison

A detailed comparison of model selection, agentic modes, pricing, and advanced features.

Model Selection

Claude CLI

Claude models only

Kilo CLI

500+ models: Claude, GPT, Gemini, and more

Agentic Modes

Claude CLI

Single general-purpose agent

Kilo CLI

5 specialized modes: Architect, Code, Debug, Ask, Orchestrator + custom modes

Pricing

Claude CLI

$17/month (Pro), $100/month (Max), usage limits and rate limiting

Kilo CLI

Pay-per-token, no markup, no monthly fees, no rate limits

Session Management

Claude CLI

Session continuation with -c flag and session IDs

Kilo CLI

Full task history with search, filtering, sorting via /tasks commands

Skills/Customization

Claude CLI

.claude/commands/*.md, CLAUDE.md for project context

Kilo CLI

Agent Skills system with global and project-specific skills, mode-specific loading

Auto-Approval & Config

Claude CLI

Basic autoapproval settings

Kilo CLI

Granular auto-approval with hierarchical patterns, progressive rule building

CI/CD Integration

Claude CLI

GitHub Action, SDK, @claude bot for PRs

Kilo CLI

Autonomous mode with JSON output, timeout control, exit codes, env overrides

Checkpoint Management

Claude CLI

Git integration for commits/branches

Kilo CLI

/checkpoint list and /checkpoint restore for full history management

Team Features

Claude CLI

Individual developer focused

Kilo CLI

Team org switching (/teams), centralized billing, shared configurations

Feature	Claude Code	Kilo CLI
Model Selection	Claude models only	500+ models: Claude, GPT, Gemini, and more
Agentic Modes	Single general-purpose agent	5 specialized modes: Architect, Code, Debug, Ask, Orchestrator + custom modes
Pricing	$17/month (Pro), $100/month (Max), usage limits and rate limiting	Pay-per-token, no markup, no monthly fees, no rate limits
Session Management	Session continuation with -c flag and session IDs	Full task history with search, filtering, sorting via /tasks commands
Skills/Customization	.claude/commands/*.md, CLAUDE.md for project context	Agent Skills system with global and project-specific skills, mode-specific loading
Auto-Approval & Config	Basic autoapproval settings	Granular auto-approval with hierarchical patterns, progressive rule building
CI/CD Integration	GitHub Action, SDK, @claude bot for PRs	Autonomous mode with JSON output, timeout control, exit codes, env overrides
Checkpoint Management	Git integration for commits/branches	/checkpoint list and /checkpoint restore for full history management
Team Features	Individual developer focused	Team org switching (/teams), centralized billing, shared configurations

Key Benefits of Kilo CLI

500+ Models

Choose the right model for each task. Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, local models with Ollama or LM Studio. Bring your own API keys.

5 Agentic Modes

Specialized modes for different workflows: Architect for planning, Code for implementation, Debug for fixing, Ask for questions, Orchestrator for complex tasks.

Pay-Per-Token

No monthly subscriptions. No hidden rate limits. Pay only for what you use with transparent, token-based pricing.

Checkpoint Management

Full checkpoint history with /checkpoint list and /checkpoint restore. Never lose progress—roll back to any previous state instantly.

Agent Skills

Extensible domain expertise with global and project-specific skills. Load different skills automatically based on the active mode.

Team Support

Organization switching with /teams command. Centralized billing and shared configurations for the whole team.

The CLI is one part of the platform. With Kilo, You Also Get:

Cloud Agents

Access Kilo from the web without a local machine. Run resource-exhaustive tasks in the cloud and sync results back to your local environment.

View Documentation

IDE Extensions

Seamlessly switch between CLI and IDE. VS Code, JetBrains—same agent, same sessions, same context.

View Documentation

Deploy

One-click deployments from within Kilo. Push to production with the same context and workflow you used to build.

View Documentation

App Builder

Visual editor to prototype apps. See changes live and iterate quickly. Export to Kilo when you're ready to move beyond visual editing.

View Documentation

Managed Indexing

Semantic search across your repositories for context-aware responses. Build on top of your existing codebase with full understanding.

View Documentation

Agent Manager

Stop and start agents in one click. Switch contexts easily between different tasks without losing progress.

View Documentation

Sessions

Persistent across all interfaces, resume and share from anywhere. Your context and progress carry seamlessly between App Builder, IDE, CLI, and Cloud.

View Documentation

Voice Prompting

Speak your prompts naturally. No typing needed—just talk and code.

View Documentation

Code Reviews

Automatic PR reviews with the same models and credits. Inline GitHub comments, configurable review styles.

View Documentation

Try Kilo CLI Today

500+ models. 5 agentic modes. Pay-per-token pricing. No rate limits.

Install Kilo CLI

See CLI Documentation