Best OSS Models from Around the World

Use Cutting-Edge Open-Source AI Coding Models in Kilo Code

Get the top open-source and open-weight AI models in Kilo Code, the most popular open-source coding agent. No vendor lock-in. Full transparency. Complete control over your AI coding workflows.

Open Source Never Sleeps

Innovation isn't limited to Silicon Valley. Open-source AI models come from labs and researchers across the globe, democratizing access to cutting-edge technology.

From DeepSeek and MiniMax in China to Falcon in the UAE, Singapore's SEAL-LION to India's Sarvam - the open source AI revolution is truly global. The Kilo community takes advantage of the best models from every corner of the world. It is about performance, transparency, speed and cost - OSS models tend to be free or low cost.

Open Source vs Open Weight: What's the Difference?

Understanding the terminology helps you make informed decisions about which models to use in your development workflow.

Open Source

Fully transparent - includes model weights, training code, datasets, and documentation. You can inspect, modify, and understand exactly how the model was built. Examples include smaller research models and community projects.

Open Weight

Model weights available - you can download and run the model, but training code and datasets may not be public. You still have freedom to use, modify, and deploy without restrictions. Most commercial "open" models fall into this category.

The Bottom Line: Both open-source and open-weight models give you freedom from vendor lock-in. You can run them locally, inspect their behavior, and use them without ongoing subscription fees. Kilo Code supports both types, giving you maximum flexibility.

Use Open Source Models Everywhere with Kilo Code

Kilo works where you work. Build so or with your engineering team.

Why more developers are switching to OSS Models

Open-source and open-weight models are getting serious. Here's why developers are choosing them.

Run Locally

Use Ollama or LM Studio to run models on your own hardware. No internet required, no API costs, complete privacy. Perfect for sensitive codebases.

No Vendor Lock-In

Your code never depends on a single provider. Switch between local and hosted, or between different models, without changing your workflow.

Rapidly Improving

Open-weight models are reaching the "convergence threshold" - performing comparably to closed models on real coding tasks. The gap is closing fast.

Community Driven

Benefit from community fine-tunes, optimizations, and improvements. Open models get better through collective effort.

Cost Effective

Run unlimited queries locally for free, or use hosted versions at competitive rates. No surprise bills, no usage caps.

Full Transparency

Understand model behavior, inspect outputs, and debug issues. No black boxes, no mystery changes to model behavior.

xAI: Open Sourcing the Future

xAI has made a commitment to open source their models when new versions are released, democratizing access to cutting-edge AI technology.

Kilo Code supports numerous Grok models from xAI, giving you access to powerful reasoning and coding capabilities. When xAI releases a new model, they open source the previous version, ensuring the community benefits from their research.

Plus, Kilo Code includes access to Grok Code Fast 1 - while not open source, it's completely free and delivers exceptional speed and power for coding tasks. It's one of the fastest coding models available.

Why This Matters: xAI's commitment to open sourcing models means you get access to state-of-the-art AI without vendor lock-in. Use Grok models locally or through Kilo Code's hosted service.

Chinese Open-Source Models Are Closing the Performance Gap

Open-weight models are no longer "good enough" - they're genuinely competitive with closed models for real coding work.

By the Numbers

According to Stanford's 2025 AI Index Report

5.4%performance gap

The gap between top and 10th-ranked models fell from 11.9% to just 5.4% in one year. The frontier is increasingly competitive.

0.7%between #1 and #2

The top two models are now separated by just 0.7%. Chinese open-weight models like DeepSeek and Qwen are competing at the highest level.

Real-World Evidence

From our testing in Kilo Code

GLM 4.7 (z.AI)

Handles multi-phase implementation tasks, understands context, and produces working code. Strong agentic coding capabilities.

MiniMax M2.1

Demonstrates competitive performance on practical coding benchmarks. Reliable for production use cases.

DeepSeek V3

One of the most cost-effective models available, with performance rivaling closed-source alternatives at a fraction of the cost.

The Bottom Line: You can now use open-weight models for production coding work without compromising on quality. The convergence threshold has been crossed.

Start Building with Top-Tier Open Source Models

No credit card required. Install in minutes and get instant access to 400+ models.

How to Use Open Source Models in Kilo Code

Three ways to run open-source models: locally, hosted, or bring your own keys.

1

Run Locally

Install Ollama or LM Studio, download your preferred model, and connect it to Kilo Code. Completely free, completely private.

Learn More →
2

Use Hosted

Access 400+ models including all major open-weight models through Kilo Code's hosted service. Pay only for what you use, no markup.

All Models →
3

Bring Your Own Keys

Connect your own API keys from providers like OpenRouter, Together AI, or direct model providers. Full control, full flexibility.

Setup Guides →

Start Using Open Source Models Today

Install Kilo Code and get instant access to powerful open-source and open-weight AI coding models. Free to start, no credit card required.