KiloCode vs Z Code: Side-by-Side Comparison 2026

KiloCode vs Z Code comparison 2026. Side-by-side features, pricing & capabilities.

KiloCode is an editor extension from Kilo — open-core ai coding agent for vs code and jetbrains. Z Code is an AI IDE from Z.ai (Zhipu AI) — ai-powered code editor from zhipu ai (z.ai).

KiloCode

Open-core AI coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains, and CLI. Free with BYOK or pay-per-use credits at cost. Teams plan adds organizational features.

  • ✓ AI chat
  • ✓ Agentic mode
  • ✓ Multi-file editing
  • ✓ Terminal commands
  • ✓ Test generation

Free / $15/mo · 6 plans

Z Code

Desktop code editor from Z.ai (Zhipu AI) powered by GLM models. Integrates multiple AI agents within one interface with codebase understanding, automated code review, and support for external models. Also available as a VS Code extension.

  • ✓ GLM-5 flagship model (77.8% SWE-bench)
  • ✓ 200K token context window
  • ✓ OpenAI-compatible API
  • ✓ Free GLM-4.7-Flash model
  • ✓ Vision capabilities (Pro/Max)

$10/mo · 3 plans

Feature KiloCode Z Code
Category ExtensionAI IDE
Starting Price Free $10/mo
Model Family Multi-model (any)GLM
Open Source Yes (Apache 2.0)Models are open-weight (MIT for GLM-4.6)

Pricing verified Mar 20, 2026. KiloCode pricing | Z Code pricing

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Key Differences

  • Category: KiloCode is an editor extension; Z Code is an AI IDE.
  • Free tier: KiloCode has a free tier; Z Code does not.
  • Starting price: KiloCode starts at $15/mo; Z Code starts at $10/mo.
  • Model family: KiloCode uses Multi-model (any); Z Code uses GLM.
  • Open source: KiloCode: Yes (Apache 2.0). Z Code: Models are open-weight (MIT for GLM-4.6).
  • Platforms: KiloCode runs on Desktop; Z Code runs on Windows, macOS.
  • Provider: KiloCode is built by Kilo; Z Code is built by Z.ai (Zhipu AI).

Which Should You Choose?

Choose KiloCode if you want affordable agentic coding in VS Code with transparent action tracking. Choose Z Code if you want competitive coding AI starting at $10/mo with free model access. Read our full reviews to see which fits your workflow.

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