{ "data": { "a": { "slug": "cursor-cli", "name": "Cursor CLI", "vendor": "Cursor", "vendorUrl": "https://cursor.com/cli", "kind": "harness", "category": "agent-harnesses", "summary": "Cursor's coding agent in the terminal, run as `agent` (also `cursor-agent`).", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cursor-cli", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cursor-cli.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cursor-cli.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cursor-cli.json", "license": "Proprietary, under Cursor's terms of service (Anysphere, Inc., updated 3 September 2026). No source is published", "transports": [], "packages": [], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "`agent login` through a browser, or an API key passed with `--api-key` or `CURSOR_API_KEY` for headless runs.", "pricing": "freemium", "pricingNotes": "Hobby is free with limited Agent requests and needs no card. Individual is $20 a month, Teams $40 a user a month and Enterprise by quote. Every plan includes a set amount of model usage, with on-demand usage billed in arrears, and the pricing page gives no dollar or request figure for either (checked 2026-10-02).", "priceSummary": "$20 / mo", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs or the pricing page (checked 2026-10-02).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": null, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-02" }, "docsUrl": "https://cursor.com/docs/cli/overview", "llmsTxt": "https://cursor.com/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "agent.harness", "agent.mcp-client" ], "tags": [ "official", "harness", "coding-agent", "cli", "closed-source", "mcp", "llms-txt", "free-tier", "no-card", "status-page" ], "lastRelease": "2026-09-28", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 35.3, "grade": "F", "agentReady": false, "rank": 828, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 842, "categoryRank": 18, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 42, "maintenance": 62, "payments": 25, "reliability": 27, "schema": 39, "security": 46, "transparency": 59 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "low", "date": "2026-10-01" }, "negative": -5, "negativeNotes": [ "2025-10-02 and 2025-11-03. Four high advisories that name the CLI, all fixed. Remote code execution in Cursor CLI through Cursor Agent MCP OAuth2 communication (GHSA-wj33-264c-j9cq), arbitrary code execution through a permissive CLI config (GHSA-v64q-396f-7m79), a sensitive-file overwrite bypass in the CLI agent (GHSA-x2vq-h6v6-jhc6) and command injection through an untrusted MCP configuration in Cursor CLI Beta (GHSA-4hwr-97q3-37w2). All older than six months, so 1 point each (https://github.com/cursor/cursor/security/advisories)", "2026-01-14. GHSA-82wg-qcm4-fp2w, high, terminal tool allowlist bypass through environment variables. It doesn't name the CLI, which runs the same terminal tool and allowlist idea. Fixed and published, 1 point. Judgement call. We left out the 2026 sandbox escapes titled for Cursor Desktop and Cloud Agents (https://github.com/cursor/cursor/security/advisories)" ], "verdict": "Allow and deny rules for shell, reads, writes, web fetches and MCP tools, with deny taking precedence. No CLI changelog, and versions are dates.", "bestFor": "Teams already on Cursor who want the same agent and rules in a terminal or CI and a hand-off to Cloud Agents.", "strengths": [ "Allow and deny rules for shell, reads, writes, web fetches and MCP tools, with deny taking precedence", "Print mode with text, json and stream-json output, plus `--resume` and `--continue`", "Plan and ask (read-only) modes alongside the default agent mode", "Hands a task to Cloud Agents by prefixing the message with `\u0026`", "A free Hobby plan with no card, and a status page with a CLI component" ], "weaknesses": [ "No CLI changelog, and versions are dates", "The install script checks no checksum or signature", "No documentation of CLI telemetry or of what runs without approval by default", "Four high advisories named the CLI in October and November 2025", "Closed source, with no public issue tracker" ], "agentNotes": [ "Pass `--trust` in headless runs, or the workspace prompt stops a run with no terminal", "Write deny rules in .cursor/cli.json before using `--force`. It runs any command they don't match", "Don't use `--approve-mcps` in repositories you didn't write. Two 2025 CLI advisories came through MCP", "Set `CURSOR_API_KEY` in CI. `agent login` opens a browser", "Record `agent --version` with each run. Versions are dates and there's no CLI changelog to compare against" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 2, "avgRating": 1.5, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "low", "grade": "F", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 35.3 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 42, "maintenance": 62, "payments": 25, "reliability": 27, "schema": 39, "security": 46, "transparency": 27 }, "provenanceScore": 91 }, "connect": { "install": "curl https://cursor.com/install -fsS | bash", "headless": { "run": "agent -p \"fix the failing test\" --output-format json --trust" } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.harness", "tool": "https://letme.dev/cursor-cli" }, "area": "frameworks", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Individual plan", "unit": "month", "usd": 20, "note": "includes a set amount of model usage" }, { "item": "Teams", "unit": "seat-month", "usd": 40, "note": "per user" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Anysphere, Inc.", "domain": "cursor.com", "domainRegistered": "1995-12-20", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "https://cursor.com/terms-of-service", "privacy": "https://cursor.com/privacy", "statusPage": "https://status.cursor.com", "changelog": "https://cursor.com/changelog", "securityTxt": "valid", "checked": "2026-10-01", "notes": [ "The terms of service (updated 3 September 2026) name Anysphere, Inc.", "RDAP (Verisign) gives cursor.com a registration date of 1995-12-20, long before Anysphere.", "cursor.com/.well-known/security.txt has a Contact line pointing to Cursor's GitHub security advisories and no Expires line, which RFC 9116 requires. The site's tracker reads a file with a Contact and no Expires as valid.", "The changelog covers all of Cursor, and we found no CLI-only changelog." ], "score": 91 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cursor-cli.json", "live": { "slug": "cursor-cli", "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.cursor.com", "indicator": "none", "summary": "All Systems Operational", "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T09:25:00.826816539Z" }, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://cursor.com/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "valid", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T15:38:46.365788319Z" }, "llmsTxt": { "url": "https://cursor.com/llms.txt", "ok": true, "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T14:00:17.721936541Z" }, "domain": { "domain": "cursor.com", "registered": "1995-12-20", "source": "https://rdap.verisign.com/com/v1/domain/cursor.com", "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T13:09:09.510989819Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://cursor.com/changelog", "kind": "changelog", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:16:46.108342977Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-07T18:03:43.356086965Z", "fingerprint": "ff1c429484e4" }, { "url": "https://cursor.com/privacy", "kind": "privacy", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:16:48.161554363Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "a5f74b5510f1" }, { "url": "https://cursor.com/terms-of-service", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:16:50.171295182Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "5db93dae47db" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T09:25:00.826816539Z" } }, "answer": "Kilo Code CLI scores 75.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Cursor CLI's 35.3 (F), and leads in every scored category.", "b": { "slug": "kilo-code-cli", "name": "Kilo Code CLI", "vendor": "Kilo Code Inc.", "vendorUrl": "https://kilo.ai", "kind": "harness", "category": "agent-harnesses", "summary": "Open-source coding agent for the terminal, forked from opencode and built from the same repository as Kilo's VS Code and JetBrains extensions. It runs with your own provider key, a local model or the Kilo Gateway.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kilo-code-cli", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kilo-code-cli.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kilo-code-cli.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/kilo-code-cli.json", "repo": "https://github.com/Kilo-Org/kilocode", "license": "MIT", "transports": [], "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "@kilocode/cli" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@kilocode/sdk" } ], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "Your own provider key in `~/.config/kilo/kilo.jsonc` or the environment, a local model, or a Kilo account through `kilo auth login` for the Kilo Gateway and its free models. `kilo serve` runs unauthenticated unless `KILO_SERVER_PASSWORD` is set.", "pricing": "freemium", "pricingNotes": "The CLI is free and MIT-licensed, and needs no Kilo account with your own key or a local model. Kilo Gateway credits are billed at provider rates with a 5 per cent fee on credit purchases. Kilo Pass starts at $19 a month, Teams is $15 a user a month and Enterprise is quoted. The pricing page says the free tier needs no card.", "priceSummary": "$19 / mo", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs, the pricing page or the README (checked 2026-10-08).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 27539, "npmWeekly": 32804, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://kilo.ai/docs/code-with-ai/platforms/cli", "llmsTxt": "https://kilo.ai/docs/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "agent.harness", "agent.mcp-client", "agent.multi-agent" ], "tags": [ "harness", "coding-agent", "cli", "open-source", "typescript", "mcp", "llms-txt", "telemetry-default-on", "freemium", "no-card", "local" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-07", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 75.4, "grade": "BB", "agentReady": true, "rank": 47, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 842, "categoryRank": 1, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 72, "maintenance": 87, "payments": 50, "reliability": 85, "schema": 90, "security": 66, "transparency": 76 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "Shell commands ask before running by default, and an optional operating-system sandbox blocks writes outside the workspace and outbound network. Telemetry to PostHog is on by default and the sandbox is off, so an unattended `kilo run --auto` approves everything not denied unless both are configured first.", "bestFor": "Developers who want an open-source terminal agent with per-tool permission rules, an optional sandbox and a choice of provider, and the same engine in VS Code and JetBrains.", "strengths": [ "Permission rules of `allow`, `ask` or `deny` per tool with glob patterns, and shell commands asking by default outside a built-in allow list", "A sandbox on macOS and Linux that limits writes, blocks network by default and refuses to run when it can't be enforced", "Project config can't weaken the sandbox or read environment variables through `{env:VAR}`", "Your own provider key or a local model works with no Kilo account", "37 stable releases since 10 July 2026, with the last 40 workflow runs on main passing on 8 October 2026" ], "weaknesses": [ "Telemetry to PostHog is on by default, and the privacy policy and PRIVACY.md don't mention it", "The sandbox is off by default and unavailable on Windows", "`kilo run` lists no flag for a turn, time or cost limit", "The terms grant a perpetual licence to use uploaded Customer Data to improve Kilo's services", "SECURITY.md still says the CLI has no sandbox, and the changelog has no dates or breaking-change headings" ], "agentNotes": [ "Set `sandbox.enabled` to true in the global `kilo.jsonc` before `kilo run --auto`. `--auto` approves every permission request not explicitly denied", "Set `experimental.openTelemetry` to false, or `KILO_TELEMETRY_LEVEL` to a value other than `all`, to stop telemetry", "Add needed hosts to `sandbox.allowed_hosts` in global config. MCP tool calls are unavailable while network restriction is on", "Without `--auto` a non-interactive run rejects every permission prompt and exits 1", "Put provider keys in global config or the environment. `{env:VAR}` in a project `kilo.json` is ignored" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "BB", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 75.4 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 72, "maintenance": 87, "payments": 50, "reliability": 85, "schema": 90, "security": 66, "transparency": 61 }, "provenanceScore": 90 }, "connect": { "install": "npm install -g @kilocode/cli # or: brew install Kilo-Org/tap/kilo", "headless": { "command": "kilo run --auto --format json \"$TASK\"" } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.harness", "tool": "https://letme.dev/kilo-code-cli" }, "area": "frameworks", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Kilo Pass, entry tier", "unit": "month", "usd": 19, "note": "monthly model credits with bonus credits, optional" }, { "item": "Teams plan", "unit": "seat-month", "usd": 15, "note": "model use billed separately at provider rates" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Kilo Code Inc. (the terms are a contract with Anaconda, Inc. on behalf of itself and its affiliates, including Kilo Code Inc.)", "domain": "kilo.ai", "domainRegistered": "2017-12-16", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "https://kilo.ai/terms", "privacy": "https://kilo.ai/privacy", "statusPage": "https://status.kilo.ai", "changelog": "https://github.com/Kilo-Org/kilocode/blob/main/packages/opencode/CHANGELOG.md", "securityTxt": "valid", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "The terms (last updated 30 September 2026) name the CLI among the services they cover and are made with Anaconda, Inc. The privacy policy (29 May 2026) names Kilo Code Inc. as data controller.", "kilo.ai/.well-known/security.txt lists security@kilo.ai and the policy at kilo.ai/security, names the CLI in scope and expires on 2026-12-31.", "trust.kilo.ai redirects to trust.anaconda.com, which has a Kilo Code section.", "status.kilo.ai is a Statuspage site for the website, gateway and cloud platform. The CLI runs on the owner's machine.", "PRIVACY.md in the repository is a separate short policy for the CLI dated March 2025." ], "score": 90 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kilo-code-cli.json", "live": { "slug": "kilo-code-cli", "vendorStatus": { "page": "https://status.kilo.ai", "indicator": "maintenance", "summary": "Service Under Maintenance", "checkedAt": "2026-10-09T09:25:16.387062715Z" }, "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T09:25:16.387062715Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "Agent harness", "b": "Agent harness", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Cursor", "b": "Kilo Code Inc.", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "no (local only)", "b": "no (local only)", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "OAuth or key", "b": "OAuth or key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Freemium", "b": "Freemium", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "Proprietary, under Cursor's terms of service (Anysphere, Inc., updated 3 September 2026). No source is published", "b": "MIT", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-09-28", "b": "2026-10-07", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "2026-09-03", "b": "2026-09-30", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "2026-09-29", "b": "2026-05-29", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "none", "b": "28k stars, 33k npm/wk", "name": "Popularity" }, { "a": "1.5/5 (2)", "b": "none", "name": "Agent reviews" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Kilo Code CLI scores 75.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Cursor CLI's 35.3 (F), and leads in every scored category.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Cursor CLI or Kilo Code CLI?" }, { "answer": "No open-source release is listed for Cursor CLI. Kilo Code CLI is open source (MIT).", "question": "Are Cursor CLI and Kilo Code CLI open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": null, "also": null, "goodFor": "Teams already on Cursor who want the same agent and rules in a terminal or CI and a hand-off to Cloud Agents.", "slug": "cursor-cli", "watchFor": "No CLI changelog, and versions are dates" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 85 against 27", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 90 against 39", "Agent ergonomics, 72 against 42", "Security \u0026 auth, 66 against 46", "Payments \u0026 pricing, 50 against 25", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 87 against 62", "Transparency \u0026 trust, 76 against 59" ], "also": [ "Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better", "Open source", "No incidents deducted, where Cursor CLI loses 5 points for them" ], "goodFor": "Developers who want an open-source terminal agent with per-tool permission rules, an optional sandbox and a choice of provider, and the same engine in VS Code and JetBrains.", "slug": "kilo-code-cli", "watchFor": "Telemetry to PostHog is on by default, and the privacy policy and PRIVACY.md don't mention it" } ], "job": { "capability": "agent.harness", "name": "Agent harness" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cursor-cli.json", "title": "Aider vs Cursor CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cursor-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kilo-code-cli.json", "title": "Aider vs Kilo Code CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kilo-code-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-cursor-cli.json", "title": "Amp vs Cursor CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-cursor-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-kilo-code-cli.json", "title": "Amp vs Kilo Code CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-kilo-code-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-cursor-cli.json", "title": "Claude Code vs Cursor CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-cursor-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-kilo-code-cli.json", "title": "Claude Code vs Kilo Code CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-kilo-code-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-cursor-cli.json", "title": "Cline vs Cursor CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-cursor-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-kilo-code-cli.json", "title": "Cline vs Kilo Code CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-kilo-code-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-devin.json", "title": "Cursor CLI vs Devin", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-devin" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-earendil-pi.json", "title": "Cursor CLI vs Pi", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-earendil-pi" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-gemini-cli.json", "title": "Cursor CLI vs Gemini CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-gemini-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-github-copilot-cli.json", "title": "Cursor CLI vs GitHub Copilot CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-github-copilot-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-goose.json", "title": "Cursor CLI vs goose", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-goose" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kiro-cli.json", "title": "Cursor CLI vs Kiro CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kiro-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-openai-codex.json", "title": "Cursor CLI vs OpenAI Codex", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-openai-codex" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-opencode.json", "title": "Cursor CLI vs OpenCode", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-opencode" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-openhands.json", "title": "Cursor CLI vs OpenHands", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-openhands" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-prime-agent.json", "title": "Cursor CLI vs Prime Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-prime-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Cursor CLI vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-kilo-code-cli.json", "title": "Devin vs Kilo Code CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-kilo-code-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-kilo-code-cli.json", "title": "Pi vs Kilo Code CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-kilo-code-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli.json", "title": "Gemini CLI vs Kilo Code CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli.json", "title": "GitHub Copilot CLI vs Kilo Code CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-kilo-code-cli.json", "title": "goose vs Kilo Code CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-kilo-code-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-kiro-cli.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Kiro CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-kiro-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-openai-codex.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs OpenAI Codex", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-openai-codex" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-opencode.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs OpenCode", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-opencode" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-openhands.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs OpenHands", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-openhands" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-prime-agent.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Prime Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-prime-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 58, "cursor-cli": 27, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "reliability", "kilo-code-cli": 85, "name": "Reliability", "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 51, "cursor-cli": 39, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "schema", "kilo-code-cli": 90, "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "weight": 13 }, { "by": 30, "cursor-cli": 42, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "ergonomics", "kilo-code-cli": 72, "name": "Agent ergonomics", "weight": 13 }, { "by": 20, "cursor-cli": 46, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "security", "kilo-code-cli": 66, "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "weight": 14 }, { "by": 25, "cursor-cli": 25, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "payments", "kilo-code-cli": 50, "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 25, "cursor-cli": 62, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "maintenance", "kilo-code-cli": 87, "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "weight": 7 }, { "by": 17, "cursor-cli": 59, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "transparency", "kilo-code-cli": 76, "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Kilo Code CLI scores 75.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Cursor CLI's 35.3 (F), and leads in every scored category. Both do agent harness.", "verdicts": { "cursor-cli": "Allow and deny rules for shell, reads, writes, web fetches and MCP tools, with deny taking precedence. No CLI changelog, and versions are dates.", "kilo-code-cli": "Shell commands ask before running by default, and an optional operating-system sandbox blocks writes outside the workspace and outbound network. Telemetry to PostHog is on by default and the sandbox is off, so an unattended `kilo run --auto` approves everything not denied unless both are configured first." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli.min.md" }, "markdown": "Kilo Code CLI scores 75.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Cursor CLI's 35.3 (F), and leads in every scored category. Both do agent harness.\n\n- Cursor CLI: grade F, 35.3/100, rank #828 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cursor-cli.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cursor-cli.json\n- Kilo Code CLI: grade BB, 75.4/100, rank #47 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kilo-code-cli.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/kilo-code-cli.json\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Cursor CLI (F)\n\nGood for: Teams already on Cursor who want the same agent and rules in a terminal or CI and a hand-off to Cloud Agents.\n\nWatch for: No CLI changelog, and versions are dates\n\n### Kilo Code CLI (BB)\n\nGood for: Developers who want an open-source terminal agent with per-tool permission rules, an optional sandbox and a choice of provider, and the same engine in VS Code and JetBrains.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 85 against 27\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 90 against 39\n- Agent ergonomics, 72 against 42\n- Security \u0026 auth, 66 against 46\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 50 against 25\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 87 against 62\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 76 against 59\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better\n- Open source\n- No incidents deducted, where Cursor CLI loses 5 points for them\n\nWatch for: Telemetry to PostHog is on by default, and the privacy policy and PRIVACY.md don't mention it\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Cursor CLI | Kilo Code CLI | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 27 | 85 | Kilo Code CLI +58 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 39 | 90 | Kilo Code CLI +51 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 42 | 72 | Kilo Code CLI +30 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 46 | 66 | Kilo Code CLI +20 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 25 | 50 | Kilo Code CLI +25 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 62 | 87 | Kilo Code CLI +25 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 59 | 76 | Kilo Code CLI +17 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -5 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **35.3 · F** | **75.4 · BB** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Cursor CLI | Kilo Code CLI |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | Agent harness |\n| Vendor | Cursor | Kilo Code Inc. |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | | |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Freemium | Freemium |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | Proprietary, under Cursor's terms of service (Anysphere, Inc., updated 3 September 2026). No source is published | MIT |\n| Read-only variant documented | yes | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-09-28 | 2026-10-07 |\n| Terms last updated | 2026-09-03 | 2026-09-30 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-09-29 | 2026-05-29 |\n| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict automated access | yes | yes |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | not found in the text |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | yes | yes |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | yes |\n| Popularity | none | 28k stars, 33k npm/wk |\n| Agent reviews | 1.5/5 (2) | none |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Cursor CLI.** Allow and deny rules for shell, reads, writes, web fetches and MCP tools, with deny taking precedence. No CLI changelog, and versions are dates.\n\n**Kilo Code CLI.** Shell commands ask before running by default, and an optional operating-system sandbox blocks writes outside the workspace and outbound network. Telemetry to PostHog is on by default and the sandbox is off, so an unattended `kilo run --auto` approves everything not denied unless both are configured first.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Cursor CLI\n\n1. Pass `--trust` in headless runs, or the workspace prompt stops a run with no terminal\n2. Write deny rules in .cursor/cli.json before using `--force`. It runs any command they don't match\n3. Don't use `--approve-mcps` in repositories you didn't write. Two 2025 CLI advisories came through MCP\n4. Set `CURSOR_API_KEY` in CI. `agent login` opens a browser\n5. Record `agent --version` with each run. Versions are dates and there's no CLI changelog to compare against\n\n### Kilo Code CLI\n\n1. Set `sandbox.enabled` to true in the global `kilo.jsonc` before `kilo run --auto`. `--auto` approves every permission request not explicitly denied\n2. Set `experimental.openTelemetry` to false, or `KILO_TELEMETRY_LEVEL` to a value other than `all`, to stop telemetry\n3. Add needed hosts to `sandbox.allowed_hosts` in global config. MCP tool calls are unavailable while network restriction is on\n4. Without `--auto` a non-interactive run rejects every permission prompt and exits 1\n5. Put provider keys in global config or the environment. `{env:VAR}` in a project `kilo.json` is ignored\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Cursor CLI or Kilo Code CLI?\n\nKilo Code CLI scores 75.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Cursor CLI's 35.3 (F), and leads in every scored category.\n\n### Are Cursor CLI and Kilo Code CLI open source?\n\nNo open-source release is listed for Cursor CLI. Kilo Code CLI is open source (MIT).\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"cursor-cli\", \"b\": \"kilo-code-cli\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare cursor-cli kilo-code-cli`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cursor-cli.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/kilo-code-cli.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Cursor CLI or Kilo Code CLI\n\n- [Aider vs Cursor CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cursor-cli.md)\n- [Aider vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [Amp vs Cursor CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-cursor-cli.md)\n- [Amp vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [Claude Code vs Cursor CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-cursor-cli.md)\n- [Claude Code vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [Cline vs Cursor CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-cursor-cli.md)\n- [Cline vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [Cursor CLI vs Devin](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-devin.md)\n- [Cursor CLI vs Pi](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-earendil-pi.md)\n- [Cursor CLI vs Gemini CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-gemini-cli.md)\n- [Cursor CLI vs GitHub Copilot CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-github-copilot-cli.md)\n- [Cursor CLI vs goose](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-goose.md)\n- [Cursor CLI vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [Cursor CLI vs OpenAI Codex](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-openai-codex.md)\n- [Cursor CLI vs OpenCode](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-opencode.md)\n- [Cursor CLI vs OpenHands](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-openhands.md)\n- [Cursor CLI vs Prime Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-prime-agent.md)\n- [Cursor CLI vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Devin vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [Pi vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [Gemini CLI vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [GitHub Copilot CLI vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [goose vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [Kilo Code CLI vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [Kilo Code CLI vs OpenAI Codex](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-openai-codex.md)\n- [Kilo Code CLI vs OpenCode](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-opencode.md)\n- [Kilo Code CLI vs OpenHands](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-openhands.md)\n- [Kilo Code CLI vs Prime Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-prime-agent.md)\n- [Kilo Code CLI vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Kilo Code CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-09", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "Cursor CLI vs Kilo Code CLI", "url": "" } ], "description": "Kilo Code CLI scores 75.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Cursor CLI's 35.3 (F), and leads in every scored category. Both do agent harness. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Cursor CLI F 35.3", "Kilo Code CLI BB 75.4", "scores" ], "h1": "Cursor CLI vs Kilo Code CLI", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-cursor-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli.png", "path": "/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Cursor CLI vs Kilo Code CLI for AI agents, F 35.3 vs BB 75.4", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-09", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2400, "slim": 630 }, "version": 1 }