Key takeaways
- Scale: #1 app on OpenRouter, 3M+ users, 40T+ tokens processed, ~20K GitHub stars
- $8M seed (Dec 2025) co-founded by ex-GitLab CEO Sid Sijbrandij — GitLab holds a right of first refusal on acquisition through Aug 2026
- 500+ models across 60+ providers at exact provider rates with zero markup; BYOK and local models free
FAQ
What is Kilo?
An open source (MIT) agentic coding platform spanning VS Code, JetBrains, CLI, Slack, and cloud agents, with 500+ models routed through its own gateway at zero inference markup.
How much does Kilo cost?
The extensions are free and open source. AI usage is pay-as-you-go at exact provider rates (no markup), with optional Kilo Pass subscriptions ($19–$199/month) that add bonus credits. Teams is $15/user/month; Enterprise is custom.
Who competes with Kilo?
Cline (the upstream project Kilo's lineage forked from), OpenCode, Aider, and Cursor. Roo Code, the fork Kilo originally branched from, shut down in May 2026.
Executive Summary
Kilo is an open source agentic coding platform that has become the most-used application on OpenRouter, with 3M+ users and 40T+ tokens processed.[1] It runs across VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, a CLI, Slack, and cloud agents, routing 500+ models through its own gateway at exact provider rates with zero markup. In December 2025 it raised an $8M seed round; co-founder Sid Sijbrandij is the former CEO of GitLab, and GitLab holds a right of first refusal on any Kilo acquisition through August 2026.[2]
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | github.com/Kilo-Org/kilocode |
| Stars | ~20K ★ (June 2026)[3] |
| License | MIT |
| Users | 3M+ (company-claimed)[1] |
| Models | 500+ across 60+ providers |
| Tokens Processed | 40T+ (company-claimed) |
| Funding | $8M seed (Dec 2025) |
| Team | ~34 people, distributed |
Product Overview
Kilo's thesis: agentic coding should work everywhere you work, with full transparency on which model is running and what it costs. It began in 2025 as a fork of Roo Code (itself a fork of Cline) and has since rebuilt around its own gateway and cloud-agent infrastructure.[4]
Key Capabilities
| Capability | Description |
|---|---|
| Multi-Surface | VS Code, JetBrains (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm), CLI, Slack, cloud agents |
| Kilo Gateway | 500+ models, 60+ providers, zero inference markup, BYOK and local models |
| Auto Model | Tiered routing — Frontier, Balanced, and Free options |
| Cloud Agents | Parallel isolated worktrees; agent command center across platforms |
| Code Reviewer | AI-powered PR review |
| KiloClaw | Managed OpenClaw deployment ($55/month, separate product) |
Agent Modes
Five specialized modes: Code, Architect, Debug, Ask, and Custom — write production code, plan features, hunt bugs, or get explanations without switching tools.[1]
Funding & GitLab Relationship
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Round | $8M seed, announced Dec 10, 2025[2] |
| Investors | Breakers, Cota Capital, General Catalyst, Quiet Capital, Tokyo Black |
| Co-founder | Sid Sijbrandij, former GitLab CEO (also contributed early capital) |
| GitLab ROFR | Signed Nov 25, 2025 for $1,000; runs through Aug 24, 2026 — GitLab gets 10 business days to match any bona fide acquisition offer on substantially the same terms[5] |
Strengths
- Massive scale — #1 app on OpenRouter (3T+ tokens/month at the time of the seed announcement)[2]
- True open source — MIT-licensed extension, transparent context handling
- Zero markup — 500+ models at exact provider rates; BYOK (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, AWS) and local models (Ollama, LM Studio) are free
- Multi-surface — IDE, CLI, Slack, and cloud agents under one account
- Inherited Roo Code's users — published an official migration guide the week Roo announced its shutdown[4]
Cautions
- Crowded market — Kilo competes in what CNBC describes as a crowded AI code-generation field against Cursor, Cline, OpenCode, and the agent CLIs from the model labs themselves[2]
- Acquisition overhang — GitLab's right of first refusal through Aug 2026 signals M&A interest but adds uncertainty about Kilo's independent trajectory[5]
- Product sprawl — Gateway, cloud agents, Code Reviewer, KiloClaw, and Slack bot is a lot of surface area for a ~34-person team
- Open issue load — 1,300+ open issues on a fast-moving repo[3]
Pricing
| Tier | Cost | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free & Open Source | $0 | VS Code, JetBrains & CLI extensions; AI usage billed separately |
| Auto Free / BYOK / Local | $0 | Free gateway models, bring-your-own keys, Ollama/LM Studio |
| Kilo Gateway (PAYG) | Provider list price | 500+ models, 60+ providers, zero markup |
| Kilo Pass | $19 / $49 / $199 per month | Up to 50% bonus credits (e.g. $19 → up to $26.60) |
| Teams | $15/user/month | Usage analytics, shared agent modes, centralized billing, 14-day trial |
| Enterprise | Custom | SSO, audit logs, SCIM, SLAs, model/provider restrictions |
No commission or hidden fees on model usage.[6]
Competitive Positioning
| Competitor | Differentiation |
|---|---|
| Cline | Kilo's lineage forks from Cline (via Roo Code); Kilo adds gateway, Slack, cloud agents, and team tiers vs. Cline's extension-first focus |
| Roo Code | Kilo's direct ancestor — shut down May 15, 2026 to pivot to Roomote; Kilo is the maintained continuation for its extension users[7] |
| OpenCode | Kilo rebuilt its extension on the OpenCode server while offering IDE + Slack surfaces OpenCode lacks |
| Aider | Aider is CLI-only and BYOK-only; Kilo spans IDE/CLI/Slack with a managed gateway |
| Cursor | Kilo is open source with 500+ models at list price; Cursor is a closed proprietary IDE |
Bottom Line
Kilo has consolidated the Cline/Roo fork lineage into the most-used open source coding agent by token volume, and the December 2025 seed round — plus GitLab's right of first refusal — confirms it is being taken seriously as an acquisition target. Zero-markup model access across 500+ models remains its sharpest differentiator in a market where most competitors monetize inference.
Recommended for: Developers and teams wanting an open source, model-agnostic coding agent with IDE + CLI + Slack surfaces and pass-through pricing
Not recommended for: Users who prefer a single polished proprietary IDE (Cursor) or a minimal CLI-only tool (Aider)
Outlook: Watch the GitLab ROFR window (expires Aug 24, 2026) — an acquisition or its expiry will define Kilo's next chapter.
Research by Ry Walker Research • methodology
Sources
- [1] Kilo Official Website
- [2] Former GitLab CEO raises $8 million for Kilo to compete in vibe coding (CNBC, Dec 10, 2025)
- [3] Kilo GitHub Repository
- [4] Roo Code to Kilo Code Migration Guide
- [5] GitLab 8-K: Right of First Refusal Agreement with Kilo Code
- [6] Kilo Pricing
- [7] Roo Code pivots to cloud-based agent, says IDEs aren't the future of coding (The New Stack)