{ "data": { "a": { "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": "2026-10-09T10:11:02.644369897Z" }, "updatedAt": "2026-10-09T10:11:02.644369897Z" } }, "answer": "Kilo Code CLI scores 75.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Paperclip's 59 (C), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Paperclip leads on payments \u0026 pricing.", "b": { "slug": "paperclip", "name": "Paperclip", "vendor": "Paperclip Labs, Inc.", "vendorUrl": "https://paperclip.ing", "kind": "harness", "category": "agent-harnesses", "summary": "Paperclip is an open-source, self-hosted server and web interface that organises AI agents into a company with an org chart, tasks, budgets and approvals. It drives Claude Code, Codex, OpenClaw and other harnesses through adapters.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/paperclip", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/paperclip.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/paperclip.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/paperclip.json", "repo": "https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip", "license": "MIT", "transports": [], "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "paperclipai" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@paperclipai/mcp-server" }, { "registry": "oci", "name": "ghcr.io/paperclipai/paperclip" } ], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "No Paperclip account. The default `local_trusted` mode needs no login on loopback. Authenticated mode uses browser sessions for people, board API keys for scripts, and agent API keys or short-lived run JWTs as bearer tokens.", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free and MIT, self-hosted, with nothing to buy. The owner pays each harness's model provider or subscription. Paperclip Cloud is a waitlist with no published price.", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs, the site or the server source (checked 2026-10-08). The only mention in the repository is a link to a third-party skill in a planning note.", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 98666, "npmWeekly": 59684, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://docs.paperclip.ing", "llmsTxt": "https://paperclip.ing/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "agent.multi-agent", "agent.mcp-client" ], "tags": [ "open-source", "self-hosted", "local", "free", "no-card", "llms-txt", "docker", "mcp", "typescript" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-05", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 59, "grade": "C", "agentReady": false, "rank": 510, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 842, "categoryRank": 13, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 70, "maintenance": 78, "payments": 60, "reliability": 66, "schema": 81, "security": 64, "transparency": 65 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "negative": -10, "negativeNotes": [ "2026-04-10 to 2026-04-16. Ten advisories published in a week, four of them critical, among them GHSA-68qg-g8mg-6pr7 (CVE-2026-41679, 10.0, unauthenticated remote code execution through an import authorisation bypass) and two cross-tenant agent key flaws rated 9.9. All ten list 2026.416.0 as the fix. Fixed and published, a little under six months old, -5. https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/security/advisories", "2026-07-22. GHSA-x8hx-rhr2-9rf7 (9.6), drive-by remote code execution against the default `local_trusted` mode through DNS rebinding. The advisory names no patched version. The current source applies the hostname guard to `local_trusted` private deployments, so we read it as fixed without a documented version, -3. https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/security/advisories/GHSA-x8hx-rhr2-9rf7", "2026-04-16. GHSA-gqqj-85qm-8qhf (8.7), a `codex_local` agent inherited a Gmail connector from the owner's ChatGPT account and sent real email. The advisory names no patched version, and `codex_local` still defaults to bypassing approvals and the sandbox, -2. https://github.com/paperclipai/paperclip/security/advisories/GHSA-gqqj-85qm-8qhf" ], "verdict": "Board approvals, budgets with a hard stop and an activity log sit above whichever harnesses do the work, and eleven stable versions shipped in 90 days. The Claude Code and Codex adapters skip permission prompts and the sandbox by default, and twelve security advisories, five of them critical, have been published since April 2026.", "bestFor": "Someone running several coding or operations agents who wants one place for tasks, budgets, approvals and history across harnesses.", "strengths": [ "One deployment runs agents on Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Gemini CLI, OpenCode, Pi, Hermes, Grok Build, Kimi Code and OpenClaw through adapters, under one org chart", "Board approvals gate agent hires and the CEO agent's strategy, and connection actions can be set to Allowed, Ask first or Off", "Budgets by company, agent and project pause an agent at 100 per cent of recorded spend", "The running server publishes its REST surface as OpenAPI at `/api/openapi.json`, and the docs site answers every page as Markdown at `.md`", "Eleven stable releases between 20 July and 5 October 2026, each with dated notes and an upgrade guide" ], "weaknesses": [ "`claude_local` defaults `dangerouslySkipPermissions` to true and `codex_local` defaults to bypassing approvals and the sandbox, with agents running on the host", "Twelve published security advisories since April 2026, five critical, including CVE-2026-41679 (unauthenticated remote code execution, fixed in 2026.416.0)", "Anonymous usage telemetry is on by default and goes to telemetry.paperclip.ing until an opt-out is set", "2,849 open issues on 8 October 2026, 1,396 of them with no comment, and 78 closed in 30 days against 686 opened", "Calendar versions with no 1.0, and release 2026.916.0 carried five breaking changes" ], "agentNotes": [ "Set `PAPERCLIP_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1` or `DO_NOT_TRACK=1` before the first start. Telemetry is on by default", "Set `dangerouslySkipPermissions` and `dangerouslyBypassApprovalsAndSandbox` to false on agents that read untrusted input, or run them in a sandbox provider", "Install with Node.js 24.11 or newer, and install and sign in to each harness CLI on the host first. Paperclip assumes they are there", "Use `--bind lan` or `--bind tailnet` at onboarding for anything beyond one machine. The default `local_trusted` mode treats every request as the board admin", "Treat 409 on task checkout as owned by another agent and pick different work. The API docs say not to retry" ], "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 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 70, "maintenance": 78, "payments": 60, "reliability": 66, "schema": 81, "security": 64, "transparency": 73 }, "provenanceScore": 56 }, "connect": { "install": "npx paperclipai@latest onboard --yes # Node.js 24.11 or newer", "http": "curl http://localhost:3100/api/health", "headless": { "command": "npx paperclipai issue create --title \"$TASK\" --json", "env": { "PAPERCLIP_API_KEY": "\u003cboard or agent key\u003e", "PAPERCLIP_TELEMETRY_DISABLED": "1" } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.multi-agent", "tool": "https://letme.dev/paperclip" }, "area": "frameworks", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Paperclip Labs, Inc.", "domain": "paperclip.ing", "domainRegistered": "2026-03-02", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "https://paperclip.ing/terms/", "privacy": "https://paperclip.ing/privacy/", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://paperclip.ing/changelog/", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "The terms (effective 1 April 2026, updated 23 July 2026) and the privacy policy (effective 23 July 2026) name Paperclip Labs, Inc. and Delaware law. The licence file in the repository reads Copyright (c) 2025 Paperclip AI.", "RDAP at the .ing registry gives a registration date of 2026-03-02 for paperclip.ing, with Cloudflare as registrar. The GitHub repository was created the same day.", "paperclip.ing/.well-known/security.txt and docs.paperclip.ing/.well-known/security.txt returned 404 on 8 October 2026. SECURITY.md sends reports to GitHub private advisories.", "The software is self-hosted, so there is no vendor endpoint or status page to check. status.paperclip.ing did not answer.", "The privacy policy says it governs the hosted services, and that a self-hosted deployment processes data on the owner's infrastructure." ], "score": 56 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/paperclip.json", "live": { "slug": "paperclip", "versions": [ { "registry": "github", "name": "paperclipai/paperclip", "version": "v2026.1005.0", "released": "2026-10-06", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:24:44.149648743Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@paperclipai/mcp-server", "version": "2026.1005.0", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:24:42.049344463Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "paperclipai", "version": "2026.1005.0", "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:24:41.941235603Z" } ], "githubStars": 98744, "npmWeekly": 59684, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://paperclip.ing/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "none", "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T15:39:09.089543926Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://paperclip.ing/changelog/", "kind": "changelog", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:22:47.072089969Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "4d68b2d18041" }, { "url": "https://paperclip.ing/privacy/", "kind": "privacy", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:22:49.382016209Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "d75ac8f8733e" }, { "url": "https://paperclip.ing/terms/", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:22:51.246933771Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "1b2a133e6446" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-08T18:22:51.246933771Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "Agent harness", "b": "Agent harness", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Kilo Code Inc.", "b": "Paperclip Labs, 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": "Free", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "MIT", "b": "MIT", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-10-07", "b": "2026-10-05", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "2026-09-30", "b": "2026-07-23", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "2026-05-29", "b": "2026-07-23", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "yes, with an opt-out", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "28k stars, 33k npm/wk", "b": "99k stars, 60k npm/wk", "name": "Popularity" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Kilo Code CLI scores 75.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Paperclip's 59 (C), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Paperclip leads on payments \u0026 pricing.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Kilo Code CLI or Paperclip?" }, { "answer": "Yes. Kilo Code CLI is open source (MIT). Paperclip is open source (MIT).", "question": "Are Kilo Code CLI and Paperclip open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 85 against 66", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 90 against 81", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 87 against 78", "Transparency \u0026 trust, 76 against 65" ], "also": [ "Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better", "No incidents deducted, where Paperclip loses 10 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" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 50" ], "also": null, "goodFor": "Someone running several coding or operations agents who wants one place for tasks, budgets, approvals and history across harnesses.", "slug": "paperclip", "watchFor": "`claude_local` defaults `dangerouslySkipPermissions` to true and `codex_local` defaults to bypassing approvals and the sandbox, with agents running on the host" } ], "job": { "capability": "agent.multi-agent", "name": "Agent multi agent" }, "others": [ { "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-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-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-kilo-code-cli.json", "title": "Cline vs Kilo Code CLI", "url": 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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/amp-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "Amp vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "Claude Code vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "Cline vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "Devin vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "Gemini CLI vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "GitHub Copilot CLI vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "goose vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "Kiro CLI vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencode-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "OpenCode vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencode-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openhands-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "OpenHands vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openhands-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-prime-agent.json", "title": "Paperclip vs Prime Agent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-prime-agent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Paperclip vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-qwen-code" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 19, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "reliability", "kilo-code-cli": 85, "name": "Reliability", "paperclip": 66, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 9, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "schema", "kilo-code-cli": 90, "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "paperclip": 81, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 2, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "ergonomics", "kilo-code-cli": 72, "name": "Agent ergonomics", "paperclip": 70, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 2, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "security", "kilo-code-cli": 66, "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "paperclip": 64, "weight": 14 }, { "by": 10, "edge": "paperclip", "key": "payments", "kilo-code-cli": 50, "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "paperclip": 60, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 9, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "maintenance", "kilo-code-cli": 87, "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "paperclip": 78, "weight": 7 }, { "by": 11, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "transparency", "kilo-code-cli": 76, "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "paperclip": 65, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Kilo Code CLI scores 75.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Paperclip's 59 (C), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Paperclip leads on payments \u0026 pricing. Both do agent multi agent.", "verdicts": { "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.", "paperclip": "Board approvals, budgets with a hard stop and an activity log sit above whichever harnesses do the work, and eleven stable versions shipped in 90 days. The Claude Code and Codex adapters skip permission prompts and the sandbox by default, and twelve security advisories, five of them critical, have been published since April 2026." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip.min.md" }, "markdown": "Kilo Code CLI scores 75.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Paperclip's 59 (C), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Paperclip leads on payments \u0026 pricing. Both do agent multi agent.\n\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- Paperclip: grade C, 59/100, rank #510 of 842. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/paperclip.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/paperclip.json\n\n## Which one, for what\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 66\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 90 against 81\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 87 against 78\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 76 against 65\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better\n- No incidents deducted, where Paperclip loses 10 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### Paperclip (C)\n\nGood for: Someone running several coding or operations agents who wants one place for tasks, budgets, approvals and history across harnesses.\n\nAhead on:\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 50\n\nWatch for: `claude_local` defaults `dangerouslySkipPermissions` to true and `codex_local` defaults to bypassing approvals and the sandbox, with agents running on the host\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Kilo Code CLI | Paperclip | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 85 | 66 | Kilo Code CLI +19 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 90 | 81 | Kilo Code CLI +9 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 72 | 70 | Kilo Code CLI +2 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 66 | 64 | Kilo Code CLI +2 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 50 | 60 | Paperclip +10 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 87 | 78 | Kilo Code CLI +9 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 76 | 65 | Kilo Code CLI +11 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | 0 | -10 | |\n| **Total** | | **75.4 · BB** | **59 · C** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Kilo Code CLI | Paperclip |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | Agent harness |\n| Vendor | Kilo Code Inc. | Paperclip Labs, Inc. |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | | |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Freemium | Free |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | MIT | MIT |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-10-07 | 2026-10-05 |\n| Terms last updated | 2026-09-30 | 2026-07-23 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-05-29 | 2026-07-23 |\n| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | yes, with an opt-out |\n| Terms restrict automated access | yes | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | yes | not found in the text |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | yes |\n| Popularity | 28k stars, 33k npm/wk | 99k stars, 60k npm/wk |\n\n## Verdicts\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**Paperclip.** Board approvals, budgets with a hard stop and an activity log sit above whichever harnesses do the work, and eleven stable versions shipped in 90 days. The Claude Code and Codex adapters skip permission prompts and the sandbox by default, and twelve security advisories, five of them critical, have been published since April 2026.\n\n## Before you call either\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### Paperclip\n\n1. Set `PAPERCLIP_TELEMETRY_DISABLED=1` or `DO_NOT_TRACK=1` before the first start. Telemetry is on by default\n2. Set `dangerouslySkipPermissions` and `dangerouslyBypassApprovalsAndSandbox` to false on agents that read untrusted input, or run them in a sandbox provider\n3. Install with Node.js 24.11 or newer, and install and sign in to each harness CLI on the host first. Paperclip assumes they are there\n4. Use `--bind lan` or `--bind tailnet` at onboarding for anything beyond one machine. The default `local_trusted` mode treats every request as the board admin\n5. Treat 409 on task checkout as owned by another agent and pick different work. The API docs say not to retry\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Kilo Code CLI or Paperclip?\n\nKilo Code CLI scores 75.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Paperclip's 59 (C), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Paperclip leads on payments \u0026 pricing.\n\n### Are Kilo Code CLI and Paperclip open source?\n\nYes. Kilo Code CLI is open source (MIT). Paperclip is open source (MIT).\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"kilo-code-cli\", \"b\": \"paperclip\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare kilo-code-cli paperclip`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/kilo-code-cli.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/paperclip.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Kilo Code CLI or Paperclip\n\n- [Aider vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [Amp vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [Claude Code vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [Cline vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [Cursor CLI vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli.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- [Amp vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [Claude Code vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [Cline vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [Devin vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [Gemini CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [GitHub Copilot CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [goose vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [Kiro CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [OpenCode vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencode-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [OpenHands vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openhands-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [Paperclip vs Prime Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-prime-agent.md)\n- [Paperclip vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-qwen-code.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": "Kilo Code CLI vs Paperclip", "url": "" } ], "description": "Kilo Code CLI scores 75.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Paperclip's 59 (C), and leads in 6 of 7 scored categories. Paperclip leads on payments \u0026 pricing. Both do agent multi agent. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Kilo Code CLI BB 75.4", "Paperclip C 59", "scores" ], "h1": "Kilo Code CLI vs Paperclip", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip.png", "path": "/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Paperclip for AI agents, BB 75.4 vs C 59", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-09", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2450, "slim": 630 }, "version": 1 }