{
  "data": {
    "a": {
      "slug": "droid-cli",
      "name": "Droid CLI",
      "vendor": "Factory",
      "vendorUrl": "https://factory.com",
      "kind": "harness",
      "category": "agent-harnesses",
      "summary": "Droid CLI is Factory's closed-source coding agent for the terminal. It runs interactively or headless through `droid exec`, connects MCP servers, runs multi-agent Missions, and can be driven by TypeScript and Python SDKs. A paid Factory plan is required.",
      "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/droid-cli",
      "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/droid-cli.md",
      "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/droid-cli.min.md",
      "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/droid-cli.json",
      "repo": "https://github.com/Factory-AI/factory",
      "license": "Proprietary, under Factory's Terms and Conditions. The `droid` npm package is marked `UNLICENSED` and the public repository holds documentation only. The Python SDK is Apache-2.0",
      "transports": [],
      "packages": [
        {
          "registry": "npm",
          "name": "droid"
        },
        {
          "registry": "npm",
          "name": "@factory/droid-sdk"
        },
        {
          "registry": "pypi",
          "name": "droid-sdk"
        }
      ],
      "auth": "mixed",
      "authNotes": "A Factory account is required. The interactive CLI signs in through a browser with OAuth, and the docs say stored tokens rotate every 30 days. Headless runs set `FACTORY_API_KEY` to a key starting `fk-` created on the API keys page in Factory settings. Organisations can use service accounts whose keys can be rotated and revoked through an API.",
      "pricing": "paid",
      "pricingNotes": "Pro is $20 a month, Plus $100 and Max $200, each with the CLI, the Factory App and the SDK. Teams is $60 a month per team plus $40 a seat, and Business and Enterprise are by quote. Usage is capped by rolling 5-hour, 7-day and 30-day rate limits stated without numbers. Extra usage is prepaid credit from $10. No free tier or trial was found (checked 2026-10-09).",
      "priceSummary": "$20 / mo",
      "where": "local",
      "x402": {
        "level": "no",
        "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs index, the pricing pages or the terms (checked 2026-10-09).",
        "endpoints": []
      },
      "toolCount": null,
      "popularity": {
        "githubStars": 49,
        "npmWeekly": 7766,
        "pypiWeekly": null,
        "asOf": "2026-10-09"
      },
      "docsUrl": "https://docs.factory.com/droid-cli/overview",
      "llmsTxt": "https://docs.factory.com/llms.txt",
      "capabilities": [
        "agent.harness",
        "agent.mcp-client",
        "agent.multi-agent"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "harness",
        "coding-agent",
        "cli",
        "closed-source",
        "mcp",
        "acp",
        "llms-txt",
        "sdk",
        "sandbox",
        "telemetry-default-on"
      ],
      "lastRelease": "2026-10-08",
      "graded": true,
      "anchor": {
        "graded": true,
        "score": 59.1,
        "grade": "C",
        "agentReady": false,
        "rank": 619,
        "ranked": true,
        "rankOf": 1146,
        "categoryRank": 20,
        "methodology": "0.4",
        "run": "2026-10-01",
        "scores": {
          "ergonomics": 72,
          "maintenance": 79,
          "payments": 10,
          "reliability": 49,
          "schema": 79,
          "security": 63,
          "transparency": 64
        },
        "pending": [
          "performance",
          "tasks"
        ],
        "assessment": {
          "confidence": "medium",
          "date": "2026-10-09"
        },
        "negative": 0,
        "verdict": "`droid exec` is read-only unless `--auto` raises the autonomy level, with command rules, an optional kernel-enforced sandbox, JSON output and documented exit codes. No free tier, status page or security.txt was found, the source is closed, and usage metrics go to Factory by default.",
        "bestFor": "Teams that want a terminal coding agent with tiered autonomy, command rules and an optional sandbox, and that will pay for a Factory plan.",
        "strengths": [
          "`droid exec` is read-only by default. `--auto low`, `medium` or `high` opens edits and commands by risk tier, and a run that exceeds its level exits non-zero",
          "Optional OS sandbox using Seatbelt on macOS and bubblewrap with seccomp on Linux, with writes limited to the working directory and network limited to allowed domains",
          "Text, JSON and JSON-RPC output, exit codes 0, 1 and 2, session resume and fork, and tool lists that can be restricted per run",
          "llms.txt with a Markdown copy of every docs page, and a dated changelog with 62 entries between 11 July and 8 October 2026",
          "The install script verifies a SHA-256 checksum, and the `droid` npm package is published from GitHub Actions through a trusted publisher"
        ],
        "weaknesses": [
          "No free tier or trial was found. Plans start at $20 a month and included usage is stated only as rolling rate limits without numbers",
          "The sandbox is off until `sandbox.enabled` is set, and `--skip-permissions-unsafe` skips every permission prompt",
          "Usage metrics go to Factory's collector by default. The pages read give no opt-out outside an airgapped deployment",
          "Closed source on a 0.x version line with near-daily releases. The public tracker had 33 open issues on 9 October 2026, most with no reply",
          "No status page and no security.txt were found. The trust centre is drawn by script and was not read",
          "The individual terms forbid using the service for benchmarking or competitive analysis, which matters before any probe is run"
        ],
        "agentNotes": [
          "Set `FACTORY_API_KEY` (starts `fk-`) from the API keys page in Factory settings for headless runs. Interactive use signs in through a browser",
          "Start with `droid exec` and no flags for analysis. Add `--auto low` for edits and `--auto medium` for installs, tests and local commits",
          "Use `--output-format json` and read `is_error`, `num_turns` and `session_id`. Treat a non-zero exit code as failure",
          "Set `sandbox.enabled` to true before running on untrusted code. In `droid exec` a sandbox violation is denied without a prompt",
          "Pin the version in CI with `npm install -g droid@\u003cversion\u003e`, or set `FACTORY_DROID_AUTO_UPDATE_ENABLED=false` on standalone installs, which update themselves"
        ],
        "metrics": {
          "kind": "local",
          "measured": false
        },
        "reviewCount": 0,
        "avgRating": 0,
        "history": [
          {
            "basis": "public evidence",
            "confidence": "medium",
            "grade": "C",
            "methodology": "0.4",
            "pending": [
              "performance",
              "tasks"
            ],
            "run": "2026-10-01",
            "runLabel": "October 2026 research run",
            "score": 59.1
          }
        ],
        "editorialScores": {
          "ergonomics": 72,
          "maintenance": 79,
          "payments": 10,
          "reliability": 49,
          "schema": 79,
          "security": 63,
          "transparency": 55
        },
        "provenanceScore": 72
      },
      "connect": {
        "install": "curl -fsSL https://app.factory.ai/cli | sh   # or: npm install -g droid",
        "headless": {
          "command": "droid exec --auto low --output-format json \"$TASK\"",
          "env": {
            "FACTORY_API_KEY": "fk-..."
          }
        }
      },
      "letme": {
        "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.harness",
        "tool": "https://letme.dev/droid-cli"
      },
      "area": "frameworks",
      "unitPrices": [
        {
          "item": "Pro plan",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 20,
          "note": "rolling rate limits, numbers not published"
        },
        {
          "item": "Plus plan",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 100,
          "note": "about 5 times Pro usage"
        },
        {
          "item": "Max plan",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 200,
          "note": "about 10 times Pro usage"
        },
        {
          "item": "Teams seat",
          "unit": "seat-month",
          "usd": 40,
          "note": "plus $60 a month per team, up to 10 seats"
        }
      ],
      "provenance": {
        "legalEntity": "The San Francisco AI Factory, Inc.",
        "domain": "factory.com",
        "domainRegistered": "1999-03-09",
        "endpointOnVendorDomain": null,
        "terms": "https://factory.com/legal/terms-individual",
        "privacy": "https://factory.com/privacy-policy",
        "statusPage": "",
        "changelog": "https://docs.factory.com/changelog/release-notes",
        "securityTxt": "none",
        "checked": "2026-10-09",
        "notes": [
          "The Terms and Conditions for Individual Plans (last updated 14 July 2026) name The San Francisco AI Factory, Inc., a Delaware corporation in San Francisco. The privacy policy (last updated 20 August 2026) names the same company.",
          "RDAP (Verisign) gives factory.com a registration date of 1999-03-09, long before the company.",
          "The CLI installs from app.factory.ai and downloads.factory.ai and signs in to app.factory.ai, a second domain of the vendor's.",
          "factory.com/.well-known/security.txt answered 404 on 9 October 2026.",
          "No status page is linked from the home page, the docs support page or the other pages read. factory.com/sla states a 99 per cent availability target.",
          "The terms linked are those for individual plans. Organisation plans are sold under separate orders, which we did not read."
        ],
        "score": 72
      },
      "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/droid-cli.json",
      "live": {
        "slug": "droid-cli",
        "versions": [
          {
            "registry": "npm",
            "name": "@factory/droid-sdk",
            "version": "0.9.1",
            "seenAt": "2026-10-18T02:44:24.761698314Z"
          },
          {
            "registry": "npm",
            "name": "droid",
            "version": "0.244.0",
            "seenAt": "2026-10-18T02:44:23.996163919Z"
          },
          {
            "registry": "pypi",
            "name": "droid-sdk",
            "version": "0.5.0",
            "released": "2026-09-24",
            "seenAt": "2026-10-18T02:44:26.202616889Z"
          }
        ],
        "githubStars": 56,
        "npmWeekly": 4922,
        "pypiWeekly": 13520,
        "securityTxt": {
          "url": "https://factory.com/.well-known/security.txt",
          "state": "none",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T15:53:13.220177119Z"
        },
        "llmsTxt": {
          "url": "https://docs.factory.com/llms.txt",
          "ok": true,
          "status": 200,
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T14:24:54.073661008Z"
        },
        "domain": {
          "domain": "factory.com",
          "registered": "1999-03-09",
          "source": "https://rdap.verisign.com/com/v1/domain/factory.com",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T13:44:12.771674834Z"
        },
        "pages": [
          {
            "url": "https://docs.factory.com/changelog/release-notes",
            "kind": "changelog",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T23:28:32.725535744Z",
            "changedAt": "2026-10-17T22:49:52.812496435Z",
            "fingerprint": "cad5353e1589"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://factory.com/privacy-policy",
            "kind": "privacy",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T23:30:43.515689465Z",
            "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            "fingerprint": "5ef46e9f3c4f"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://factory.com/legal/terms-individual",
            "kind": "terms",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T23:30:41.299854406Z",
            "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            "fingerprint": "ebfbb9d9f0ab"
          }
        ],
        "updatedAt": "2026-10-18T23:30:43.515689465Z"
      }
    },
    "answer": "Kimi Code CLI scores 62.1 (B) on agent readiness against Droid CLI's 59.1 (C), and leads in 3 of 7 scored categories. Droid CLI leads on security \u0026 auth and maintenance \u0026 community.",
    "b": {
      "slug": "kimi-code-cli",
      "name": "Kimi Code CLI",
      "vendor": "Moonshot AI",
      "vendorUrl": "https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-code/en/",
      "kind": "harness",
      "category": "agent-harnesses",
      "summary": "Open-source terminal coding agent from Moonshot AI that replaced the archived Python Kimi CLI. It runs Kimi, Anthropic, OpenAI or Gemini models, headless with `kimi -p`, as an ACP server, or behind a local REST server.",
      "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kimi-code-cli",
      "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kimi-code-cli.md",
      "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kimi-code-cli.min.md",
      "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/kimi-code-cli.json",
      "repo": "https://github.com/MoonshotAI/kimi-code",
      "license": "MIT",
      "transports": [],
      "packages": [
        {
          "registry": "npm",
          "name": "@moonshot-ai/kimi-code"
        }
      ],
      "auth": "mixed",
      "authNotes": "Kimi Code OAuth (RFC 8628 device code through `/login` or `kimi login`) for a Kimi Code subscription, or a Kimi Platform API key. Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Vertex AI and OpenAI-compatible providers take a key in `config.toml`. Provider keys in the shell are not read unless named through `api_key_env` or the `KIMI_MODEL_*` variables. OAuth tokens are stored in `~/.kimi-code/credentials/` with 0600 permissions.",
      "pricing": "free",
      "pricingNotes": "Free and MIT-licensed, with nothing to buy for the CLI. The owner pays the model provider. Kimi Platform API keys are billed pay-as-you-go per million tokens, and the Kimi Code subscription is sold as a Kimi membership plan whose prices render only with JavaScript and weren't read on 18 October 2026.",
      "priceSummary": "Free · OSS",
      "where": "local",
      "x402": {
        "level": "no",
        "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs or the 2.2.0 npm package (checked 2026-10-18).",
        "endpoints": []
      },
      "toolCount": null,
      "popularity": {
        "githubStars": null,
        "npmWeekly": 36761,
        "pypiWeekly": null,
        "asOf": "2026-10-18"
      },
      "docsUrl": "https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-code/en/",
      "llmsTxt": "https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-code/llms.txt",
      "capabilities": [
        "agent.harness",
        "agent.mcp-client",
        "agent.multi-agent"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "official",
        "harness",
        "coding-agent",
        "cli",
        "open-source",
        "typescript",
        "mcp",
        "acp",
        "llms-txt",
        "telemetry-default-on",
        "no-sandbox",
        "free",
        "no-card",
        "local"
      ],
      "lastRelease": "2026-10-14",
      "graded": true,
      "anchor": {
        "graded": true,
        "score": 62.1,
        "grade": "B",
        "agentReady": false,
        "rank": 492,
        "ranked": true,
        "rankOf": 1146,
        "categoryRank": 11,
        "methodology": "0.4",
        "run": "2026-10-01",
        "scores": {
          "ergonomics": 71,
          "maintenance": 72,
          "payments": 60,
          "reliability": 68,
          "schema": 85,
          "security": 45,
          "transparency": 62
        },
        "pending": [
          "performance",
          "tasks"
        ],
        "assessment": {
          "confidence": "medium",
          "date": "2026-10-18"
        },
        "negative": -4,
        "negativeNotes": [
          "2026-09-04. Version 0.41.0 fixed print mode (`kimi -p`) ignoring `KIMI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY`, so scripted runs sent telemetry after the user opted out. Fixed and stated in the changelog, -2. https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-code/en/release-notes/changelog",
          "2026-09-23. Version 2.1.0 fixed file tools reaching outside the working directory through symlinks, repository git configuration running commands during background git operations, and project config applied before the workspace was trusted. Fixed and listed in the changelog, with no advisory published in OSV on 18 October 2026, -2. https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-code/en/release-notes/changelog"
        ],
        "verdict": "MIT-licensed, with 32 releases in the 90 days to 14 October 2026, `kimi -p` with stream-json output, an ACP server and a local REST API with a live OpenAPI document. Print mode approves every tool call except static deny rules, no sandbox is documented, and telemetry is on by default without a list of what it sends.",
        "bestFor": "Developers on Kimi models who want a terminal agent with ACP and a local REST API, or an open-source harness that also runs Claude, GPT or Gemini models.",
        "strengths": [
          "MIT-licensed, with a single-binary installer, npm and Homebrew core packages at 2.2.0",
          "`kimi -p` with `stream-json` output, plus `kimi acp` covering the full ACP core and session surface",
          "`kimi web` serves a REST and WebSocket API with live OpenAPI and AsyncAPI documents behind a bearer token",
          "32 npm releases in the 90 days to 14 October 2026, with a dated changelog in the docs",
          "Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Vertex AI and OpenAI-compatible providers alongside Kimi"
        ],
        "weaknesses": [
          "Print mode approves every tool call under Never Ask, where the dangerous-command guard is off",
          "No sandbox and no network control found in the docs",
          "Telemetry is on by default, the docs don't say what it sends, and print mode ignored the opt-out before 0.41.0",
          "No privacy page for the CLI, and the Kimi terms use content for training unless the user opts out by email",
          "Lifecycle hooks fail open, so a hook that errors or times out lets the tool call through"
        ],
        "agentNotes": [
          "`kimi -p` approves every tool call. Add `[[permission.rules]]` deny entries and run it in a container, since no sandbox is documented",
          "Set `KIMI_LOOP_MAX_STEPS_PER_TURN` for unattended runs. Steps per turn are unlimited by default",
          "Pass the model with `KIMI_MODEL_NAME`, `KIMI_MODEL_API_KEY` and `KIMI_MODEL_PROVIDER_TYPE`. `OPENAI_API_KEY` or `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` in the shell is ignored otherwise",
          "Set `KIMI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1` and use 0.41.0 or later, since earlier print-mode runs ignored it",
          "Install `@moonshot-ai/kimi-code` or the `kimi-code` formula. The `kimi-cli` and `kimi-code` packages on PyPI are the archived Python CLI"
        ],
        "metrics": {
          "kind": "local",
          "measured": false
        },
        "reviewCount": 4,
        "avgRating": 3,
        "history": [
          {
            "basis": "public evidence",
            "confidence": "medium",
            "grade": "B",
            "methodology": "0.4",
            "pending": [
              "performance",
              "tasks"
            ],
            "run": "2026-10-01",
            "runLabel": "October 2026 research run",
            "score": 62.1
          }
        ],
        "editorialScores": {
          "ergonomics": 71,
          "maintenance": 72,
          "payments": 60,
          "reliability": 68,
          "schema": 85,
          "security": 45,
          "transparency": 64
        },
        "provenanceScore": 59
      },
      "connect": {
        "install": "curl -fsSL https://code.kimi.com/kimi-code/install.sh | bash   # or: npm install -g @moonshot-ai/kimi-code, or: brew install kimi-code",
        "headless": {
          "command": "kimi -p \"$TASK\" --output-format stream-json",
          "env": {
            "KIMI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY": "1",
            "KIMI_LOOP_MAX_STEPS_PER_TURN": "50",
            "KIMI_MODEL_API_KEY": "\u003ckey\u003e",
            "KIMI_MODEL_NAME": "\u003cmodel\u003e",
            "KIMI_MODEL_PROVIDER_TYPE": "kimi"
          }
        }
      },
      "letme": {
        "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.harness",
        "tool": "https://letme.dev/kimi-code-cli"
      },
      "area": "frameworks",
      "provenance": {
        "legalEntity": "Moonshot AI (the global Kimi terms name NOVASCENT PRIVATE LIMITED, Singapore)",
        "domain": "moonshotai.github.io",
        "domainRegistered": "",
        "endpointOnVendorDomain": null,
        "terms": "https://www.kimi.ai/user/agreement/modelUse?version=v2",
        "privacy": "https://www.kimi.ai/user/agreement/userPrivacy?version=v2",
        "statusPage": "",
        "changelog": "https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-code/en/release-notes/changelog",
        "securityTxt": "none",
        "checked": "2026-10-18",
        "notes": [
          "The LICENSE reads Copyright (c) 2026 Moonshot AI. The Kimi terms (effective 13 August 2026) and privacy policy (last updated 13 August 2026), linked from the Kimi Code page on kimi.ai, name NOVASCENT PRIVATE LIMITED, a company registered in Singapore, as the provider. Neither names the CLI.",
          "The docs are on GitHub Pages and carry no terms or privacy page of their own. The Kimi Platform has separate terms and a privacy policy for API keys at platform.kimi.ai/docs/agreement.",
          "kimi.com, kimi.ai and moonshot.ai each answered /.well-known/security.txt with an HTML page, so no security.txt was found. SECURITY.md names private GitHub advisories and code@moonshot.ai."
        ],
        "score": 59
      },
      "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kimi-code-cli.json",
      "live": {
        "slug": "kimi-code-cli",
        "pages": [
          {
            "url": "https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-code/en/release-notes/changelog",
            "kind": "changelog",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T23:33:53.410496102Z",
            "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            "fingerprint": "f8f198816ab3"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://www.kimi.ai/user/agreement/userPrivacy?version=v2",
            "kind": "privacy",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T23:44:58.354116633Z",
            "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            "fingerprint": "e6a453a3c7bd"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://www.kimi.ai/user/agreement/modelUse?version=v2",
            "kind": "terms",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T23:44:55.919228113Z",
            "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            "fingerprint": "27a334b00216"
          }
        ],
        "updatedAt": "2026-10-18T23:44:58.354116633Z"
      }
    },
    "facts": [
      {
        "a": "Agent harness",
        "b": "Agent harness",
        "name": "Kind"
      },
      {
        "a": "Factory",
        "b": "Moonshot AI",
        "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": "Paid",
        "b": "Free",
        "name": "Pricing"
      },
      {
        "a": "no",
        "b": "no",
        "name": "x402"
      },
      {
        "a": "Proprietary, under Factory's Terms and Conditions. The `droid` npm package is marked `UNLICENSED` and the public repository holds documentation only. The Python SDK is Apache-2.0",
        "b": "MIT",
        "name": "Licence"
      },
      {
        "a": "yes",
        "b": "no",
        "name": "Read-only variant documented"
      },
      {
        "a": "yes",
        "b": "yes",
        "name": "llms.txt"
      },
      {
        "a": "2026-10-08",
        "b": "2026-10-14",
        "name": "Last release"
      },
      {
        "a": "2026-07-14",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Terms last updated"
      },
      {
        "a": "2026-08-20",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Privacy policy last updated"
      },
      {
        "a": "not found in the text",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Customer content may train models"
      },
      {
        "a": "not found in the text",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Terms restrict automated access"
      },
      {
        "a": "yes",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking"
      },
      {
        "a": "not found in the text",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Terms or service can change without notice"
      },
      {
        "a": "yes",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver"
      },
      {
        "a": "49 stars, 7.8k npm/wk",
        "b": "37k npm/wk",
        "name": "Popularity"
      },
      {
        "a": "none",
        "b": "3/5 (4)",
        "name": "Agent reviews"
      }
    ],
    "faq": [
      {
        "answer": "Kimi Code CLI scores 62.1 (B) on agent readiness against Droid CLI's 59.1 (C), and leads in 3 of 7 scored categories. Droid CLI leads on security \u0026 auth and maintenance \u0026 community.",
        "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Droid CLI or Kimi Code CLI?"
      },
      {
        "answer": "No open-source release is listed for Droid CLI. Kimi Code CLI is open source (MIT).",
        "question": "Are Droid CLI and Kimi Code CLI open source?"
      }
    ],
    "goodFor": [
      {
        "aheadOn": [
          "Security \u0026 auth, 63 against 45",
          "Maintenance \u0026 community, 79 against 72"
        ],
        "also": [
          "No incidents deducted, where Kimi Code CLI loses 4 points for them"
        ],
        "goodFor": "Teams that want a terminal coding agent with tiered autonomy, command rules and an optional sandbox, and that will pay for a Factory plan.",
        "slug": "droid-cli",
        "watchFor": "No free tier or trial was found. Plans start at $20 a month and included usage is stated only as rolling rate limits without numbers"
      },
      {
        "aheadOn": [
          "Reliability, 68 against 49",
          "Schema \u0026 documentation, 85 against 79",
          "Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 10"
        ],
        "also": [
          "Free to start without a card",
          "Open source"
        ],
        "goodFor": "Developers on Kimi models who want a terminal agent with ACP and a local REST API, or an open-source harness that also runs Claude, GPT or Gemini models.",
        "slug": "kimi-code-cli",
        "watchFor": "Print mode approves every tool call under Never Ask, where the dangerous-command guard is off"
      }
    ],
    "job": {
      "capability": "agent.harness",
      "name": "Agent harnesses"
    },
    "others": [
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-droid-cli.json",
        "title": "Agent Zero vs Droid CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-droid-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Agent Zero vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-droid-cli.json",
        "title": "Aider vs Droid CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-droid-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Aider vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-droid-cli.json",
        "title": "Amp vs Droid CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-droid-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Amp vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/antigravity-cli-vs-droid-cli.json",
        "title": "Antigravity CLI vs Droid CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/antigravity-cli-vs-droid-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/antigravity-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Antigravity CLI vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/antigravity-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/auggie-vs-droid-cli.json",
        "title": "Auggie CLI vs Droid CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/auggie-vs-droid-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/auggie-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Auggie CLI vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/auggie-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-droid-cli.json",
        "title": "Claude Code vs Droid CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-droid-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Claude Code vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-droid-cli.json",
        "title": "Cline vs Droid CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-droid-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Cline vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crush-vs-droid-cli.json",
        "title": "Crush vs Droid CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crush-vs-droid-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crush-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Crush vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crush-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-droid-cli.json",
        "title": "Cursor CLI vs Droid CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-droid-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Cursor CLI vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-harness-vs-droid-cli.json",
        "title": "DeepSeek Harness (dsh) vs Droid CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-harness-vs-droid-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-harness-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "DeepSeek Harness (dsh) vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-harness-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-droid-cli.json",
        "title": "Devin vs Droid CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-droid-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Devin vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-earendil-pi.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Pi",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-earendil-pi"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-gemini-cli.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Gemini CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-gemini-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-github-copilot-cli.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs GitHub Copilot CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-github-copilot-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-goose.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs goose",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-goose"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-harness2.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Harness²",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-harness2"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-harnessrouter.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs HarnessRouter",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-harnessrouter"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-jules.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Jules",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-jules"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-junie.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Junie CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-junie"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Kilo Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-mini-swe-agent.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs mini-swe-agent",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-mini-swe-agent"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-mistral-vibe-cli.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Mistral Vibe CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-mistral-vibe-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-muse-code.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Muse Code",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-muse-code"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-openai-codex.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs OpenAI Codex",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-openai-codex"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-opencode.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs OpenCode",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-opencode"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-openhands.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs OpenHands",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-openhands"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-prime-agent.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Prime Agent",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-prime-agent"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-qoder-cli.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Qoder CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-qoder-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-qwen-code.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Qwen Code",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-qwen-code"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-reflection-mirror.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Mirror CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-reflection-mirror"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-rovo-dev-cli.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Rovo Dev CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-rovo-dev-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-warp.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Warp (Warp Agent CLI and the Oz Agent API)",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-warp"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Pi vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Gemini CLI vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "GitHub Copilot CLI vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "goose vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness2-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Harness² vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness2-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harnessrouter-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "HarnessRouter vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harnessrouter-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jules-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Jules vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jules-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/junie-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Junie CLI vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/junie-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-mini-swe-agent.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs mini-swe-agent",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-mini-swe-agent"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-mistral-vibe-cli.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Mistral Vibe CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-mistral-vibe-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-muse-code.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Muse Code",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-muse-code"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-openai-codex.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs OpenAI Codex",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-openai-codex"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-opencode.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs OpenCode",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-opencode"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-openhands.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs OpenHands",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-openhands"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-prime-agent.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Prime Agent",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-prime-agent"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-qoder-cli.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Qoder CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-qoder-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-qwen-code.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Qwen Code",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-qwen-code"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-reflection-mirror.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Mirror CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-reflection-mirror"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-rovo-dev-cli.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Rovo Dev CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-rovo-dev-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-warp.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Warp (Warp Agent CLI and the Oz Agent API)",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-warp"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cli-manager-vs-droid-cli.json",
        "title": "CLI Manager vs Droid CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cli-manager-vs-droid-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cli-manager-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "CLI Manager vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cli-manager-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-harness-autonomous.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Harness",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-harness-autonomous"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-paperclip.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Paperclip",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-paperclip"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-parallax-agents.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Parallax",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-parallax-agents"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness-autonomous-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Harness vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness-autonomous-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-paperclip.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Paperclip",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-paperclip"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-parallax-agents.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Parallax",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-parallax-agents"
      }
    ],
    "scores": [
      {
        "by": 19,
        "droid-cli": 49,
        "edge": "kimi-code-cli",
        "key": "reliability",
        "kimi-code-cli": 68,
        "name": "Reliability",
        "weight": 16
      },
      {
        "key": "performance",
        "name": "Performance",
        "pending": true,
        "weight": 10
      },
      {
        "by": 6,
        "droid-cli": 79,
        "edge": "kimi-code-cli",
        "key": "schema",
        "kimi-code-cli": 85,
        "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation",
        "weight": 13
      },
      {
        "by": 1,
        "droid-cli": 72,
        "edge": "droid-cli",
        "key": "ergonomics",
        "kimi-code-cli": 71,
        "name": "Agent ergonomics",
        "weight": 13
      },
      {
        "by": 18,
        "droid-cli": 63,
        "edge": "droid-cli",
        "key": "security",
        "kimi-code-cli": 45,
        "name": "Security \u0026 auth",
        "weight": 14
      },
      {
        "by": 50,
        "droid-cli": 10,
        "edge": "kimi-code-cli",
        "key": "payments",
        "kimi-code-cli": 60,
        "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing",
        "weight": 10
      },
      {
        "key": "tasks",
        "name": "Task success",
        "pending": true,
        "weight": 10
      },
      {
        "by": 7,
        "droid-cli": 79,
        "edge": "droid-cli",
        "key": "maintenance",
        "kimi-code-cli": 72,
        "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community",
        "weight": 7
      },
      {
        "by": 2,
        "droid-cli": 64,
        "edge": "droid-cli",
        "key": "transparency",
        "kimi-code-cli": 62,
        "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust",
        "weight": 7
      }
    ],
    "summary": "Kimi Code CLI scores 62.1 (B) on agent readiness against Droid CLI's 59.1 (C), and leads in 3 of 7 scored categories. Droid CLI leads on security \u0026 auth and maintenance \u0026 community. Both do agent harnesses.",
    "tutorials": [],
    "verdicts": {
      "droid-cli": "`droid exec` is read-only unless `--auto` raises the autonomy level, with command rules, an optional kernel-enforced sandbox, JSON output and documented exit codes. No free tier, status page or security.txt was found, the source is closed, and usage metrics go to Factory by default.",
      "kimi-code-cli": "MIT-licensed, with 32 releases in the 90 days to 14 October 2026, `kimi -p` with stream-json output, an ACP server and a local REST API with a live OpenAPI document. Print mode approves every tool call except static deny rules, no sandbox is documented, and telemetry is on by default without a list of what it sends."
    }
  },
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  "markdown": "Kimi Code CLI scores 62.1 (B) on agent readiness against Droid CLI's 59.1 (C), and leads in 3 of 7 scored categories. Droid CLI leads on security \u0026 auth and maintenance \u0026 community. Both do agent harnesses.\n\n- Droid CLI: grade C, 59.1/100, rank #619 of 1146. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/droid-cli.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/droid-cli.json\n- Kimi Code CLI: grade B, 62.1/100, rank #492 of 1146. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kimi-code-cli.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/kimi-code-cli.json\n- Best agent harnesses and coding agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/agent-harnesses/index.md\n- All 713 harnesses comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-harnesses/index.md\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Droid CLI (C)\n\nGood for: Teams that want a terminal coding agent with tiered autonomy, command rules and an optional sandbox, and that will pay for a Factory plan.\n\nAhead on:\n- Security \u0026 auth, 63 against 45\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 79 against 72\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- No incidents deducted, where Kimi Code CLI loses 4 points for them\n\nWatch for: No free tier or trial was found. Plans start at $20 a month and included usage is stated only as rolling rate limits without numbers\n\n### Kimi Code CLI (B)\n\nGood for: Developers on Kimi models who want a terminal agent with ACP and a local REST API, or an open-source harness that also runs Claude, GPT or Gemini models.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 68 against 49\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 85 against 79\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 10\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Free to start without a card\n- Open source\n\nWatch for: Print mode approves every tool call under Never Ask, where the dangerous-command guard is off\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Droid CLI | Kimi Code CLI | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 49 | 68 | Kimi Code CLI +19 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 79 | 85 | Kimi Code CLI +6 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 72 | 71 | Droid CLI +1 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 63 | 45 | Droid CLI +18 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 10 | 60 | Kimi Code CLI +50 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 79 | 72 | Droid CLI +7 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 64 | 62 | Droid CLI +2 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | -4 | |\n| **Total** | | **59.1 · C** | **62.1 · B** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Droid CLI | Kimi Code CLI |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | Agent harness |\n| Vendor | Factory | Moonshot AI |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports |  |  |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Paid | Free |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | Proprietary, under Factory's Terms and Conditions. The `droid` npm package is marked `UNLICENSED` and the public repository holds documentation only. The Python SDK is Apache-2.0 | MIT |\n| Read-only variant documented | yes | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-10-08 | 2026-10-14 |\n| Terms last updated | 2026-07-14 |  |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-08-20 |  |\n| Customer content may train models | not found in the text |  |\n| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text |  |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes |  |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text |  |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes |  |\n| Popularity | 49 stars, 7.8k npm/wk | 37k npm/wk |\n| Agent reviews | none | 3/5 (4) |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Droid CLI.** `droid exec` is read-only unless `--auto` raises the autonomy level, with command rules, an optional kernel-enforced sandbox, JSON output and documented exit codes. No free tier, status page or security.txt was found, the source is closed, and usage metrics go to Factory by default.\n\n**Kimi Code CLI.** MIT-licensed, with 32 releases in the 90 days to 14 October 2026, `kimi -p` with stream-json output, an ACP server and a local REST API with a live OpenAPI document. Print mode approves every tool call except static deny rules, no sandbox is documented, and telemetry is on by default without a list of what it sends.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Droid CLI\n\n1. Set `FACTORY_API_KEY` (starts `fk-`) from the API keys page in Factory settings for headless runs. Interactive use signs in through a browser\n2. Start with `droid exec` and no flags for analysis. Add `--auto low` for edits and `--auto medium` for installs, tests and local commits\n3. Use `--output-format json` and read `is_error`, `num_turns` and `session_id`. Treat a non-zero exit code as failure\n4. Set `sandbox.enabled` to true before running on untrusted code. In `droid exec` a sandbox violation is denied without a prompt\n5. Pin the version in CI with `npm install -g droid@\u003cversion\u003e`, or set `FACTORY_DROID_AUTO_UPDATE_ENABLED=false` on standalone installs, which update themselves\n\n### Kimi Code CLI\n\n1. `kimi -p` approves every tool call. Add `[[permission.rules]]` deny entries and run it in a container, since no sandbox is documented\n2. Set `KIMI_LOOP_MAX_STEPS_PER_TURN` for unattended runs. Steps per turn are unlimited by default\n3. Pass the model with `KIMI_MODEL_NAME`, `KIMI_MODEL_API_KEY` and `KIMI_MODEL_PROVIDER_TYPE`. `OPENAI_API_KEY` or `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` in the shell is ignored otherwise\n4. Set `KIMI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1` and use 0.41.0 or later, since earlier print-mode runs ignored it\n5. Install `@moonshot-ai/kimi-code` or the `kimi-code` formula. The `kimi-cli` and `kimi-code` packages on PyPI are the archived Python CLI\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Droid CLI or Kimi Code CLI?\n\nKimi Code CLI scores 62.1 (B) on agent readiness against Droid CLI's 59.1 (C), and leads in 3 of 7 scored categories. Droid CLI leads on security \u0026 auth and maintenance \u0026 community.\n\n### Are Droid CLI and Kimi Code CLI open source?\n\nNo open-source release is listed for Droid CLI. Kimi Code CLI is open source (MIT).\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"droid-cli\", \"b\": \"kimi-code-cli\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare droid-cli kimi-code-cli`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/droid-cli.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/kimi-code-cli.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Droid CLI or Kimi Code CLI\n\n- [Agent Zero vs Droid CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-droid-cli.md)\n- [Agent Zero vs Kimi Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-kimi-code-cli.md)\n- [Aider vs Droid CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-droid-cli.md)\n- [Aider vs Kimi Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kimi-code-cli.md)\n- [Amp vs Droid CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-droid-cli.md)\n- [Amp vs Kimi Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-kimi-code-cli.md)\n- [Antigravity CLI vs Droid CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/antigravity-cli-vs-droid-cli.md)\n- [Antigravity CLI vs Kimi Code 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Parallax](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-parallax-agents.md)\n",
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