{ "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", "dns": "kilo-code-cli.grade.anchorterminal.com", "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 exact provider rates with a 5 per cent processing fee on credit purchases, and paid credits bought from 27 October 2026 expire after one year. Kilo Pass is $19, $49 or $199 a month, Teams is $15 a user a month and Enterprise is quoted (https://kilo.ai/pricing).", "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": "2026-10-26", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 68, "grade": "B", "agentReady": false, "rank": 295, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 1486, "categoryRank": 8, "methodology": "0.7", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 72, "maintenance": 87, "payments": 50, "reliability": 85, "schema": 90, "security": 64, "transparency": 76 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-11-01" }, "negative": -7, "negativeNotes": [ "2026-10-14. 7.8.10 added the conda client ID to default-on telemetry. When `~/.conda/aau_token` exists the CLI runs `conda info --json --offline` and attaches the ID (`aauClientToken`) to every PostHog event, and a commit hashing it was reverted. Neither the changelog nor the docs mention it. It respects Kilo's opt-out and conda's `anaconda_anon_usage: false`. -2. https://github.com/Kilo-Org/kilocode/blob/main/packages/kilo-telemetry/src/conda.ts", "2026-10-16 and 2026-10-26. Breaking changes in releases without notice. 7.8.13, filed as a patch change, made a custom delegator's own `edit` rules, path-scoped denies such as `secrets/**` included, stop applying to the subagents it starts, so a configuration that relied on them no longer confines delegated writes. 7.8.18 stopped remote MCP servers that redirect across origins from connecting. Neither is marked breaking, every release stays on 7.8.x, and no earlier notice was found. The redirect change closes a security issue and the changelog names the fix, so one term at the floor, -3, as firecrawl-mcp and docker-agent took. https://github.com/Kilo-Org/kilocode/blob/main/packages/opencode/CHANGELOG.md", "2026-10-22. 7.8.16 stopped running shell expressions in MCP prompt text. Before it, a `!`cmd`` expression in a prompt served by a connected MCP server ran as a local shell command when the user invoked that prompt (commit 2e17931, with a test that shows the expression ran). Fixed in a release, documented only as a changelog line with no advisory, -2, as docker-agent's fixed skill-file command execution took. https://github.com/Kilo-Org/kilocode/commit/2e1793154f6bef7632516a75a53d421a2e96b718" ], "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, the sandbox is off, and October releases changed permission and MCP behaviour without a breaking-change label, so pin a version for unattended `kilo run --auto`.", "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", "Releases most weeks, 51 tagged releases between 4 August and 28 October 2026" ], "weaknesses": [ "Telemetry to PostHog is on by default, attaches the conda client ID since 7.8.10, and the privacy policy doesn'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 NVD records two unanswered low-severity CVEs from May 2026", "7.8.13 and 7.8.18 changed permission and MCP behaviour under patch-level versions with no breaking-change label" ], "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, including the conda client ID", "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", "Confine subagent writes with a session-level edit rule. Since 7.8.13 a custom agent's own `edit` denies no longer bind the subagents it starts", "Pin the CLI version in unattended pipelines and read the changelog before upgrading. Behaviour changes ship under 7.8.x patch versions" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 4, "avgRating": 2.3, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "B", "methodology": "0.7", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 68 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 72, "maintenance": 87, "payments": 50, "reliability": 85, "schema": 90, "security": 64, "transparency": 61 }, "provenanceScore": 90, "checked": { "categories": { "ergonomics": "2026-11-01", "maintenance": "2026-11-01", "payments": "2026-11-01", "reliability": "2026-11-01", "schema": "2026-11-01", "security": "2026-11-01", "transparency": "2026-11-01" }, "last": "2026-11-01", "lastMoved": "2026-11-01", "oldest": "2026-11-01", "stale": false, "staleAfterDays": 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, Starter", "unit": "month", "usd": 19, "note": "up to $26.60 a month in credits, optional" }, { "item": "Kilo Pass, Pro", "unit": "month", "usd": 49, "note": "up to $68.60 a month in credits, optional" }, { "item": "Kilo Pass, Expert", "unit": "month", "usd": 199, "note": "up to $278.60 a month in 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": "2026-11-01", "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.", "Anaconda announced its acquisition of Kilo Code on 15 July 2026, and kilo.ai's footer links the announcement. Re-read on 1 November with the terms, privacy policy and security.txt, which are unchanged." ], "score": 90 }, "requirements": { "setupChecked": true, "complianceChecked": true, "card": "no", "freeTier": true, "minutes": 3, "credential": "mixed", "hosting": [ "self-hosted" ], "euResidency": "unknown", "trainsOnData": "unknown", "zeroRetention": "unknown", "selfHost": "yes" }, "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": "2026-11-07T18:21:18.79766424Z" }, "versions": [ { "registry": "github", "name": "Kilo-Org/kilocode", "version": "v7.8.27", "released": "2026-11-05", "seenAt": "2026-11-06T23:36:56.818728557Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@kilocode/cli", "version": "7.8.27", "seenAt": "2026-11-06T23:36:54.243706054Z" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@kilocode/sdk", "version": "7.8.27", "seenAt": "2026-11-06T23:36:55.336361265Z" } ], "githubStars": 27883, "npmWeekly": 57156, "securityTxt": { "url": "https://kilo.ai/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "valid", "expires": "2026-12-31T23:59:59.000Z", "checkedAt": "2026-11-07T16:00:00.37762315Z" }, "llmsTxt": { "url": "https://kilo.ai/docs/llms.txt", "ok": true, "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-11-07T15:32:48.933012387Z" }, "domain": { "domain": "kilo.ai", "registered": "2017-12-16", "source": "https://rdap.identitydigital.services/rdap/domain/kilo.ai", "checkedAt": "2026-11-01T14:08:08.435146626Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Kilo-Org/kilocode/main/packages/opencode/CHANGELOG.md", "kind": "changelog", "status": 304, "checkedAt": "2026-11-07T14:18:35.478927107Z", "changedAt": "2026-11-05T13:03:01.906020556Z", "fingerprint": "183cafa519d3" }, { "url": "https://kilo.ai/pricing", "kind": "pricing", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-11-07T14:11:59.606056445Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "9480711dc26d" }, { "url": "https://kilo.ai/privacy", "kind": "privacy", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-11-07T14:12:02.07389913Z", "changedAt": "2026-10-21T00:28:45.897088737Z", "fingerprint": "438622fad605" }, { "url": "https://kilo.ai/terms", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-11-07T14:12:03.853874778Z", "changedAt": "2026-11-03T07:52:13.378291095Z", "fingerprint": "b97a979be9fa" } ], "github": { "repo": "kilo-org/kilocode", "checkedAt": "2026-11-02T08:58:32.131443556Z", "stars": 27831, "archived": false, "issuesEnabled": true, "pushedAt": "2026-11-02T08:57:07Z", "openIssues": 611, "openPRs": 221, "issuesOpened90d": 915, "issuesClosed90d": 889, "prsMerged90d": 1388, "ci": { "branch": "main", "runs": 50, "success": 44, "failure": 6, "other": 0, "latest": "success", "latestAt": "2026-11-02T08:48:42Z" }, "replies": { "sampled": 23, "unanswered": 11, "medianDays": 1.4 } }, "updatedAt": "2026-11-07T18:21:18.79766424Z" } }, "answer": "Kilo Code CLI scores 68 (B) on agent readiness against Verdent's 39.7 (E), and leads in every scored category.", "b": { "slug": "verdent", "name": "Verdent", "vendor": "Verdent AI, Inc.", "vendorUrl": "https://www.verdent.ai", "kind": "harness", "category": "agent-harnesses", "summary": "Verdent is a coding agent from Verdent AI, Inc., with a desktop app for macOS and Windows, VS Code and JetBrains extensions and a browser edition. It plans tasks, runs parallel workers in git worktrees and uses MCP servers.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/verdent", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/verdent.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/verdent.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/verdent.json", "dns": "verdent.grade.anchorterminal.com", "license": "Proprietary. The terms of use from Verdent AI, Inc. forbid reverse engineering or copying any component, and no source is published", "transports": [], "packages": [], "auth": "mixed", "authNotes": "A person signs in to a Verdent account with Google, GitHub or email in a browser. Model use runs on Verdent credits through llm-proxy.verdent.ai, or on the user's own Anthropic, OpenAI or OpenRouter key (BYOK). BYOA runs workers on a local Claude Code or Codex CLI with keys kept on the machine. No API key or token for driving Verdent from another program was found.", "pricing": "paid", "pricingNotes": "From $5 a month (Lite), then $19 Starter, $59 Pro and $179 Max with 320, 1,000 and 3,000 credits a month (doubled by a limited-time bonus). One credit is about $0.059 at provider rates. Top-ups $20 for 340 credits to $200 for 3,400. Free Mode and the free trial ended with v2.18.0 on 29 October 2026.", "priceSummary": "$5 / mo", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs, pricing page, terms or changelog (checked 2026-11-06). Subscriptions and top-ups go through Stripe.", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": null, "npmWeekly": null, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-11-06" }, "docsUrl": "https://www.verdent.ai/docs/verdent-manager/getting-started/overview", "capabilities": [ "agent.harness", "agent.multi-agent", "agent.mcp-client" ], "tags": [ "official", "harness", "coding-agent", "closed-source", "desktop", "vscode", "jetbrains", "mcp", "byok", "paid-plans", "no-sandbox" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-29", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 39.7, "grade": "E", "agentReady": false, "rank": 1317, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 1486, "categoryRank": 53, "methodology": "0.7", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 35, "maintenance": 61, "payments": 20, "reliability": 43, "schema": 55, "security": 33, "transparency": 55 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-11-06" }, "negative": -2, "negativeNotes": [ "2026-11-06. The changelog says v2.18.0 of 29 October 2026 retired Free Mode, the free trial and the 100 welcome credits, while the pricing page FAQ read on 6 November still says \"Your free trial includes 100 credits\" and the 1.0 docs overview still lists a free trial. A stale claim on the vendor's own pricing page, 2 points. https://www.verdent.ai/pricing, https://www.verdent.ai/changelog" ], "verdict": "A desktop and editor coding agent that splits a goal into parallel workers in git worktrees, with a read-only Plan Mode, MCP servers and the option to run workers on Claude Code or Codex. It has no CLI, API or sandbox, sends context through Verdent's servers, and has had no free tier since 29 October 2026.", "bestFor": "A person who wants a desktop app to plan and run several coding tasks at once, possibly on their own Claude Code or Codex.", "strengths": [ "Plan Mode is read-only and writes a plan.md for review before Agent Mode makes changes", "Parallel workers each run in their own git worktree, with a review column before work is accepted", "BYOA runs workers on a local Claude Code or Codex CLI, and BYOK takes Anthropic, OpenAI or OpenRouter keys", "Plan, top-up and per-credit prices are public, charged at provider token rates with no markup per the pricing page", "Every current docs page has a Markdown twin, and the changelog is dated by version" ], "weaknesses": [ "No CLI, print mode, API or SDK, so a pipeline can't start or read a run except through a paired chat bot", "No sandbox or network restriction documented, and the actions that need approval aren't listed", "Free Mode and the free trial ended on 29 October 2026, while the pricing page FAQ still promises 100 trial credits", "Event logging to log.verdent.ai has no documented opt-out, and the privacy policy gives no retention periods", "SOC 2 and ISO/IEC 42001 are being pursued, not held, and there is no bug bounty or security.txt" ], "agentNotes": [ "Don't plan to drive Verdent headless. Hand the task to the person using the desktop app, or use a harness with a print mode", "Start large changes in Plan Mode and review plan.md before switching to Agent Mode", "Add MCP servers in the project's .mcp.json or ~/.verdent/mcp.json in the mcpServers shape", "Keep work under git, since rollback relies on git and there is no sandbox", "Budget in credits at about $0.059 each, because there is no free allowance since 29 October 2026" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "E", "methodology": "0.7", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 39.7 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 35, "maintenance": 61, "payments": 20, "reliability": 43, "schema": 55, "security": 33, "transparency": 47 }, "provenanceScore": 62, "checked": { "categories": { "ergonomics": "2026-11-06", "maintenance": "2026-11-06", "payments": "2026-11-06", "reliability": "2026-11-06", "schema": "2026-11-06", "security": "2026-11-06", "transparency": "2026-11-06" }, "last": "2026-11-06", "oldest": "2026-11-06", "stale": false, "staleAfterDays": 90 } }, "connect": { "config": { "mcpServers": { "github": { "args": [ "-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-github" ], "command": "npx", "env": { "GITHUB_PERSONAL_ACCESS_TOKEN": "${GITHUB_TOKEN}" } } } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.harness", "tool": "https://letme.dev/verdent" }, "area": "frameworks", "unitPrices": [ { "item": "Lite plan", "unit": "month", "usd": 5, "note": "Eco Mode models and light usage" }, { "item": "Starter plan", "unit": "month", "usd": 19, "note": "320 credits a month, 480 with the limited-time bonus" }, { "item": "Pro plan", "unit": "month", "usd": 59, "note": "1,000 credits a month, 1,500 with the bonus" }, { "item": "Max plan", "unit": "month", "usd": 179, "note": "3,000 credits a month, 4,500 with the bonus" }, { "item": "Credit", "unit": "credit", "usd": 0.059, "note": "About $0.059, charged at provider token prices with no markup per the pricing page" } ], "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Verdent AI, Inc.", "domain": "verdent.ai", "domainRegistered": "2025-05-06", "endpointOnVendorDomain": true, "terms": "https://www.verdent.ai/terms", "privacy": "https://www.verdent.ai/privacy", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://www.verdent.ai/changelog", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-11-06", "notes": [ "The privacy policy names Verdent AI, Inc. as data controller, and the terms choose California law.", "The terms forbid users to crawl, scrape or otherwise harvest data or information from the Services. Public pages were read once each.", "www.verdent.ai/robots.txt allows all crawlers.", "RDAP gives verdent.ai a registration date of 6 May 2025.", "/.well-known/security.txt returns 404, and status.verdent.ai did not answer. No status page found.", "The security page says SOC 2 and ISO/IEC 42001 are being pursued, not held, and takes vulnerability reports at hi@verdent.ai with acknowledgement within five business days." ], "score": 62 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/verdent.json", "live": { "slug": "verdent", "securityTxt": { "url": "https://verdent.ai/.well-known/security.txt", "state": "none", "checkedAt": "2026-11-07T15:59:33.272105482Z" }, "pages": [ { "url": "https://www.verdent.ai/changelog", "kind": "changelog", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-11-07T14:36:28.662063151Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "bac05e4e426e" }, { "url": "https://www.verdent.ai/privacy", "kind": "privacy", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-11-07T14:36:31.354667853Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "3ec1d3c07d70" }, { "url": "https://www.verdent.ai/terms", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-11-07T14:36:33.295376926Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "206b6ec23a6a" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-11-07T15:59:33.272105482Z" } }, "edges": [ { "by": 42, "category": "reliability", "leads": "kilo-code-cli", "name": "Reliability", "reasons": { "a": "Local-package reading. `@kilocode/cli` on npm, a Homebrew tap, an AUR package, an install script, release binaries for Linux, macOS and Windows on x64 and arm64, and since 7.8.20 (27 October) a `kilo-cli` conda package on Anaconda.org (20). Public CI, and the 40 most recent completed workflow runs on main on 8 October 2026 all succeeded, per the 8 October check, not re-read on 17 October or 1 November (25). 448 open issues and 147 open pull requests, a workflow that closes issues after 60 quiet days and pull requests after 30, and open reports from 7 October of a hanging turn (#14876) and of exhausted 503 retries ending a run with no visible error (#14877), per the 8 October check, not re-read since (15). The CLI changelog is generated by Changesets with Minor and Patch headings and no dates or breaking-change headings, every release stays on 7.8.x whatever its heading, and 7.8.13 and 7.8.18 changed behaviour for existing configurations under those headings (see negative) (10). 7.8.18 on the npm `latest` tag on 1 November, past 1.0 (15). 20 + 25 + 15 + 10 + 15 = 85.", "b": "Local-package reading, as for the other closed-source harnesses. The desktop app installs from verdent.ai with macOS 11 or later and 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 stated, and the extension from the editor marketplaces, but not from a package registry (15). No public CI or test suite, since the source isn't published (0). No public issue tracker, every task runs through Verdent's servers, and no status page was found, so there is no readable record (5). A dated changelog by version, with the end of Free Mode called out in v2.18.0, but no breaking-change sections (8). 2.18.0, generally available (15). 15+0+5+8+15 = 43." }, "scores": { "a": 85, "b": 43 } }, { "by": 37, "category": "ergonomics", "leads": "kilo-code-cli", "name": "Agent ergonomics", "reasons": { "a": "Framework reading, adapted to a harness driven by a pipeline. Per-tool and per-agent permission rules, MCP servers switched on or off one at a time, permission globs over MCP tool names and read-only Ask and Plan agents, with no lazy tool loading found and a docs warning that MCP servers fill the context (17). Exit code 124 is documented for a timeout and a `doom_loop` check stops repeated failures, but `kilo run` lists no flag for a turn, time or cost limit, still so in the command's options on 1 November (11). Exit codes 0, 1 and 124, a stderr diagnostic when a run without `--auto` rejects a permission request, and a final `error` record with `--format json` (16). `--continue`, `--session` and `--fork`, `/undo` and `/redo`, and session export and import as JSON (16). `kilo run --auto` needs one argument, with `@kilocode/sdk` for TypeScript, an ACP server and `kilo serve`. We found no second-language SDK on a registry (12). 17 + 11 + 16 + 16 + 12 = 72.", "b": "Harness reading. MCP servers per project or globally, subagents, skills and rules, but no per-tool disabling or deferred loading found (10). No output-size, turn-limit or budget controls for a run were found beyond credit balances (5). No exit codes or error format, since there is no headless mode (3). Parallel workers in git worktrees and a review column make runs reviewable and reversible, with no resume by ID documented (10). No CLI, API or SDK. A pipeline can only reach Manager through a paired Telegram, Slack or Feishu bot (7). 10+5+3+10+7 = 35." }, "scores": { "a": 72, "b": 35 } }, { "by": 35, "category": "schema", "leads": "kilo-code-cli", "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "reasons": { "a": "Framework reading. A JSON Schema for `kilo.jsonc` at `https://app.kilo.ai/config.json`, an OpenAPI file for the `kilo serve` API at `packages/sdk/openapi.json` and a CLI reference generated from the command definitions (25). `llms.txt` on kilo.ai and on the docs, the second listing a raw Markdown address for every page (10). The sandboxing page says when to use the sandbox, what it does not protect and how it differs from permissions (16). Permissions are `allow`, `ask` or `deny` with glob rules, `sandbox.network` and `--format` are enums, though the schema served on 8 October had no `sandbox` key (13). Config and CI samples and exit codes 0, 1 and 124, but we found no reference for the records `--format json` writes (11). A versioned changelog and dated GitHub releases (15). Not re-read on 1 November apart from the changelog. 25 + 10 + 16 + 13 + 11 + 15 = 90.", "b": "Framework reading for a harness. No schema for settings or output, only mcp.json examples in the standard mcpServers shape (5). Every current docs page has a Markdown twin at the same path with .md, though no llms.txt (10). The docs say when to use Agent Mode or Plan Mode and what Plan Mode can't do, but the Agent Mode page lists the actions that need approval only as \"certain tool executions\" and \"destructive operations\" (12). Modes and BYOA agent types are enumerated, permissions are not (5). Examples on the MCP, BYOA and messaging pages, and a recovery page, with no error codes (8). Version numbers and a dated public changelog (15). The archived 1.0 docs are still served beside the current ones. 5+10+12+5+8+15 = 55." }, "scores": { "a": 90, "b": 55 } }, { "by": 31, "category": "security", "leads": "kilo-code-cli", "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "reasons": { "a": "Harness reading of the framework checklist. 30 for what leaves the machine by default, 20 for approvals and sandboxing, 15 for prompt-injection posture, 15 for audit and 20 for the security programme. Telemetry is on by default and goes to PostHog in the United States, the source links the machine identifier to the account email after a Kilo sign-in, and since 7.8.10 (14 October) it also attaches the conda client ID when `~/.conda/aau_token` exists (see negative). It is turned off with `experimental.openTelemetry` or `KILO_TELEMETRY_LEVEL`. Provider keys stay on the machine (14). Shell commands ask by default outside a built-in allow list, reads of `.env` files and paths outside the project ask, and edits inside the project run without asking. An operating-system sandbox (Seatbelt on macOS, Bubblewrap on Linux, none on Windows) limits writes and blocks the network, refuses to run when it can't be enforced, and is off by default. `--auto` approves everything not explicitly denied. Since 7.8.13 a custom agent's own `edit` denies no longer bind the subagents it starts (15). The sandboxing page covers prompt injection and its limits, project config can't weaken the sandbox, and `{env:VAR}` is resolved only in trusted config. 7.8.16 (22 October) stopped running shell expressions found in MCP prompt text (see negative) and restricted MCP OAuth URLs to HTTP(S), and 7.8.18 stopped following cross-origin redirects for MCP HTTP and OAuth requests (11). Session export, `kilo stats` and OTLP export of traces and logs, with audit logs on the Enterprise plan (12). A valid security.txt (expires 2026-12-31, re-read on 1 November), a disclosure policy that cites HackerOne's standards and safe harbour, CodeQL in CI and no published repository advisories, though 7.8.16's MCP prompt fix appeared only as a changelog line. NVD lists CVE-2026-8766 and CVE-2026-8765 (both low, through 7.0.47, published 17 May 2026, the second a path traversal in the opt-in server's file diff route) and says the vendor didn't respond, and SECURITY.md still says the CLI has no sandbox (12). 14 + 15 + 11 + 12 + 12 = 64.", "b": "Framework reading (telemetry defaults, approvals, guardrails, sandboxing). Conversation history and tool results go to Verdent's US servers and on to Azure, Bedrock or Vertex, with zero data retention stated for Vertex and Bedrock only. Event logging to log.verdent.ai has no documented opt-out. BYOA keys stay on the machine (10). Plan Mode is read-only, Agent Mode asks before destructive commands and edits outside scope, and workers are isolated by git worktree, but there is no sandbox or network control and the approval list isn't enumerated (9). No prompt-injection guidance found, while web search and fetch results enter the context (2). Usage history in the dashboard, no audit log found (5). A security page with a disclosure address and a five-day acknowledgement, SOC 2 and ISO/IEC 42001 being pursued rather than held, no security.txt and no bug bounty (7). 10+9+2+5+7 = 33." }, "scores": { "a": 64, "b": 33 } }, { "by": 30, "category": "payments", "leads": "kilo-code-cli", "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "reasons": { "a": "No payment protocol (0). Scored on Kilo's paid options, as with Cline. Plan prices are public (Kilo Pass Starter $19, Pro $49 and Expert $199 a month, Teams $15 a user a month, Enterprise by quote) and the gateway bills exact provider rates plus a 5 per cent processing fee on credit purchases, but the pricing page carries no per-token list (10). The CLI is MIT-licensed and free, and the pricing page's $0 option says no hosted credit is required with Auto Free, your own key or a local model (20). Your own provider key or a local model works with no Kilo account, so an agent can install and run it without a sign-up (20). Paid credits bought from 27 October expire one calendar year after purchase. 0 + 10 + 20 + 20 = 50.", "b": "Harness reading of the published rubric, scored on the Verdent subscription the agent needs. No payment protocol (0). Plan prices from $5 a month, top-up prices and the credit value of about $0.059 are public without a login (20). Free Mode and the free trial ended on 29 October 2026, so there is no free tier (0). A person signs up in a browser (0). 0+20+0+0 = 20." }, "scores": { "a": 50, "b": 20 } }, { "by": 26, "category": "maintenance", "leads": "kilo-code-cli", "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "reasons": { "a": "7.8.18 on the npm `latest` tag (tag of 26 October 2026), with 7.8.25 on the `rc` tag (28 October) (30). 51 v7 release tags from 4 August to 28 October 2026, among them 7.8.13 to 7.8.25 since the 17 October check (20). Issue replies weren't re-read. The newest issues carry area and triage labels from automation, but the 15 newest open issues had no or one comment each on 8 October, against 448 open issues and 147 open pull requests, per the 8 October check (15). `@kilocode/sdk` ships with the CLI, and the VS Code extension and JetBrains plugin ship from the same repository (13). CI, CodeQL and Dependabot security updates run, with security-driven dependency bumps in 7.8.18 and 7.8.20 (9). 30 + 20 + 15 + 13 + 9 = 87.", "b": "Closed service. v2.18.0 on 29 October 2026, eight days before this check (30). More than three dated releases in the 90 days from 8 August, among them 2.10.0 to 2.18.0 (20). A dated public changelog, a support address, Discord and a subreddit, with no public tracker to read reply times (8). No official SDK or MCP server to keep current (0). No public packages or CI to judge (3). 30+20+8+0+3 = 61." }, "scores": { "a": 87, "b": 61 } } ], "facts": [ { "a": "Agent harness", "b": "Agent harness", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Kilo Code Inc.", "b": "Verdent AI, 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": "Paid", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "MIT", "b": "Proprietary. The terms of use from Verdent AI, Inc. forbid reverse engineering or copying any component, and no source is published", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "no", "b": "yes", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "no", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-10-26", "b": "2026-10-29", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "2026-09-30", "b": "2026-05-25", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "2026-05-29", "b": "2026-05-26", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "yes", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "28k stars, 33k npm/wk", "b": "none", "name": "Popularity" }, { "a": "2.3/5 (4)", "b": "none", "name": "Agent reviews" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Kilo Code CLI scores 68 (B) on agent readiness against Verdent's 39.7 (E), and leads in every scored category.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Kilo Code CLI or Verdent?" }, { "answer": "Kilo Code CLI is open source (MIT). No open-source release is listed for Verdent.", "question": "Are Kilo Code CLI and Verdent open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 85 against 43", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 90 against 55", "Agent ergonomics, 72 against 35", "Security \u0026 auth, 64 against 33", "Payments \u0026 pricing, 50 against 20", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 87 against 61", "Transparency \u0026 trust, 76 against 55" ], "also": [ "Free to start without a card", "Open source" ], "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, attaches the conda client ID since 7.8.10, and the privacy policy doesn't mention it" }, { "aheadOn": null, "also": null, "goodFor": "A person who wants a desktop app to plan and run several coding tasks at once, possibly on their own Claude Code or Codex.", "slug": "verdent", "watchFor": "No CLI, print mode, API or SDK, so a pipeline can't start or read a run except through a paired chat bot" } ], "history": { "kilo-code-cli": [ { "causes": [ "event" ], "date": "2026-11-01", "delta": -5, "from": 73, "fromGrade": "BB", "to": 68, "toGrade": "B" }, { "causes": [ "evidence", "event" ], "date": "2026-10-17", "delta": -2.4, "from": 75.4, "fromGrade": "BB", "to": 73, "toGrade": "BB" } ], "verdent": null }, "job": { "capability": "agent.harness", "name": "Agent harnesses" }, "others": [ { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-kilo-code-cli.json", "title": "Agent Zero vs Kilo Code CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-kilo-code-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Agent Zero vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-verdent" }, { "json": 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"https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-openai-codex" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-opencode.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs OpenCode", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-opencode" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-openhands.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs OpenHands", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-openhands" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-openmausbot.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs OpenMausBot", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-openmausbot" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-orca.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Orca", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-orca" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paseo.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Paseo", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paseo" }, { "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-qoder-cli.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Qoder CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-qoder-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-reflection-mirror.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Mirror CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-reflection-mirror" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-rovo-dev-cli.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Rovo Dev CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-rovo-dev-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-sculptor.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Sculptor", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-sculptor" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-t3-code.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs T3 Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-t3-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-traycer.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Traycer", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-traycer" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-unstoppable.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Unstoppable", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-unstoppable" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-vibe-trading.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Vibe-Trading", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-vibe-trading" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-warp.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Warp (Warp Agent CLI and the Oz Agent API)", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-warp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Kiro CLI vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/letta-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Letta vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/letta-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mini-swe-agent-vs-verdent.json", "title": "mini-swe-agent vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mini-swe-agent-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-verdent.json", "title": "MiniMax Code vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/minimax-code-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mistral-vibe-cli-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Mistral Vibe CLI vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/mistral-vibe-cli-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/muse-code-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Muse Code vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/muse-code-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-agents-api-vs-verdent.json", "title": "OpenAI Agents API vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-agents-api-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-codex-vs-verdent.json", "title": "OpenAI Codex vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-codex-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencode-vs-verdent.json", "title": "OpenCode vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencode-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openhands-vs-verdent.json", "title": "OpenHands vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openhands-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/orca-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Orca vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/orca-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paseo-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Paseo vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paseo-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/prime-agent-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Prime Agent vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/prime-agent-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/qoder-cli-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Qoder CLI vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/qoder-cli-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/qwen-code-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Qwen Code vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/qwen-code-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/reflection-mirror-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Mirror CLI vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/reflection-mirror-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/rovo-dev-cli-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Rovo Dev CLI vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/rovo-dev-cli-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/sculptor-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Sculptor vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/sculptor-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/t3-code-vs-verdent.json", "title": "T3 Code vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/t3-code-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/traycer-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Traycer vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/traycer-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/verdent-vs-vibe-trading.json", "title": "Verdent vs Vibe-Trading", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/verdent-vs-vibe-trading" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/verdent-vs-warp.json", "title": "Verdent vs Warp (Warp Agent CLI and the Oz Agent API)", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/verdent-vs-warp" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clawboo-vs-kilo-code-cli.json", "title": "Clawboo vs Kilo Code CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clawboo-vs-kilo-code-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clawboo-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Clawboo vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/clawboo-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cli-manager-vs-kilo-code-cli.json", "title": "CLI Manager vs Kilo Code CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cli-manager-vs-kilo-code-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cli-manager-vs-verdent.json", "title": "CLI Manager vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cli-manager-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness-autonomous-vs-kilo-code-cli.json", "title": "Harness vs Kilo Code CLI", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness-autonomous-vs-kilo-code-cli" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness-autonomous-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Harness vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness-autonomous-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-parallax-agents.json", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Parallax", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-parallax-agents" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openmausbot-vs-verdent.json", "title": "OpenMausBot vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openmausbot-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Paperclip vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/parallax-agents-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Parallax vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/parallax-agents-vs-verdent" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/unstoppable-vs-verdent.json", "title": "Unstoppable vs Verdent", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/unstoppable-vs-verdent" } ], "panel": null, "scores": [ { "by": 42, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "reliability", "kilo-code-cli": 85, "name": "Reliability", "verdent": 43, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 35, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "schema", "kilo-code-cli": 90, "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "verdent": 55, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 37, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "ergonomics", "kilo-code-cli": 72, "name": "Agent ergonomics", "verdent": 35, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 31, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "security", "kilo-code-cli": 64, "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "verdent": 33, "weight": 14 }, { "by": 30, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "payments", "kilo-code-cli": 50, "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "verdent": 20, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 26, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "maintenance", "kilo-code-cli": 87, "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "verdent": 61, "weight": 7 }, { "by": 21, "edge": "kilo-code-cli", "key": "transparency", "kilo-code-cli": 76, "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "verdent": 55, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Kilo Code CLI scores 68 (B) on agent readiness against Verdent's 39.7 (E), and leads in every scored category. Both do agent harnesses.", "tasks": null, "tutorials": [], "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, the sandbox is off, and October releases changed permission and MCP behaviour without a breaking-change label, so pin a version for unattended `kilo run --auto`.", "verdent": "A desktop and editor coding agent that splits a goal into parallel workers in git worktrees, with a read-only Plan Mode, MCP servers and the option to run workers on Claude Code or Codex. It has no CLI, API or sandbox, sends context through Verdent's servers, and has had no free tier since 29 October 2026." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-verdent", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-verdent.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-verdent.md", "mcp": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-verdent.min.md" }, "markdown": "Kilo Code CLI scores 68 (B) on agent readiness against Verdent's 39.7 (E), and leads in every scored category. Both do agent harnesses.\n\n- Kilo Code CLI: grade B, 68/100, rank #295 of 1486. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kilo-code-cli.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/kilo-code-cli.json\n- Verdent: grade E, 39.7/100, rank #1317 of 1486. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/verdent.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/verdent.json\n- Best agent harnesses and coding agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/agent-harnesses/index.md\n- All 1500 harnesses comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-harnesses/index.md\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Kilo Code CLI (B)\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 43\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 90 against 55\n- Agent ergonomics, 72 against 35\n- Security \u0026 auth, 64 against 33\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 50 against 20\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 87 against 61\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 76 against 55\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Free to start without a card\n- Open source\n\nWatch for: Telemetry to PostHog is on by default, attaches the conda client ID since 7.8.10, and the privacy policy doesn't mention it\n\n### Verdent (E)\n\nGood for: A person who wants a desktop app to plan and run several coding tasks at once, possibly on their own Claude Code or Codex.\n\nWatch for: No CLI, print mode, API or SDK, so a pipeline can't start or read a run except through a paired chat bot\n\n\n## Why the edge\n\n### Reliability: Kilo Code CLI +42\n\n- Kilo Code CLI (85): Local-package reading. `@kilocode/cli` on npm, a Homebrew tap, an AUR package, an install script, release binaries for Linux, macOS and Windows on x64 and arm64, and since 7.8.20 (27 October) a `kilo-cli` conda package on Anaconda.org (20). Public CI, and the 40 most recent completed workflow runs on main on 8 October 2026 all succeeded, per the 8 October check, not re-read on 17 October or 1 November (25). 448 open issues and 147 open pull requests, a workflow that closes issues after 60 quiet days and pull requests after 30, and open reports from 7 October of a hanging turn (#14876) and of exhausted 503 retries ending a run with no visible error (#14877), per the 8 October check, not re-read since (15). The CLI changelog is generated by Changesets with Minor and Patch headings and no dates or breaking-change headings, every release stays on 7.8.x whatever its heading, and 7.8.13 and 7.8.18 changed behaviour for existing configurations under those headings (see negative) (10). 7.8.18 on the npm `latest` tag on 1 November, past 1.0 (15). 20 + 25 + 15 + 10 + 15 = 85.\n- Verdent (43): Local-package reading, as for the other closed-source harnesses. The desktop app installs from verdent.ai with macOS 11 or later and 64-bit Windows 10 and 11 stated, and the extension from the editor marketplaces, but not from a package registry (15). No public CI or test suite, since the source isn't published (0). No public issue tracker, every task runs through Verdent's servers, and no status page was found, so there is no readable record (5). A dated changelog by version, with the end of Free Mode called out in v2.18.0, but no breaking-change sections (8). 2.18.0, generally available (15). 15+0+5+8+15 = 43.\n\n### Agent ergonomics: Kilo Code CLI +37\n\n- Kilo Code CLI (72): Framework reading, adapted to a harness driven by a pipeline. Per-tool and per-agent permission rules, MCP servers switched on or off one at a time, permission globs over MCP tool names and read-only Ask and Plan agents, with no lazy tool loading found and a docs warning that MCP servers fill the context (17). Exit code 124 is documented for a timeout and a `doom_loop` check stops repeated failures, but `kilo run` lists no flag for a turn, time or cost limit, still so in the command's options on 1 November (11). Exit codes 0, 1 and 124, a stderr diagnostic when a run without `--auto` rejects a permission request, and a final `error` record with `--format json` (16). `--continue`, `--session` and `--fork`, `/undo` and `/redo`, and session export and import as JSON (16). `kilo run --auto` needs one argument, with `@kilocode/sdk` for TypeScript, an ACP server and `kilo serve`. We found no second-language SDK on a registry (12). 17 + 11 + 16 + 16 + 12 = 72.\n- Verdent (35): Harness reading. MCP servers per project or globally, subagents, skills and rules, but no per-tool disabling or deferred loading found (10). No output-size, turn-limit or budget controls for a run were found beyond credit balances (5). No exit codes or error format, since there is no headless mode (3). Parallel workers in git worktrees and a review column make runs reviewable and reversible, with no resume by ID documented (10). No CLI, API or SDK. A pipeline can only reach Manager through a paired Telegram, Slack or Feishu bot (7). 10+5+3+10+7 = 35.\n\n### Schema \u0026 documentation: Kilo Code CLI +35\n\n- Kilo Code CLI (90): Framework reading. A JSON Schema for `kilo.jsonc` at `https://app.kilo.ai/config.json`, an OpenAPI file for the `kilo serve` API at `packages/sdk/openapi.json` and a CLI reference generated from the command definitions (25). `llms.txt` on kilo.ai and on the docs, the second listing a raw Markdown address for every page (10). The sandboxing page says when to use the sandbox, what it does not protect and how it differs from permissions (16). Permissions are `allow`, `ask` or `deny` with glob rules, `sandbox.network` and `--format` are enums, though the schema served on 8 October had no `sandbox` key (13). Config and CI samples and exit codes 0, 1 and 124, but we found no reference for the records `--format json` writes (11). A versioned changelog and dated GitHub releases (15). Not re-read on 1 November apart from the changelog. 25 + 10 + 16 + 13 + 11 + 15 = 90.\n- Verdent (55): Framework reading for a harness. No schema for settings or output, only mcp.json examples in the standard mcpServers shape (5). Every current docs page has a Markdown twin at the same path with .md, though no llms.txt (10). The docs say when to use Agent Mode or Plan Mode and what Plan Mode can't do, but the Agent Mode page lists the actions that need approval only as \"certain tool executions\" and \"destructive operations\" (12). Modes and BYOA agent types are enumerated, permissions are not (5). Examples on the MCP, BYOA and messaging pages, and a recovery page, with no error codes (8). Version numbers and a dated public changelog (15). The archived 1.0 docs are still served beside the current ones. 5+10+12+5+8+15 = 55.\n\n### Security \u0026 auth: Kilo Code CLI +31\n\n- Kilo Code CLI (64): Harness reading of the framework checklist. 30 for what leaves the machine by default, 20 for approvals and sandboxing, 15 for prompt-injection posture, 15 for audit and 20 for the security programme. Telemetry is on by default and goes to PostHog in the United States, the source links the machine identifier to the account email after a Kilo sign-in, and since 7.8.10 (14 October) it also attaches the conda client ID when `~/.conda/aau_token` exists (see negative). It is turned off with `experimental.openTelemetry` or `KILO_TELEMETRY_LEVEL`. Provider keys stay on the machine (14). Shell commands ask by default outside a built-in allow list, reads of `.env` files and paths outside the project ask, and edits inside the project run without asking. An operating-system sandbox (Seatbelt on macOS, Bubblewrap on Linux, none on Windows) limits writes and blocks the network, refuses to run when it can't be enforced, and is off by default. `--auto` approves everything not explicitly denied. Since 7.8.13 a custom agent's own `edit` denies no longer bind the subagents it starts (15). The sandboxing page covers prompt injection and its limits, project config can't weaken the sandbox, and `{env:VAR}` is resolved only in trusted config. 7.8.16 (22 October) stopped running shell expressions found in MCP prompt text (see negative) and restricted MCP OAuth URLs to HTTP(S), and 7.8.18 stopped following cross-origin redirects for MCP HTTP and OAuth requests (11). Session export, `kilo stats` and OTLP export of traces and logs, with audit logs on the Enterprise plan (12). A valid security.txt (expires 2026-12-31, re-read on 1 November), a disclosure policy that cites HackerOne's standards and safe harbour, CodeQL in CI and no published repository advisories, though 7.8.16's MCP prompt fix appeared only as a changelog line. NVD lists CVE-2026-8766 and CVE-2026-8765 (both low, through 7.0.47, published 17 May 2026, the second a path traversal in the opt-in server's file diff route) and says the vendor didn't respond, and SECURITY.md still says the CLI has no sandbox (12). 14 + 15 + 11 + 12 + 12 = 64.\n- Verdent (33): Framework reading (telemetry defaults, approvals, guardrails, sandboxing). Conversation history and tool results go to Verdent's US servers and on to Azure, Bedrock or Vertex, with zero data retention stated for Vertex and Bedrock only. Event logging to log.verdent.ai has no documented opt-out. BYOA keys stay on the machine (10). Plan Mode is read-only, Agent Mode asks before destructive commands and edits outside scope, and workers are isolated by git worktree, but there is no sandbox or network control and the approval list isn't enumerated (9). No prompt-injection guidance found, while web search and fetch results enter the context (2). Usage history in the dashboard, no audit log found (5). A security page with a disclosure address and a five-day acknowledgement, SOC 2 and ISO/IEC 42001 being pursued rather than held, no security.txt and no bug bounty (7). 10+9+2+5+7 = 33.\n\n### Payments \u0026 pricing: Kilo Code CLI +30\n\n- Kilo Code CLI (50): No payment protocol (0). Scored on Kilo's paid options, as with Cline. Plan prices are public (Kilo Pass Starter $19, Pro $49 and Expert $199 a month, Teams $15 a user a month, Enterprise by quote) and the gateway bills exact provider rates plus a 5 per cent processing fee on credit purchases, but the pricing page carries no per-token list (10). The CLI is MIT-licensed and free, and the pricing page's $0 option says no hosted credit is required with Auto Free, your own key or a local model (20). Your own provider key or a local model works with no Kilo account, so an agent can install and run it without a sign-up (20). Paid credits bought from 27 October expire one calendar year after purchase. 0 + 10 + 20 + 20 = 50.\n- Verdent (20): Harness reading of the published rubric, scored on the Verdent subscription the agent needs. No payment protocol (0). Plan prices from $5 a month, top-up prices and the credit value of about $0.059 are public without a login (20). Free Mode and the free trial ended on 29 October 2026, so there is no free tier (0). A person signs up in a browser (0). 0+20+0+0 = 20.\n\n### Maintenance \u0026 community: Kilo Code CLI +26\n\n- Kilo Code CLI (87): 7.8.18 on the npm `latest` tag (tag of 26 October 2026), with 7.8.25 on the `rc` tag (28 October) (30). 51 v7 release tags from 4 August to 28 October 2026, among them 7.8.13 to 7.8.25 since the 17 October check (20). Issue replies weren't re-read. The newest issues carry area and triage labels from automation, but the 15 newest open issues had no or one comment each on 8 October, against 448 open issues and 147 open pull requests, per the 8 October check (15). `@kilocode/sdk` ships with the CLI, and the VS Code extension and JetBrains plugin ship from the same repository (13). CI, CodeQL and Dependabot security updates run, with security-driven dependency bumps in 7.8.18 and 7.8.20 (9). 30 + 20 + 15 + 13 + 9 = 87.\n- Verdent (61): Closed service. v2.18.0 on 29 October 2026, eight days before this check (30). More than three dated releases in the 90 days from 8 August, among them 2.10.0 to 2.18.0 (20). A dated public changelog, a support address, Discord and a subreddit, with no public tracker to read reply times (8). No official SDK or MCP server to keep current (0). No public packages or CI to judge (3). 30+20+8+0+3 = 61.\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Kilo Code CLI | Verdent | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 85 | 43 | Kilo Code CLI +42 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 90 | 55 | Kilo Code CLI +35 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 72 | 35 | Kilo Code CLI +37 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 64 | 33 | Kilo Code CLI +31 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 50 | 20 | Kilo Code CLI +30 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 87 | 61 | Kilo Code CLI +26 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 76 | 55 | Kilo Code CLI +21 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -7 | -2 | |\n| **Total** | | **68 · B** | **39.7 · E** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Kilo Code CLI | Verdent |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | Agent harness |\n| Vendor | Kilo Code Inc. | Verdent AI, Inc. |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | | |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Freemium | Paid |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | MIT | Proprietary. The terms of use from Verdent AI, Inc. forbid reverse engineering or copying any component, and no source is published |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | yes |\n| llms.txt | yes | no |\n| Last release | 2026-10-26 | 2026-10-29 |\n| Terms last updated | 2026-09-30 | 2026-05-25 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-05-29 | 2026-05-26 |\n| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | yes |\n| Terms restrict automated access | yes | yes |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | yes | yes |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | not found in the text |\n| Popularity | 28k stars, 33k npm/wk | none |\n| Agent reviews | 2.3/5 (4) | none |\n\n## How the scores have moved\n\n### Kilo Code CLI\n\n- -5.0 on 1 November 2026 (BB to B): negative event\n- -2.4 on 17 October 2026: new evidence, negative event\n\n### Verdent\n\nNo score change since it was listed.\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, the sandbox is off, and October releases changed permission and MCP behaviour without a breaking-change label, so pin a version for unattended `kilo run --auto`.\n\n**Verdent.** A desktop and editor coding agent that splits a goal into parallel workers in git worktrees, with a read-only Plan Mode, MCP servers and the option to run workers on Claude Code or Codex. It has no CLI, API or sandbox, sends context through Verdent's servers, and has had no free tier since 29 October 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, including the conda client ID\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. Confine subagent writes with a session-level edit rule. Since 7.8.13 a custom agent's own `edit` denies no longer bind the subagents it starts\n6. Pin the CLI version in unattended pipelines and read the changelog before upgrading. Behaviour changes ship under 7.8.x patch versions\n\n### Verdent\n\n1. Don't plan to drive Verdent headless. Hand the task to the person using the desktop app, or use a harness with a print mode\n2. Start large changes in Plan Mode and review plan.md before switching to Agent Mode\n3. Add MCP servers in the project's .mcp.json or ~/.verdent/mcp.json in the mcpServers shape\n4. Keep work under git, since rollback relies on git and there is no sandbox\n5. Budget in credits at about $0.059 each, because there is no free allowance since 29 October 2026\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Kilo Code CLI or Verdent?\n\nKilo Code CLI scores 68 (B) on agent readiness against Verdent's 39.7 (E), and leads in every scored category.\n\n### Are Kilo Code CLI and Verdent open source?\n\nKilo Code CLI is open source (MIT). No open-source release is listed for Verdent.\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-verdent.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-verdent.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"kilo-code-cli\", \"b\": \"verdent\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare kilo-code-cli verdent`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/kilo-code-cli.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/verdent.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Kilo Code CLI or Verdent\n\n- [Agent Zero vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [Agent Zero vs Verdent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-verdent.md)\n- [Aider vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [Aider vs Verdent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-verdent.md)\n- [Amp vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [Amp vs Verdent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-verdent.md)\n- [Antigravity CLI vs Kilo Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/antigravity-cli-vs-kilo-code-cli.md)\n- [Antigravity CLI vs 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"url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "Kilo Code CLI vs Verdent", "url": "" } ], "description": "Kilo Code CLI scores 68 (B) to Verdent's 39.7 (E) for agent harnesses. Prices, MCP, x402, uptime and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Kilo Code CLI B 68", "Verdent E 39.7", "scores" ], "h1": "Kilo Code CLI vs Verdent", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/default.png", "path": "/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-verdent", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Verdent for AI agents in 2026: scores and prices", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-11-07", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-verdent" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 7150, "slim": 3280 }, "version": 1 }