Kilo Code is the #1 coding agent on OpenRouter by token volume (323B+ tokens processed), with 1.5M+ users and an $8M seed round. An open-source, Apache-2.0 fork of Cline and Roo Code, it runs in VS Code, JetBrains, and as a standalone CLI.
Why It's in Trial
Kilo Code has clear, measurable traction — more tokens processed on OpenRouter than any other coding agent — and adds meaningful capabilities on top of its Cline lineage:
- Orchestrator Mode: Breaks complex tasks into subtasks across specialized sub-agents (planner, implementer, debugger) that coordinate autonomously — the standout differentiator over vanilla Cline
- 500+ models: Routes to any provider (Claude, GPT-5, Gemini, DeepSeek, local Ollama) via OpenRouter at direct provider rates — no markup
- MCP Marketplace: Curated marketplace for discovering and installing MCP servers, extending agent capabilities
- KiloClaw: Hosted cloud agent that runs tasks off your local machine — useful for long-running, CI-style workflows
- Kilo Marketplace: Curated Skills, MCP servers, and agent Modes for the full Kilo ecosystem (VS Code, JetBrains, CLI)
- CI/CD mode:
kilo run --autoenables fully autonomous operation without user interaction, suitable for pipelines - Memory Bank: Persists project context across sessions, reducing re-orientation overhead
Relationship to Cline
Kilo Code forked both Cline and Roo Code, positioning itself as a "best of both." If you're already using Cline, the core workflow is identical — Plan/Act modes, permission prompts, transparent tool calls — but Kilo adds Orchestrator Mode, the marketplace ecosystem, and cloud execution. If you don't need those, Cline is still a valid choice.
Pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| BYOK | $0 | Bring your own API keys — pay providers directly, no Kilo markup |
| New user credits | $20 free | Try models without setting up API keys |
| Teams | $15/user/month | Shared workspaces, admin controls, consolidated billing |
Key Characteristics
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Interface | VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin, CLI |
| License | Apache-2.0 (extension), MIT (CLI) |
| Underlying model | 500+ via OpenRouter, direct Anthropic/OpenAI/Google/local |
| Pricing | Free (BYOK) / Teams $15/user/month |
| Sandbox | VS Code environment + KiloClaw (cloud execution) |
| Provider | Kilo-Org |
| Website | kilo.ai |
| GitHub | Kilo-Org/kilocode |