Best AI for Coding Tool 2026

The AI Coding Tool Built on Trust and Transparency

Open source. Zero markup on AI tokens. 500+ models including free and local options. Shipping faster than anyone else. This is what "no vendor lock-in" actually looks like.

2.3M+
Downloads
500+
AI Models
0%
Token Markup
Open Source
Apache-2.0 License

Four reasons developers choose Kilo Code

Not just another AI coding tool. A fundamentally different approach.

Fully Open Source

Apache-2.0 licensed. Inspect every prompt sent to every model. See context window sizes. Verify no silent data collection. No backdoors, no black boxes.

Cursor, Copilot, Windsurf, and Claude Code are all closed source

Transparent Pricing — Zero Markup

$0 platform fee. Pay exactly what AI providers charge for tokens — not a cent more. No subscriptions, no bundled pricing, no opaque credit systems. You see what you pay.

Competitors charge $10-200/mo before you use a single token

500+ Models — Including Free

Access frontier models (Claude Sonnet 4.6, GPT-5.4, Gemini), free models (DeepSeek, MiniMax), and local models (Ollama, LM Studio). Switch instantly. BYOK everywhere.

Competitors limit you to 3-15 models with no free or local options

Ships Fast, Listens Faster

15k+ developers in our Discord shaping the roadmap. Weekly releases. Features ship in days, not quarters. Community-driven development where your feedback becomes reality.

Built with the community, not behind closed doors

Trusted by developers at the world's most innovative companies

Pricing should be simple and transparent

No subscriptions. No markups. No opaque credit systems. Pay exactly what AI providers charge — we take zero margin on tokens.

Kilo Code

What you see is what you pay

$0/mo
Platform fee
0%
Markup on AI tokens
Pay-as-you-go
All 500+ models, or subscribe to Kilo Pass for bonus tokens

Already paying for OpenAI, Anthropic, or Google?

Bring your existing API keys and subscriptions to Kilo. Use across every surface — your IDE, CLI, Cloud Agents, Code Reviewer, and more. No new subscriptions needed, no platform fee.

Compare that to other AI coding tools
Cursor
Subscription$20-200/mo
Token pricingBundled — opaque
Models~8 models
Copilot
Subscription$10-39/mo
Token pricingBundled — opaque
Models~15 models
Windsurf
Subscription$15-30/mo
Token pricingCredit system
Models~8 models
Claude Code
Subscription$17-200/mo
Token pricingBundled — opaque
Models3 models

Why developers are switching to Kilo

No subscription required
$0/mo platform fee vs $20-200/mo
Zero token markup
Pay exactly what providers charge
500+ models
vs 3-15 on competitors
Works in your existing IDE
VS Code, JetBrains, CLI — no fork required
Fully open source
Apache-2.0 — inspect every prompt
Local model support
Ollama, LM Studio — code never leaves your machine
BYOK on all features
Autocomplete, agents, chat — not just chat
Teams at $15/user/mo
vs $40-80/user on competitors

500+ models. Use the right one for the job.

Competitors lock you into 3-15 models. Kilo gives you the entire ecosystem — frontier, free, and local — with BYOK support on every feature.

Frontier Models

Claude Sonnet 4.6, GPT-5.4, Gemini, Grok — always available, day-one access when new models drop.

Free & Budget Models

DeepSeek, MiniMax, GLM, Kimi — powerful models at zero cost. Perfect for quick tasks and experimentation.

Local Models

Run Ollama or LM Studio models on your machine. Your code never leaves your computer. Complete privacy.

BYOK Everywhere

Bring your own API keys for all features — autocomplete, agents, chat. $0 platform fee. No restrictions.

Specialized agents for every part of your workflow

Purpose-built modes that go beyond basic chat. Each agent is optimized for a specific development task.

Code Mode

Autonomous multi-file coding agent. Writes, edits, and refactors code across your project with full context awareness.

Orchestrator Mode

Breaks complex projects into subtasks and delegates to specialized agents. Manages the full lifecycle from planning to deployment.

Architect Mode

Researches your codebase and creates detailed implementation plans before writing a single line of code. Plan with confidence.

Debug Mode

Systematic troubleshooting with automatic error detection, test execution, and intelligent recovery. Finds bugs so you don't have to.

Ask Mode

Ask questions about your codebase, get explanations, learn patterns. A knowledgeable pair programmer that understands your project.

Custom Modes

Build unlimited custom agent modes for your workflow. Share across your team. No other tool offers this level of specialization.

Common Questions

Everything you need to know about Kilo Code.

Ready to try AI coding without the lock-in?

Join 2.3M+ developers. Open source. Zero markup. 500+ models.

No credit card requiredFree forever with BYOKZero markup on tokensOpen source