How does Kilo's multi-interface approach compare to Cline's VS Code focus?

Cline runs in VS Code and has a CLI tool. Kilo Code runs in VS Code, JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm), CLI, and Cloud Agents - all with a unified session layer. You can start a task on your phone via Cloud Agents, continue it in your IDE when you're at your desk, and finish it via CLI for automated workflows. Sessions sync context, history, and agent state across all interfaces.

What's the difference between Kilo's five modes and Cline's Plan/Act?

Cline has two modes: Plan (read-only exploration) and Act (write/execute). Kilo Code offers five specialized modes: Code (standard implementation), Ask (read-only exploration like Plan but explicitly scoped), Debug (troubleshooting with runtime logs and stack traces), Architect (high-level planning and system design), and Orchestrator (a meta-agent that delegates complex tasks to other modes). The Orchestrator can coordinate multiple agents working in parallel with isolated state.

Can I access the same 500+ models that Kilo offers through Cline?

Cline provides 311 models via their gateway plus BYOK support. Kilo Code provides access to 500+ models with zero markup on provider rates, plus BYOK if you prefer. Both support flexible model access.

Does Kilo support Cline-style workflows and checkpoints?

Yes, with enhancements. Cline uses markdown playbooks for workflows and shadow repo for checkpoints. Kilo Code has a Skills system for reusable workflows that can be shared across teams, and cross-platform session persistence that syncs across all interfaces - not just local checkpoints.

How do Kilo and Cline team features compare?

Both offer team plans with centralized billing, role-based access control, and model/provider limits. Kilo Teams is $15/user/month while Cline Teams is $20/user/month. Kilo's unique team features include: AI ROI Dashboard (track adoption metrics, velocity, time saved), per-user and per-project analytics, and shared custom modes. Both offer SSO and audit logs at enterprise tier.

How do I migrate from Cline to Kilo Code?

Migration is straightforward: install Kilo Code (VS Code marketplace or JetBrains plugin repository), configure your model preferences (500+ hosted or BYOK), and translate any .clinerules to .kilocode/rules format. The workflows are similar - Architect mode replaces Plan mode, Code mode replaces Act mode. Most developers are productive within minutes.

Is Kilo open source like Cline?

Yes! Both Kilo Code and Cline are fully open source. You can audit the code, extend it, contribute to it, and verify exactly how it works. Kilo Code adds commercial infrastructure (hosted models, team features, support) on top of the open source foundation, but the core agent is open source.

Cline vs. Kilo

General Coding vs. Multi-Surface AI Orchestration

Kilo enables unified sessions across IDE, CLI, and Cloud Agents. 500+ AI models with zero markup. Deploy, build, and review code - all from one platform.

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Quick Comparison

Interfaces

Cline

VS Code + CLI

VS Code focused

Kilo Code

IDE + CLI + Slack + Cloud Agents

Unified session layer

Session Persistence

Cline

Local checkpoints

Kilo Code

Cross-platform sync

Continue anywhere

Agent Modes

Cline

Plan/Act separation

Kilo Code

5 specialized + Orchestrator

Code, Ask, Debug, Architect...

Models Available

Cline

311 via gateway + BYOK

Bring your own keys

Kilo Code

500+ via Kilo Gateway + BYOK

No API key setup needed

Deploy Integration

Cline

Kilo Code

One-click from anywhere

App Builder

Cline

Kilo Code

Web-based prototyping

Code Reviews

Cline

Kilo Code

Automated PR analysis

AI ROI Dashboard

Cline

Kilo Code

Adoption + velocity metrics

	Cline	Kilo Code
Interfaces	VS Code + CLI VS Code focused	IDE + CLI + Slack + Cloud Agents Unified session layer
Session Persistence	Local checkpoints	Cross-platform sync Continue anywhere
Agent Modes	Plan/Act separation	5 specialized + Orchestrator Code, Ask, Debug, Architect...
Models Available	311 via gateway + BYOK Bring your own keys	500+ via Kilo Gateway + BYOK No API key setup needed
Deploy Integration		One-click from anywhere
App Builder		Web-based prototyping
Code Reviews		Automated PR analysis
AI ROI Dashboard		Adoption + velocity metrics

Multi-Interface Orchestration

IDE + CLI + Cloud Agents with unified session layer. Start on mobile, continue in IDE, finish via CLI.

Cline is VS Code + CLI only with local checkpoints

Five Specialized Agent Modes

Code, Ask, Debug, Architect, and Orchestrator. Meta-agent delegates to specialized modes.

Cline has Plan/Act separation only

Full Development Lifecycle

Deploy, App Builder, and Code Reviews. One-click deployments from anywhere.

Cline has no integrated shipping features

Five reasons developers choose Kilo Code over Cline

Same open source spirit. Multi-surface orchestration. Full development lifecycle.

Multi-Surface Sessions

IDE, CLI, and Cloud Agents with unified state. Start on mobile, continue in IDE, finish via CLI without losing context.

Five Agent Modes

Code, Ask, Debug, Architect, and Orchestrator. The meta-agent coordinates specialized modes for complex tasks.

500+ AI Models

Switch models mid-conversation without losing context. Pay at provider rates with zero markup.

Full Dev Lifecycle

Deploy, App Builder, and Code Reviews. One-click deployments from IDE, CLI, or web.

Team ROI Dashboard

Track adoption, velocity (commits/session), and time saved. Prove AI value to leadership.

Trusted by developers at the world's most innovative companies

Why Engineering Leaders Choose Kilo Code

Advanced analytics, ROI tracking, and custom modes at a lower price point

Centralized AI Management

One dashboard for credits, usage, and adoption metrics across your entire organization.

AI ROI Visibility

Measure velocity (commits/session), time saved, and prove value to leadership with real data.

Model Governance

Control which models are available to your team to prevent cost overruns and prevent data going to models that retain prompts or train on your data.

Security & Compliance

SSO, audit logs, data residency controls for regulated industries. SOC 2 compliant.

Complete Feature-by-Feature Comparison

See exactly how Kilo Code compares to Cline across every category

Core Capabilities

Execution surfaces

Kilo Code

IDE + CLI + Slack + Cloud Agents + App Builder

Cline

VS Code + CLI + JetBrains (Teams)

Session persistence

Kilo Code

Cross-platform sync

Cline

Local checkpoints

Parallel agents

Kilo Code

Cline

Multi-instance CLI only

Agent modes

Kilo Code

5 specialized + Orchestrator

Cline

Plan/Act separation

Orchestrator mode (multi-agent)

Kilo Code

Cline

Custom user-defined modes

Kilo Code

Cline

Browser control

Kilo Code

Cline

AI Model Access

Number of hosted models

Kilo Code

500+ via Kilo Gateway + BYOK

Cline

311 via gateway + BYOK

Cost transparency

Kilo Code

Per-token at provider rate, no markup

Cline

You manage costs directly

Token tracking

Kilo Code

Per session dashboard

Cline

Per task in UI

Bring your own keys (BYOK)

Kilo Code

Cline

Local models (Ollama, LM Studio)

Kilo Code

Cline

Context & Memory

Memory bank

Kilo Code

Shared session + checkpoints

Cline

Checkpoints per session

Context shortcuts (@file, @folder)

Kilo Code

Cline

Workflows/Skills system

Kilo Code

Skills system

Cline

Markdown playbooks

MCP (Model Context Protocol)

Kilo Code

Cline

Project-level rules

Kilo Code

.kilocode/rules

Cline

.clinerules

Shipping Integration

One-click deploy

Kilo Code

From IDE/CLI/web

Cline

App Builder

Kilo Code

Web-based prototyping

Cline

Code Reviews

Kilo Code

Automated PR analysis

Cline

Live preview

Kilo Code

In App Builder

Cline

Via browser control

Teams & Enterprise

Centralized billing

Kilo Code

Shared balance

Cline

Teams ($20/user/mo)

Team management dashboard

Kilo Code

Cline

Teams

Role-based access control

Kilo Code

Cline

Teams

Limit inference providers

Kilo Code

Admin limits on models

Cline

Teams

AI ROI Dashboard

Kilo Code

Adoption metrics, velocity tracking

Cline

Usage analytics

Kilo Code

Per-user, per-project breakdowns

Cline

Shared custom modes

Kilo Code

Cline

SSO (Enterprise)

Kilo Code

Enterprise

Cline

Enterprise

SLA commitments

Kilo Code

Enterprise

Cline

Enterprise

Audit logs

Kilo Code

Enterprise

Cline

Enterprise

Pricing & Support

Free extension/plugin

Kilo Code

Cline

Team pricing

Kilo Code

$15/user/month

Cline

$20/user/month

Priority support

Kilo Code

Teams & Enterprise

Cline

Teams

Enterprise pricing

Kilo Code

Custom

Cline

Custom

Privacy & Security

Open source

Kilo Code

Cline

Local model support

Kilo Code

Cline

Secure client-side architecture

Kilo Code

Cline

Audit/Authentication logs

Kilo Code

Enterprise

Cline

Enterprise

Core Capabilities

Feature	Cline	Kilo Code
Execution surfaces	VS Code + CLI + JetBrains (Teams)	IDE + CLI + Slack + Cloud Agents + App Builder
Session persistence	Local checkpoints	Cross-platform sync
Parallel agents	Multi-instance CLI only
Agent modes	Plan/Act separation	5 specialized + Orchestrator
Orchestrator mode (multi-agent)
Custom user-defined modes
Browser control

AI Model Access

Feature	Cline	Kilo Code
Number of hosted models	311 via gateway + BYOK	500+ via Kilo Gateway + BYOK
Cost transparency	You manage costs directly	Per-token at provider rate, no markup
Token tracking	Per task in UI	Per session dashboard
Bring your own keys (BYOK)
Local models (Ollama, LM Studio)

Context & Memory

Feature	Cline	Kilo Code
Memory bank	Checkpoints per session	Shared session + checkpoints
Context shortcuts (@file, @folder)
Workflows/Skills system	Markdown playbooks	Skills system
MCP (Model Context Protocol)
Project-level rules	.clinerules	.kilocode/rules

Shipping Integration

Feature	Cline	Kilo Code
One-click deploy		From IDE/CLI/web
App Builder		Web-based prototyping
Code Reviews		Automated PR analysis
Live preview	Via browser control	In App Builder

Teams & Enterprise

Feature	Cline	Kilo Code
Centralized billing	Teams ($20/user/mo)	Shared balance
Team management dashboard	Teams
Role-based access control	Teams
Limit inference providers	Teams	Admin limits on models
AI ROI Dashboard		Adoption metrics, velocity tracking
Usage analytics		Per-user, per-project breakdowns
Shared custom modes
SSO (Enterprise)	Enterprise	Enterprise
SLA commitments	Enterprise	Enterprise
Audit logs	Enterprise	Enterprise

Pricing & Support

Feature	Cline	Kilo Code
Free extension/plugin
Team pricing	$20/user/month	$15/user/month
Priority support	Teams	Teams & Enterprise
Enterprise pricing	Custom	Custom

Privacy & Security

Feature	Cline	Kilo Code
Open source
Local model support
Secure client-side architecture
Audit/Authentication logs	Enterprise	Enterprise

Beyond Plan/Act: Five specialized agent modes

Cline has Plan and Act modes. Kilo Code has a full team of specialized agents - Code, Ask, Debug, Architect, and Orchestrator.

Agentic Engineering

Glide through your workflow with a mode for every step

Ask mode

A knowledgeable technical assistant focused on answering questions without changing your codebase

Switch from Cline in minutes

Familiar workflow. More platforms. Team ready.

Install Kilo Code

Install from VS Code marketplace or JetBrains plugin repository. One click to get started.

1 min

Configure Your Preferences

Choose from 500+ hosted models or use your existing API keys. Set up your preferred modes.

2 min

Start Coding

Similar workflow to Cline. Use Architect mode for planning, Code mode for implementation.

Instant

Install Kilo Code

Common Questions About Switching

Everything you need to know about moving from Cline to Kilo Code

Compare Kilo Code with Other Tools

See how Kilo Code stacks up against other AI coding assistants

Kilo Code vs Cursor

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Kilo Code vs GitHub Copilot

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Kilo Code vs Windsurf

500+ models at exact provider rates. No credit system. Full BYOK on all plans. Open source.

Kilo Code vs Claude Code

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Kilo Code vs Roo Code

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Kilo Code vs Cline

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Kilo Code vs Tabnine

Full agentic coding across 500+ models vs Tabnine's enterprise-only autocomplete.

Kilo Code vs Augment Code

Open-source, BYOK-everywhere agent platform vs Augment Code's closed proprietary stack.

Kilo Code vs Lovable

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Kilo Code vs Replit

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Kilo Code vs Warp

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Kilo Code vs Amp Code

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Kilo Code for JetBrains IDEs

AI coding assistant for IntelliJ, PhpStorm, WebStorm, and Rider

See all Kilo Code alternatives

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