500+ AI Models

Kilo CLI vs Codex CLI

Codex CLI locks you into OpenAI. Kilo CLI gives you 500+ models, 5 specialized agentic modes, and pay-per-token pricing—no subscription required.

Install Kilo CLI

View Documentation

Best for:

Codex CLI

Developers committed to OpenAI models exclusively
Teams already paying for ChatGPT subscriptions
Simple, single-agent workflows with sandbox policies

Kilo CLI

Developers wanting 500+ model options from multiple providers
Teams needing specialized agentic modes and cross-platform sessions
Projects where pay-per-token beats monthly subscriptions

Feature-by-feature comparison

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

Model Selection

Codex CLI

OpenAI models only

Kilo CLI

500+ models: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, local via Ollama/LM Studio

Pricing Model

Codex CLI

Requires ChatGPT Plus/Pro/Business ($20-200+/month)

Kilo CLI

Pay-per-token, no subscription, no markup on usage

Agentic Modes

Codex CLI

Single agent with approval modes

Kilo CLI

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

Session Management

Codex CLI

Resume previous sessions

Kilo CLI

--continue flag to resume, checkpoints, and resume in IDE or Cloud Agents via Kilo Sessions

Auto-Approval

Codex CLI

Basic auto-approval

Kilo CLI

Granular hierarchical command patterns, progressive approval building

Team Features

Codex CLI

Tied to OpenAI platform ecosystem

Kilo CLI

Centralized billing, shared custom modes, usage analytics

IDE Integration

Codex CLI

CLI only

Kilo CLI

VS Code, JetBrains, CLI, Cloud Agents, App Builder

Open Source

Codex CLI

❌

Kilo CLI

✅ Fully open source

Feature	Codex CLI	Kilo CLI
Model Selection	OpenAI models only	500+ models: OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, local via Ollama/LM Studio
Pricing Model	Requires ChatGPT Plus/Pro/Business ($20-200+/month)	Pay-per-token, no subscription, no markup on usage
Agentic Modes	Single agent with approval modes	5 specialized modes: Architect, Code, Debug, Ask, Orchestrator + custom modes
Session Management	Resume previous sessions	--continue flag to resume, checkpoints, and resume in IDE or Cloud Agents via Kilo Sessions
Auto-Approval	Basic auto-approval	Granular hierarchical command patterns, progressive approval building
Team Features	Tied to OpenAI platform ecosystem	Centralized billing, shared custom modes, usage analytics
IDE Integration	CLI only	VS Code, JetBrains, CLI, Cloud Agents, App Builder
Open Source	❌	✅ Fully open source

Key Benefits of Kilo CLI

500+ Models

Not locked to OpenAI. Choose from Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, Mistral, or run local models with Ollama and 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 multi-step tasks.

Pay-Per-Token

No ChatGPT subscription required. No monthly fees. Pay only for what you use with transparent, token-based pricing at provider cost.

Session Continuation

Resume exactly where you left off with --continue flag. Full checkpoint management with /checkpoint list and /checkpoint restore for unlimited history access.

Granular Auto-Approval

Beyond simple sandbox policies. Hierarchical command patterns with progressive approval building give you fine-grained control over agent actions.

Team Support

Centralized billing, shared custom modes, and usage analytics. Not tied to OpenAI's platform—flexible team management on your terms.

Open Source

Fully open source. Inspect the code, customize, contribute. No vendor lock-in—you control your development workflow.

Get Started in Seconds

Install Kilo CLI with a single command

Terminal

$ npm install -g @kilocode/cli

Or use pnpm, yarn, or bun. See documentation for more options.

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. Cross-platform sessions. Pay-per-token. No subscriptions.

Install Kilo CLI

View Documentation