KiloCode Review 2026: Open-Source VS Code Coding Agent

What Is KiloCode?

KiloCode is an open-source (Apache 2.0) VS Code extension that adds AI coding agent capabilities to your editor. It started as a fork of Cline and has evolved with its own enhanced UX and workflow improvements. It uses a bring-your-own-key model, supports 500+ AI models, and also offers Kilo Pass for managed credits at provider cost with zero markup.

What Sets It Apart

KiloCode’s core appeal is flexibility without lock-in. You can connect API keys from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, or dozens of other providers via OpenRouter. You can run local models through Ollama or LM Studio for fully offline, private coding. Or you can use Kilo Pass for managed billing where credits are charged at provider cost with no markup — a transparent pricing model that is rare in this space.

The agentic capabilities are comprehensive: multi-file editing, terminal command execution, test generation, debugging, and git integration. KiloCode reads your codebase, understands project structure, and executes changes autonomously within VS Code. The UX improvements over its Cline roots include better task management, clearer diff views, and streamlined approval workflows for agent actions.

Being open source (Apache 2.0) means you can inspect the code, contribute improvements, and run it entirely self-hosted if needed. For teams with privacy requirements or those who want full control over their tooling, this is a real advantage over proprietary alternatives. The Teams plan at $15/user/mo adds centralized billing and usage analytics for organizations.

The main limitations are scope: VS Code only, with no JetBrains or other editor support. The community is smaller than Cline’s, which means fewer community-built configurations and less ecosystem tooling. And while all features are available for free with BYOK, you do need to set up API keys, which adds friction compared to tools with built-in model access.

Who It’s For

• VS Code users who want a free, open-source coding agent with full model flexibility
• Developers who already have API keys and prefer transparent BYOK pricing
• Privacy-conscious teams who want fully local AI coding with no cloud dependency
• Not suited for JetBrains users, or developers who want a zero-setup experience with built-in models

Sources

• KiloCode
• KiloCode Documentation
• KiloCode Pricing