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Kilo Code vs Augment Code

Broad model choice and inspectable clients versus Augment's Context Engine and programmable Cosmos agent workflows.

What this comparison covers

Kilo Desktop beta, IDE integrations, CLI and Cloud Agents versus Augment Cosmos, Auggie CLI, Context Engine and documented VS Code/JetBrains integrations. The October 8, 2026 announcement concerns an agreement to sell selected assets to Harness, not a verified completed whole-company acquisition.

Verdict

Choose Kilo for provider choice, local inference options and inspectable coding clients. Choose Augment when its Context Engine, shared knowledge, custom Experts and event-driven Cosmos workflows fit your organization. Compare full usage costs: Augment has flat team plans, not a per-seat-only pricing model.

Updated Reviewed Augment pricing, current model and IDE documentation, Cosmos capabilities and the October 8, 2026 selected-asset sale announcement. No IDE sunset is inferred from that announcement.

Augment announced an agreement to sell selected assets to Harness

The October 8, 2026 announcement names Cosmos, Auggie CLI, the Code Context Engine and related technology, with the product team moving to Harness. It is not evidence that a whole-company acquisition has completed or that IDE integrations have shut down.

Read Augment's announcement
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Quick Comparison

Pricing
Kilo Code
Free individual platform + usage
Individual platform access is free. Teams costs $15/user/month; Enterprise is custom. Paid inference and cloud compute are separate. Kilo Gateway charges provider rates with no inference markup; a 5% processing fee applies to card purchases of credits, including optional Kilo Pass. Seat subscriptions and non-card payments are excluded from that processing fee. BYOK covers inference through your provider, not Kilo cloud compute.
Augment Code
Standard $20/month; Business $100/month
Flat team price, up to 50 seats; matching included usage and PAYG top-ups
Inference charges
Kilo Code
Provider rates; separate processing and compute charges
Augment Code
Public API list price + 40% LLM service fee
The 40% fee does not apply to compute
AI Models
Kilo Code
500+
Augment Code
Multiple model families and Prism routing
Bring your own keys
Kilo Code
Supported providers and surfaces
Augment Code
Advertised for enterprise; confirm deployment terms
Licensing
Kilo Code
MIT clients; hosted code source-available
Augment Code
Proprietary platform
Surfaces
Kilo Code
Desktop (beta), VS Code, JetBrains, CLI, and Cloud
Augment Code
Cosmos cloud, Auggie CLI, VS Code and JetBrains
Desktop app
Kilo Code
Desktop beta
Augment Code
Standalone desktop app not verified
Parallel and custom agents
Kilo Code
Augment Code
Cosmos Experts, concurrent sessions and automations

Where Augment Code may fit better

Reasons to choose the competitor, depending on your workflow and constraints.

Context Engine and shared knowledge

Augment combines codebase retrieval with organization knowledge and configurable Experts. Test its retrieval quality on a representative repository rather than assuming either product has equivalent context quality.

Programmable cloud workflows

Cosmos supports fleets of agents, custom Experts, scheduled and event-driven automation, isolated VMs, review checkpoints and a self-hosted daemon for your own machines.

Pooled team economics

Standard and Business include up to 50 seats at a flat monthly price and pool usage across the team. This can suit mixed heavy and occasional users; inference, service fees and compute still affect the total.

500+ hosted models, plus BYOK and local inference

Choose Kilo Gateway, your own provider credentials, or a compatible local model. Model capabilities and tool support vary; a large catalog does not mean every model fits every workflow.

Open clients with clear license boundaries

The VS Code, JetBrains, and CLI clients are MIT-licensed. Gateway and Cloud backend code are source-available under a separate repository license, not a promise that every hosted service or Desktop component is MIT-licensed.

Desktop for code and data, or the editor you already use

Kilo Desktop beta brings agent chat, interactive Python notebooks, conda environments, and local inference into one workspace. You can also keep working in VS Code, JetBrains, the CLI, or Cloud. Capabilities vary by surface.

Augment Code alternative: why developers switch to Kilo Code

Compare Kilo with Augment Cosmos, Auggie CLI and IDE integrations: context, custom agents, parallel cloud work, flat-team pricing and the Harness asset-sale agreement.

500+ hosted models, plus BYOK and local inference

Choose Kilo Gateway, your own provider credentials, or a compatible local model. Model capabilities and tool support vary; a large catalog does not mean every model fits every workflow.

Open clients with clear license boundaries

The VS Code, JetBrains, and CLI clients are MIT-licensed. Gateway and Cloud backend code are source-available under a separate repository license, not a promise that every hosted service or Desktop component is MIT-licensed.

Desktop for code and data, or the editor you already use

Kilo Desktop beta brings agent chat, interactive Python notebooks, conda environments, and local inference into one workspace. You can also keep working in VS Code, JetBrains, the CLI, or Cloud. Capabilities vary by surface.

Kilo Desktop for code and data

Beta

Use the Kilo agent in a desktop workspace, or keep your existing VS Code, JetBrains, CLI, and Cloud workflows. Desktop runs the Kilo CLI engine and supports 500+ hosted models through Kilo Gateway, your provider keys, and local inference.

  • Interactive Python notebooks

    Edit and run notebook cells alongside the agent, with outputs visible next to the conversation.

    Notebook documentation

  • Managed conda environments

    Manage Python environments and packages in the app, with access to Anaconda's 19,000 vetted packages.

    Environment documentation

  • Local inference when it fits

    Import a compatible GGUF model into the built-in local model server. Hardware and tool-calling support determine which tasks work well.

    Local inference documentation

Available for macOS Apple Silicon, Windows, and Linux. The built-in local model server, notebooks, and conda environments require a Kilo account. Local inference is not a guarantee of an entirely offline or air-gapped application. See requirements.

Get Kilo Desktop (Beta)
Explore Desktop documentation

Compare the whole cost, not just the seat

Platform
Free for individuals. Teams is $15/user/month; Enterprise is custom. SSO, SCIM, and audit logs are Enterprise features, not included in Teams.
Inference
Use available free models, local inference, or BYOK. Kilo Gateway charges provider rates with no inference markup. Kilo Pass is an optional credit subscription.
Cloud compute
Cloud Agents and hosted Code Reviews have separately priced compute in addition to model inference. Check current pricing and any applicable beta offer. BYOK does not remove compute charges.

Credit purchase processing fee: 5%. Applies to card purchases that add credits, including top-ups and Kilo Pass. Excludes seat subscriptions and non-card payments. See full pricing.

Open-source scope: VS Code, JetBrains, and CLI clients are MIT-licensed; Gateway and Cloud backend code are source-available under a separate license. These licenses do not establish the license of every Desktop component. See component licenses.

Kilo details reviewed . Competitor review dates are listed separately.

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Complete Feature Comparison

An honest look at where Kilo wins, where Augment Code wins, and where they're comparable

Core Capabilities

Autocomplete
Kilo Code
Augment Code
Multi-line suggestions
Kilo Code
Augment Code
Chat interface
Kilo Code
Augment Code
Specialized agents
Kilo Code
Code, Plan, Ask, Debug and custom agents
Augment Code
Built-in and custom Cosmos Experts
Automatic context search
Kilo Code
Augment Code

AI Models

Model choice
Kilo Code
500+
Augment Code
Claude, GPT, Gemini, Grok, Kimi, GLM and Prism options
Bring your own keys
Kilo Code
Supported providers and surfaces
Augment Code
Advertised for enterprise; confirm deployment terms
Local models (Ollama, LM Studio)
Kilo Code
Augment Code
Consumer local-runner support not verified

Editor & Platform

VS Code support
Kilo Code
Augment Code
JetBrains IDEs support
Kilo Code
Augment Code
CLI support
Kilo Code
Augment Code
Desktop application
Kilo Code
Desktop beta
Augment Code
Standalone desktop app not verified
Cloud Agents
Kilo Code
Augment Code
Cosmos hosted agents and self-hosted daemon options

Teams and Enterprise Features

Centralized billing
Kilo Code
Augment Code
Usage analytics
Kilo Code
Augment Code
Role-based permissions
Kilo Code
Paid team and enterprise controls
Augment Code
Enterprise RBAC and access controls
Shared custom agents
Kilo Code
Augment Code
Shared and versioned Cosmos Experts
Model limiting
Kilo Code
Augment Code
Confirm model policy controls for your deployment

Advanced Features

MCP support
Kilo Code
Augment Code
Codebase indexing
Kilo Code
Augment Code
Persistent project knowledge
Kilo Code
Project guidance and memory workflows
Augment Code
Shared Knowledge and organization files
Parallel agents
Kilo Code
Augment Code
Concurrent Cosmos sessions and agent fleets
Custom agents
Kilo Code
Augment Code
Custom Experts and event-driven automations

Pricing and Commercial Scope

Individual and team access
Kilo Code
Free individual platform; paid team administration
Augment Code
Standard $20/month or Business $100/month, up to 50 seats
Inference and service fees
Kilo Code
Provider-rate hosted inference
Augment Code
Public API list price + 40% LLM service fee
Hosted compute
Kilo Code
Separate Cloud Agents compute charges
Augment Code
Cosmos compute draws from usage balance

Specialized agents built into Kilo Code

Code, Plan, Debug, and Ask cover the primary workflow. Code, Plan, and Debug can delegate isolated work to Explore, General, or custom subagents, while Agent Manager coordinates parallel VS Code sessions across git worktrees.

Pilot an Augment workflow in Kilo

Validate models, permissions, reusable instructions, and team workflows before removing your current tool. Choose Kilo Desktop beta for a code-and-data workspace, or install Kilo in the editor and terminal you already use.

1

Inventory the workflow you actually use

Separate IDE assistance, Auggie CLI tasks and Cosmos automations. Select Kilo Desktop beta, an IDE integration, CLI or Cloud Agents for a small pilot; keep existing production automations intact.

Pilot planning
2

Rebuild context and integrations

Port project guidance, custom Expert instructions and MCP tools deliberately. Reconfigure secrets, triggers, permissions and cloud environments. Augment indexes, session history and Cosmos YAML are not assumed to import into Kilo.

Project-dependent
3

Validate before changing contracts

Run comparable tasks on separate branches, test context retrieval and review generated diffs. Compare pooled usage, service fees and compute with Kilo costs, and check contract or transition terms before canceling anything.

Representative pilot

Factual basis

Last reviewed . Product details can change; these first-party sources support the comparison above.

Common Questions About Switching from Augment Code

Everything you need to know about moving to Kilo Code.

Yes. Use separate branches or worktrees for concurrent edits, and avoid duplicate automation triggers. Keep production Cosmos workflows in place while evaluating a replacement.

Augment's Context Engine and shared organization knowledge are central product features, not basic chat context. Kilo provides repository tools, project guidance and agent workflows. Test both on repository questions and cross-file changes; this comparison does not claim equivalent retrieval quality.

Migrate gradually. Review custom Experts, model policies, MCP servers, repository permissions, automations and environment dependencies. Configuration, indexes and session history may require rebuilding rather than direct import.

Some concepts transfer, but commands, configuration files and automation triggers differ. Start with one repeatable task and document the replacement workflow before moving more users.

Kilo supports BYOK for supported providers and surfaces, with provider charges billed separately. Augment advertises model BYOK in its enterprise offering; confirm eligible deployments and terms rather than treating BYOK as universally absent or available on every plan.

Check your billing term, unused balance, enterprise agreement and vendor transition notices. A pilot does not automatically cancel or transfer your Augment subscription, and savings depend on your workload.

Both document centralized billing, analytics and enterprise access controls. Augment also offers custom Experts and enterprise deployment options. Compare the exact plan, contract, retention terms and infrastructure requirements rather than assuming identical controls.

The reviewed official page lists Standard at $20/month and Business at $100/month, each flat for up to 50 seats with matching pooled usage included. Usage spans LLMs, Context Engine and compute. LLMs are billed at public API list prices plus a 40% service fee; the page explicitly says no fee on compute. Top-ups are pay-as-you-go and Enterprise terms are custom.

The October 8, 2026 Augment announcement says it agreed to sell selected assets: Cosmos, Auggie CLI, the Code Context Engine and related technology, with the team moving to Harness. That is not a verified completed acquisition of the entire company. The reviewed announcement does not establish an IDE sunset.

Yes. Kilo Desktop is in beta for macOS Apple Silicon, Windows, and Linux. It uses the Kilo CLI agent engine and combines agent chat with files, git, terminals, interactive Python notebooks, and conda environments. Its built-in local model server, notebooks, and conda environments require a Kilo account. Desktop is an alternative workspace, not a requirement to replace your existing IDE.

Individual platform access is free. Teams costs $15/user/month; Enterprise is custom. Paid inference and cloud compute are separate. Kilo Gateway charges provider rates with no inference markup; a 5% processing fee applies to card purchases of credits, including optional Kilo Pass. Seat subscriptions and non-card payments are excluded from that processing fee. BYOK covers inference through your provider, not Kilo cloud compute.

The VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin, and CLI are MIT-licensed. Gateway and Cloud backend code are source-available under their repository license, with security and abuse-protection exclusions. These component licenses should not be generalized to the entire hosted platform or Desktop application.

Yes. Kilo supports provider credentials and compatible local inference, including Ollama and LM Studio. Desktop also has a managed local model server for imported GGUF files. Local inference keeps prompts out of hosted model providers, but does not by itself make the whole application offline or air-gapped. Hosted features and connected tools have their own data flows.

Cloud Agents support repository-based work, webhook triggers, and scheduled triggers; triggers are in beta. The current documentation limits each message to 15 minutes, so break long jobs into steps. Cloud compute is billed separately from inference, including with BYOK. Local tools and MCP support should not be assumed to work identically in a hosted environment; check the current Cloud Agent documentation for limits.

Yes. Kilo Code for Teams adds centralized billing, usage analytics, and role-based access starting at $15 per user per month, plus usage. Enterprise plans add SSO, SCIM, audit logs, and contractual support commitments.

Compare Kilo Code with more alternatives

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