Junie CLI vs Kilo Code CLI

Junie CLI

Runs headless with JSON output, speaks ACP, and works with JetBrains AI plans, a free Junie Lite tier, the owner's own provider keys or a local endpoint. Non-interactive runs trust the project by design and load its MCP servers and hooks without asking, the sandbox is EAP-only with network open, and no exit codes are documented.

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.

Junie CLI

1. Run headless only in repositories you trust. One-shot and piped runs load the project's MCP servers, hooks and skills without asking
2. Set JUNIE_API_KEY (from junie.jetbrains.com/cli) or a provider key such as JUNIE_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY in CI. The default sign-in opens a browser
3. Add --output-format json or --json-output-file to parse results. Check the output, since exit codes aren't documented
4. Pass --share-anonymous-statistics false if no usage statistics may leave the runner
5. Pin a build with --use-version and --skip-update-check. The CLI updates itself on start by default

Kilo Code CLI

1. Set sandbox.enabled to true in the global kilo.jsonc before kilo run --auto. --auto approves every permission request not explicitly denied
2. Set experimental.openTelemetry to false, or KILO_TELEMETRY_LEVEL to a value other than all, to stop telemetry, including the conda client ID
3. Add needed hosts to sandbox.allowed_hosts in global config. MCP tool calls are unavailable while network restriction is on
4. Without --auto a non-interactive run rejects every permission prompt and exits 1
5. Confine subagent writes with a session-level edit rule. From 7.8.13 a custom agent's own edit denies no longer bind the subagents it starts