{
  "data": {
    "a": {
      "slug": "kimi-code-cli",
      "name": "Kimi Code CLI",
      "vendor": "Moonshot AI",
      "vendorUrl": "https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-code/en/",
      "kind": "harness",
      "category": "agent-harnesses",
      "summary": "Open-source terminal coding agent from Moonshot AI that replaced the archived Python Kimi CLI. It runs Kimi, Anthropic, OpenAI or Gemini models, headless with `kimi -p`, as an ACP server, or behind a local REST server.",
      "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kimi-code-cli",
      "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kimi-code-cli.md",
      "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kimi-code-cli.min.md",
      "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/kimi-code-cli.json",
      "repo": "https://github.com/MoonshotAI/kimi-code",
      "license": "MIT",
      "transports": [],
      "packages": [
        {
          "registry": "npm",
          "name": "@moonshot-ai/kimi-code"
        }
      ],
      "auth": "mixed",
      "authNotes": "Kimi Code OAuth (RFC 8628 device code through `/login` or `kimi login`) for a Kimi Code subscription, or a Kimi Platform API key. Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Vertex AI and OpenAI-compatible providers take a key in `config.toml`. Provider keys in the shell are not read unless named through `api_key_env` or the `KIMI_MODEL_*` variables. OAuth tokens are stored in `~/.kimi-code/credentials/` with 0600 permissions.",
      "pricing": "free",
      "pricingNotes": "Free and MIT-licensed, with nothing to buy for the CLI. The owner pays the model provider. Kimi Platform API keys are billed pay-as-you-go per million tokens, and the Kimi Code subscription is sold as a Kimi membership plan whose prices render only with JavaScript and weren't read on 18 October 2026.",
      "priceSummary": "Free · OSS",
      "where": "local",
      "x402": {
        "level": "no",
        "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs or the 2.2.0 npm package (checked 2026-10-18).",
        "endpoints": []
      },
      "toolCount": null,
      "popularity": {
        "githubStars": null,
        "npmWeekly": 36761,
        "pypiWeekly": null,
        "asOf": "2026-10-18"
      },
      "docsUrl": "https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-code/en/",
      "llmsTxt": "https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-code/llms.txt",
      "capabilities": [
        "agent.harness",
        "agent.mcp-client",
        "agent.multi-agent"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "official",
        "harness",
        "coding-agent",
        "cli",
        "open-source",
        "typescript",
        "mcp",
        "acp",
        "llms-txt",
        "telemetry-default-on",
        "no-sandbox",
        "free",
        "no-card",
        "local"
      ],
      "lastRelease": "2026-10-14",
      "graded": true,
      "anchor": {
        "graded": true,
        "score": 62.1,
        "grade": "B",
        "agentReady": false,
        "rank": 492,
        "ranked": true,
        "rankOf": 1146,
        "categoryRank": 11,
        "methodology": "0.4",
        "run": "2026-10-01",
        "scores": {
          "ergonomics": 71,
          "maintenance": 72,
          "payments": 60,
          "reliability": 68,
          "schema": 85,
          "security": 45,
          "transparency": 62
        },
        "pending": [
          "performance",
          "tasks"
        ],
        "assessment": {
          "confidence": "medium",
          "date": "2026-10-18"
        },
        "negative": -4,
        "negativeNotes": [
          "2026-09-04. Version 0.41.0 fixed print mode (`kimi -p`) ignoring `KIMI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY`, so scripted runs sent telemetry after the user opted out. Fixed and stated in the changelog, -2. https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-code/en/release-notes/changelog",
          "2026-09-23. Version 2.1.0 fixed file tools reaching outside the working directory through symlinks, repository git configuration running commands during background git operations, and project config applied before the workspace was trusted. Fixed and listed in the changelog, with no advisory published in OSV on 18 October 2026, -2. https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-code/en/release-notes/changelog"
        ],
        "verdict": "MIT-licensed, with 32 releases in the 90 days to 14 October 2026, `kimi -p` with stream-json output, an ACP server and a local REST API with a live OpenAPI document. Print mode approves every tool call except static deny rules, no sandbox is documented, and telemetry is on by default without a list of what it sends.",
        "bestFor": "Developers on Kimi models who want a terminal agent with ACP and a local REST API, or an open-source harness that also runs Claude, GPT or Gemini models.",
        "strengths": [
          "MIT-licensed, with a single-binary installer, npm and Homebrew core packages at 2.2.0",
          "`kimi -p` with `stream-json` output, plus `kimi acp` covering the full ACP core and session surface",
          "`kimi web` serves a REST and WebSocket API with live OpenAPI and AsyncAPI documents behind a bearer token",
          "32 npm releases in the 90 days to 14 October 2026, with a dated changelog in the docs",
          "Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Vertex AI and OpenAI-compatible providers alongside Kimi"
        ],
        "weaknesses": [
          "Print mode approves every tool call under Never Ask, where the dangerous-command guard is off",
          "No sandbox and no network control found in the docs",
          "Telemetry is on by default, the docs don't say what it sends, and print mode ignored the opt-out before 0.41.0",
          "No privacy page for the CLI, and the Kimi terms use content for training unless the user opts out by email",
          "Lifecycle hooks fail open, so a hook that errors or times out lets the tool call through"
        ],
        "agentNotes": [
          "`kimi -p` approves every tool call. Add `[[permission.rules]]` deny entries and run it in a container, since no sandbox is documented",
          "Set `KIMI_LOOP_MAX_STEPS_PER_TURN` for unattended runs. Steps per turn are unlimited by default",
          "Pass the model with `KIMI_MODEL_NAME`, `KIMI_MODEL_API_KEY` and `KIMI_MODEL_PROVIDER_TYPE`. `OPENAI_API_KEY` or `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` in the shell is ignored otherwise",
          "Set `KIMI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1` and use 0.41.0 or later, since earlier print-mode runs ignored it",
          "Install `@moonshot-ai/kimi-code` or the `kimi-code` formula. The `kimi-cli` and `kimi-code` packages on PyPI are the archived Python CLI"
        ],
        "metrics": {
          "kind": "local",
          "measured": false
        },
        "reviewCount": 4,
        "avgRating": 3,
        "history": [
          {
            "basis": "public evidence",
            "confidence": "medium",
            "grade": "B",
            "methodology": "0.4",
            "pending": [
              "performance",
              "tasks"
            ],
            "run": "2026-10-01",
            "runLabel": "October 2026 research run",
            "score": 62.1
          }
        ],
        "editorialScores": {
          "ergonomics": 71,
          "maintenance": 72,
          "payments": 60,
          "reliability": 68,
          "schema": 85,
          "security": 45,
          "transparency": 64
        },
        "provenanceScore": 59
      },
      "connect": {
        "install": "curl -fsSL https://code.kimi.com/kimi-code/install.sh | bash   # or: npm install -g @moonshot-ai/kimi-code, or: brew install kimi-code",
        "headless": {
          "command": "kimi -p \"$TASK\" --output-format stream-json",
          "env": {
            "KIMI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY": "1",
            "KIMI_LOOP_MAX_STEPS_PER_TURN": "50",
            "KIMI_MODEL_API_KEY": "\u003ckey\u003e",
            "KIMI_MODEL_NAME": "\u003cmodel\u003e",
            "KIMI_MODEL_PROVIDER_TYPE": "kimi"
          }
        }
      },
      "letme": {
        "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.harness",
        "tool": "https://letme.dev/kimi-code-cli"
      },
      "area": "frameworks",
      "provenance": {
        "legalEntity": "Moonshot AI (the global Kimi terms name NOVASCENT PRIVATE LIMITED, Singapore)",
        "domain": "moonshotai.github.io",
        "domainRegistered": "",
        "endpointOnVendorDomain": null,
        "terms": "https://www.kimi.ai/user/agreement/modelUse?version=v2",
        "privacy": "https://www.kimi.ai/user/agreement/userPrivacy?version=v2",
        "statusPage": "",
        "changelog": "https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-code/en/release-notes/changelog",
        "securityTxt": "none",
        "checked": "2026-10-18",
        "notes": [
          "The LICENSE reads Copyright (c) 2026 Moonshot AI. The Kimi terms (effective 13 August 2026) and privacy policy (last updated 13 August 2026), linked from the Kimi Code page on kimi.ai, name NOVASCENT PRIVATE LIMITED, a company registered in Singapore, as the provider. Neither names the CLI.",
          "The docs are on GitHub Pages and carry no terms or privacy page of their own. The Kimi Platform has separate terms and a privacy policy for API keys at platform.kimi.ai/docs/agreement.",
          "kimi.com, kimi.ai and moonshot.ai each answered /.well-known/security.txt with an HTML page, so no security.txt was found. SECURITY.md names private GitHub advisories and code@moonshot.ai."
        ],
        "score": 59
      },
      "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kimi-code-cli.json",
      "live": {
        "slug": "kimi-code-cli",
        "pages": [
          {
            "url": "https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-code/en/release-notes/changelog",
            "kind": "changelog",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T23:33:53.410496102Z",
            "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            "fingerprint": "f8f198816ab3"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://www.kimi.ai/user/agreement/userPrivacy?version=v2",
            "kind": "privacy",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T23:44:58.354116633Z",
            "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            "fingerprint": "e6a453a3c7bd"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://www.kimi.ai/user/agreement/modelUse?version=v2",
            "kind": "terms",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T23:44:55.919228113Z",
            "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            "fingerprint": "27a334b00216"
          }
        ],
        "updatedAt": "2026-10-18T23:44:58.354116633Z"
      }
    },
    "answer": "Kimi Code CLI scores 62.1 (B) on agent readiness against Kiro CLI's 60.6 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Kiro CLI leads on security \u0026 auth and transparency \u0026 trust.",
    "b": {
      "slug": "kiro-cli",
      "name": "Kiro CLI",
      "vendor": "Amazon Web Services",
      "vendorUrl": "https://kiro.dev/cli/",
      "kind": "harness",
      "category": "agent-harnesses",
      "summary": "AWS's coding agent for the terminal and the successor to the Amazon Q Developer CLI. It runs interactive chat, non-interactive runs for pipelines with an API key, MCP servers and an Agent Client Protocol server for editors.",
      "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kiro-cli",
      "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kiro-cli.md",
      "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kiro-cli.min.md",
      "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/kiro-cli.json",
      "repo": "https://github.com/kirodotdev/Kiro",
      "license": "Proprietary. Licensed as AWS Content under the AWS Customer Agreement and the AWS Intellectual Property Licence (https://kiro.dev/license/). The GitHub repository is the public issue tracker and doesn't hold the source",
      "transports": [],
      "packages": [],
      "auth": "mixed",
      "authNotes": "`kiro-cli login` with GitHub, Google, AWS Builder ID, AWS IAM Identity Centre or an external identity provider, in a browser or by device flow on a remote machine. Pipelines use an API key in `KIRO_API_KEY`, created at app.kiro.dev by Pro, Pro+, Pro Max and Power subscribers. Keys are long-lived, named and revocable, with no scopes, and API key generation is off by default for subscriptions an administrator manages. An active browser session takes precedence over the key.",
      "pricing": "freemium",
      "pricingNotes": "Kiro Free is $0 with 50 credits a month and a reduced model list. Pro is $20 a user a month with 1,000 credits, Pro+ $40 with 2,000, Pro Max $100 with 5,000 and Power $200 with 10,000, and extra credits cost $0.04 each. Models use credits at different rates (Auto is the 1.0x baseline). API keys for headless runs need a paid plan, and a paid plan needs a card. GovCloud prices are about 20 per cent higher with no free tier (checked 2026-10-08).",
      "priceSummary": "$20 / mo",
      "where": "local",
      "x402": {
        "level": "no",
        "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs, the pricing page or the CLI changelog (checked 2026-10-08).",
        "endpoints": []
      },
      "toolCount": null,
      "popularity": {
        "githubStars": 4356,
        "npmWeekly": null,
        "pypiWeekly": null,
        "asOf": "2026-10-08"
      },
      "docsUrl": "https://kiro.dev/docs/cli/",
      "llmsTxt": "https://kiro.dev/llms.txt",
      "capabilities": [
        "agent.harness",
        "agent.mcp-client",
        "agent.multi-agent"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "official",
        "harness",
        "coding-agent",
        "cli",
        "closed-source",
        "mcp",
        "acp",
        "llms-txt",
        "free-tier",
        "no-card",
        "telemetry-default-on"
      ],
      "lastRelease": "2026-10-14",
      "graded": true,
      "anchor": {
        "graded": true,
        "score": 60.6,
        "grade": "C",
        "agentReady": false,
        "rank": 557,
        "ranked": true,
        "rankOf": 1146,
        "categoryRank": 13,
        "methodology": "0.4",
        "run": "2026-10-01",
        "scores": {
          "ergonomics": 67,
          "maintenance": 73,
          "payments": 40,
          "reliability": 57,
          "schema": 79,
          "security": 69,
          "transparency": 69
        },
        "pending": [
          "performance",
          "tasks"
        ],
        "assessment": {
          "confidence": "medium",
          "date": "2026-10-17"
        },
        "negative": -4,
        "negativeNotes": [
          "2026-08-04. CVE-2026-18656 and CVE-2026-18657 (bulletin 2026-074-AWS), an uncontrolled search path on Windows let a planted executable in a crafted project directory run when a user opened it. Kiro CLI for Windows before 2.10.0 and Kiro IDE 1.0.0 to 1.0.212. Fixed and published with credit to the reporters, inside six months (https://aws.amazon.com/security/security-bulletins/2026-074-aws/). -2",
          "2026-05-22. CVE-2026-9255 (bulletin 2026-035-AWS), content piped to kiro-cli on stdin could answer the tool approval prompt, so a local actor could run tools and shell commands without the user's approval. kiro-cli before 1.28.0. Fixed and published, inside six months (https://aws.amazon.com/security/security-bulletins/2026-035-aws/). -2"
        ],
        "verdict": "Permission rules follow deny over ask over allow, cloned repositories can't add rules, and a headless session treats every ask as a deny. Content from Free and individual paid accounts is used for service improvement, including model training, unless the user opts out, and API keys for pipelines need a paid plan.",
        "bestFor": "Teams on AWS that want one agent configuration across terminal, IDE and web, with central permission policy, prompt logging to their own S3 bucket and IAM Identity Centre sign-in.",
        "strengths": [
          "Capability permissions with deny over ask over allow, stored outside the repository so a clone can't add rules",
          "An untrusted workspace doesn't load its own agents, steering files, MCP configuration or skills, and asks before every shell command",
          "Headless runs with `--no-interactive`, JSON Lines output, and exit codes 3 and 4 for MCP startup and missing-agent failures",
          "Twelve minor releases between 26 August and 13 October 2026 in a dated changelog",
          "Plan prices, the $0.04 credit price and per-model credit multipliers are public, with a free tier of 50 credits a month"
        ],
        "weaknesses": [
          "Free and individual paid accounts have content used for service improvement, including model training, unless they opt out",
          "Closed source since it replaced the Apache 2.0 Amazon Q Developer CLI, with no public CI or test suite",
          "API keys for headless runs need a paid plan, are long-lived and carry no scopes",
          "The local command sandbox exists only in the V3 engine and is off unless chosen, and AWS says managed permission policies are client-enforced",
          "Two CVEs in 2026 (CVE-2026-9255 in May, CVE-2026-18656 and CVE-2026-18657 in August), both fixed"
        ],
        "agentNotes": [
          "Set `KIRO_API_KEY` and pass `--no-interactive` with `--trust-tools=\u003clist\u003e` in pipelines. Keep `--trust-all-tools` for disposable environments",
          "Pass `--require-mcp-startup` when a run depends on MCP tools. Without it a failed server is logged and the run continues",
          "Pass `--no-interactive` whenever input is piped from a source you don't control, and run 2.10.0 or later on Windows",
          "Run `kiro-cli settings telemetry.enabled false` and turn off content collection on Free and individual plans. Both are on by default",
          "Pick another model if a session names Claude Sonnet 4, which reached end of life in Kiro on 14 October 2026. Kiro doesn't switch it for you"
        ],
        "metrics": {
          "kind": "local",
          "measured": false
        },
        "reviewCount": 4,
        "avgRating": 2.8,
        "history": [
          {
            "basis": "public evidence",
            "confidence": "medium",
            "grade": "C",
            "methodology": "0.4",
            "pending": [
              "performance",
              "tasks"
            ],
            "run": "2026-10-01",
            "runLabel": "October 2026 research run",
            "score": 60.6
          }
        ],
        "editorialScores": {
          "ergonomics": 67,
          "maintenance": 73,
          "payments": 40,
          "reliability": 57,
          "schema": 79,
          "security": 69,
          "transparency": 66
        },
        "provenanceScore": 72
      },
      "connect": {
        "install": "curl -fsSL https://cli.kiro.dev/install | bash",
        "headless": {
          "run": "KIRO_API_KEY=ksk_... kiro-cli chat --no-interactive --trust-tools=read,grep \"Find all TODO comments in src/\""
        }
      },
      "letme": {
        "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.harness",
        "tool": "https://letme.dev/kiro-cli"
      },
      "area": "frameworks",
      "unitPrices": [
        {
          "item": "Kiro Pro",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 20,
          "note": "per user, with 1,000 credits"
        },
        {
          "item": "Add-on credit",
          "unit": "credit",
          "usd": 0.04,
          "note": "paid plans, beyond the plan's credits"
        }
      ],
      "provenance": {
        "legalEntity": "Amazon Web Services, Inc.",
        "domain": "kiro.dev",
        "domainRegistered": "2019-03-01",
        "endpointOnVendorDomain": null,
        "terms": "https://aws.amazon.com/agreement/",
        "privacy": "https://aws.amazon.com/privacy/",
        "statusPage": "",
        "changelog": "https://kiro.dev/changelog/cli/",
        "securityTxt": "none",
        "checked": "2026-10-17",
        "notes": [
          "Kiro's licence page says the Kiro IDE and CLI are licensed as AWS Content under the AWS Customer Agreement and the AWS Intellectual Property Licence. Section 50.14 of the AWS Service Terms names Amazon Web Services, Inc. as the contracting party for subscriptions bought through the Stripe portal.",
          "The AWS Customer Agreement (last updated 14 August 2026) governs use, with the AWS Service Terms sections 50.3 and 50.14 for Kiro. The AWS Privacy Notice (last updated 18 May 2026) is the privacy link in Kiro's footer.",
          "kiro.dev/.well-known/security.txt answered 404 on 17 October. aws.amazon.com publishes a security.txt that is valid again, with Expires 2027-10-16 and a Policy of https://vdp.aws.security/.",
          "No status page for Kiro was found on kiro.dev or in its docs.",
          "RDAP (Google Registry) gives kiro.dev a registration date of 1 March 2019, before the product."
        ],
        "score": 72
      },
      "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kiro-cli.json",
      "live": {
        "slug": "kiro-cli",
        "githubStars": 4369,
        "securityTxt": {
          "url": "https://kiro.dev/.well-known/security.txt",
          "state": "none",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T15:54:17.549782163Z"
        },
        "llmsTxt": {
          "url": "https://kiro.dev/llms.txt",
          "ok": true,
          "status": 200,
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T14:25:20.506213471Z"
        },
        "domain": {
          "domain": "kiro.dev",
          "registered": "2019-03-01",
          "source": "https://pubapi.registry.google/rdap/domain/kiro.dev",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T13:41:07.664468218Z"
        },
        "pages": [
          {
            "url": "https://kiro.dev/changelog/cli/",
            "kind": "deprecations",
            "status": 304,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T23:32:19.18167639Z",
            "changedAt": "2026-10-15T21:29:04.182775461Z",
            "fingerprint": "930a7f669a07"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://kiro.dev/changelog/models/",
            "kind": "deprecations",
            "status": 304,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-18T23:32:21.302600812Z",
            "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            "fingerprint": "46e921a92cc6"
          }
        ],
        "updatedAt": "2026-10-18T23:32:21.302600812Z"
      }
    },
    "facts": [
      {
        "a": "Agent harness",
        "b": "Agent harness",
        "name": "Kind"
      },
      {
        "a": "Moonshot AI",
        "b": "Amazon Web Services",
        "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": "Free",
        "b": "Freemium",
        "name": "Pricing"
      },
      {
        "a": "no",
        "b": "no",
        "name": "x402"
      },
      {
        "a": "MIT",
        "b": "Proprietary. Licensed as AWS Content under the AWS Customer Agreement and the AWS Intellectual Property Licence (https://kiro.dev/license/). The GitHub repository is the public issue tracker and doesn't hold the source",
        "name": "Licence"
      },
      {
        "a": "no",
        "b": "no",
        "name": "Read-only variant documented"
      },
      {
        "a": "yes",
        "b": "yes",
        "name": "llms.txt"
      },
      {
        "a": "2026-10-14",
        "b": "2026-10-14",
        "name": "Last release"
      },
      {
        "a": "",
        "b": "2026-08-14",
        "name": "Terms last updated"
      },
      {
        "a": "",
        "b": "2026-05-18",
        "name": "Privacy policy last updated"
      },
      {
        "a": "",
        "b": "not found in the text",
        "name": "Customer content may train models"
      },
      {
        "a": "",
        "b": "not found in the text",
        "name": "Terms restrict automated access"
      },
      {
        "a": "",
        "b": "not found in the text",
        "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking"
      },
      {
        "a": "",
        "b": "not found in the text",
        "name": "Terms or service can change without notice"
      },
      {
        "a": "",
        "b": "yes",
        "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver"
      },
      {
        "a": "37k npm/wk",
        "b": "4.4k stars",
        "name": "Popularity"
      },
      {
        "a": "3/5 (4)",
        "b": "2.8/5 (4)",
        "name": "Agent reviews"
      }
    ],
    "faq": [
      {
        "answer": "Kimi Code CLI scores 62.1 (B) on agent readiness against Kiro CLI's 60.6 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Kiro CLI leads on security \u0026 auth and transparency \u0026 trust.",
        "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Kimi Code CLI or Kiro CLI?"
      },
      {
        "answer": "Kimi Code CLI is open source (MIT). No open-source release is listed for Kiro CLI.",
        "question": "Are Kimi Code CLI and Kiro CLI open source?"
      }
    ],
    "goodFor": [
      {
        "aheadOn": [
          "Reliability, 68 against 57",
          "Schema \u0026 documentation, 85 against 79",
          "Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 40"
        ],
        "also": [
          "Open source"
        ],
        "goodFor": "Developers on Kimi models who want a terminal agent with ACP and a local REST API, or an open-source harness that also runs Claude, GPT or Gemini models.",
        "slug": "kimi-code-cli",
        "watchFor": "Print mode approves every tool call under Never Ask, where the dangerous-command guard is off"
      },
      {
        "aheadOn": [
          "Security \u0026 auth, 69 against 45",
          "Transparency \u0026 trust, 69 against 62"
        ],
        "also": null,
        "goodFor": "Teams on AWS that want one agent configuration across terminal, IDE and web, with central permission policy, prompt logging to their own S3 bucket and IAM Identity Centre sign-in.",
        "slug": "kiro-cli",
        "watchFor": "Free and individual paid accounts have content used for service improvement, including model training, unless they opt out"
      }
    ],
    "job": {
      "capability": "agent.harness",
      "name": "Agent harnesses"
    },
    "others": [
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Agent Zero vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Agent Zero vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Aider vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Aider vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Amp vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Amp vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/antigravity-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Antigravity CLI vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/antigravity-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/antigravity-cli-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Antigravity CLI vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/antigravity-cli-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/auggie-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Auggie CLI vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/auggie-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/auggie-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Auggie CLI vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/auggie-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Claude Code vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Claude Code vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Cline vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Cline vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crush-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Crush vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crush-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crush-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Crush vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/crush-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Cursor CLI vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Cursor CLI vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-harness-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "DeepSeek Harness (dsh) vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-harness-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-harness-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "DeepSeek Harness (dsh) vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/deepseek-harness-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Devin vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Devin vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Droid CLI vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/droid-cli-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Pi vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Pi vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Gemini CLI vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Gemini CLI vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "GitHub Copilot CLI vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "GitHub Copilot CLI vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "goose vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "goose vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness2-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Harness² vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness2-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness2-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Harness² vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness2-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harnessrouter-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "HarnessRouter vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harnessrouter-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harnessrouter-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "HarnessRouter vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harnessrouter-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jules-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Jules vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jules-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jules-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Jules vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/jules-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/junie-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Junie CLI vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/junie-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/junie-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Junie CLI vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/junie-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Kilo Code CLI vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kilo-code-cli-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-mini-swe-agent.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs mini-swe-agent",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-mini-swe-agent"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-mistral-vibe-cli.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Mistral Vibe CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-mistral-vibe-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-muse-code.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Muse Code",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-muse-code"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-openai-codex.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs OpenAI Codex",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-openai-codex"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-opencode.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs OpenCode",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-opencode"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-openhands.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs OpenHands",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-openhands"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-prime-agent.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Prime Agent",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-prime-agent"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-qoder-cli.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Qoder CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-qoder-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-qwen-code.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Qwen Code",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-qwen-code"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-reflection-mirror.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Mirror CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-reflection-mirror"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-rovo-dev-cli.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Rovo Dev CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-rovo-dev-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-warp.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Warp (Warp Agent CLI and the Oz Agent API)",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-warp"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-mini-swe-agent.json",
        "title": "Kiro CLI vs mini-swe-agent",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-mini-swe-agent"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-mistral-vibe-cli.json",
        "title": "Kiro CLI vs Mistral Vibe CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-mistral-vibe-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-muse-code.json",
        "title": "Kiro CLI vs Muse Code",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-muse-code"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-openai-codex.json",
        "title": "Kiro CLI vs OpenAI Codex",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-openai-codex"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-opencode.json",
        "title": "Kiro CLI vs OpenCode",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-opencode"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-openhands.json",
        "title": "Kiro CLI vs OpenHands",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-openhands"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-prime-agent.json",
        "title": "Kiro CLI vs Prime Agent",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-prime-agent"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-qoder-cli.json",
        "title": "Kiro CLI vs Qoder CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-qoder-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-qwen-code.json",
        "title": "Kiro CLI vs Qwen Code",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-qwen-code"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-reflection-mirror.json",
        "title": "Kiro CLI vs Mirror CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-reflection-mirror"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-rovo-dev-cli.json",
        "title": "Kiro CLI vs Rovo Dev CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-rovo-dev-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-warp.json",
        "title": "Kiro CLI vs Warp (Warp Agent CLI and the Oz Agent API)",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-warp"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cli-manager-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
        "title": "CLI Manager vs Kimi Code CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cli-manager-vs-kimi-code-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cli-manager-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "CLI Manager vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cli-manager-vs-kiro-cli"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness-autonomous-vs-kimi-code-cli.json",
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        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness-autonomous-vs-kimi-code-cli"
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      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness-autonomous-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Harness vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness-autonomous-vs-kiro-cli"
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      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-paperclip.json",
        "title": "Kimi Code CLI vs Paperclip",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-paperclip"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-parallax-agents.json",
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        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-parallax-agents"
      },
      {
        "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"
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      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-parallax-agents.json",
        "title": "Kiro CLI vs Parallax",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-parallax-agents"
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    "scores": [
      {
        "by": 11,
        "edge": "kimi-code-cli",
        "key": "reliability",
        "kimi-code-cli": 68,
        "kiro-cli": 57,
        "name": "Reliability",
        "weight": 16
      },
      {
        "key": "performance",
        "name": "Performance",
        "pending": true,
        "weight": 10
      },
      {
        "by": 6,
        "edge": "kimi-code-cli",
        "key": "schema",
        "kimi-code-cli": 85,
        "kiro-cli": 79,
        "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation",
        "weight": 13
      },
      {
        "by": 4,
        "edge": "kimi-code-cli",
        "key": "ergonomics",
        "kimi-code-cli": 71,
        "kiro-cli": 67,
        "name": "Agent ergonomics",
        "weight": 13
      },
      {
        "by": 24,
        "edge": "kiro-cli",
        "key": "security",
        "kimi-code-cli": 45,
        "kiro-cli": 69,
        "name": "Security \u0026 auth",
        "weight": 14
      },
      {
        "by": 20,
        "edge": "kimi-code-cli",
        "key": "payments",
        "kimi-code-cli": 60,
        "kiro-cli": 40,
        "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing",
        "weight": 10
      },
      {
        "key": "tasks",
        "name": "Task success",
        "pending": true,
        "weight": 10
      },
      {
        "by": 1,
        "edge": "kiro-cli",
        "key": "maintenance",
        "kimi-code-cli": 72,
        "kiro-cli": 73,
        "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community",
        "weight": 7
      },
      {
        "by": 7,
        "edge": "kiro-cli",
        "key": "transparency",
        "kimi-code-cli": 62,
        "kiro-cli": 69,
        "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust",
        "weight": 7
      }
    ],
    "summary": "Kimi Code CLI scores 62.1 (B) on agent readiness against Kiro CLI's 60.6 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Kiro CLI leads on security \u0026 auth and transparency \u0026 trust. Both do agent harnesses.",
    "tutorials": [],
    "verdicts": {
      "kimi-code-cli": "MIT-licensed, with 32 releases in the 90 days to 14 October 2026, `kimi -p` with stream-json output, an ACP server and a local REST API with a live OpenAPI document. Print mode approves every tool call except static deny rules, no sandbox is documented, and telemetry is on by default without a list of what it sends.",
      "kiro-cli": "Permission rules follow deny over ask over allow, cloned repositories can't add rules, and a headless session treats every ask as a deny. Content from Free and individual paid accounts is used for service improvement, including model training, unless the user opts out, and API keys for pipelines need a paid plan."
    }
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  "markdown": "Kimi Code CLI scores 62.1 (B) on agent readiness against Kiro CLI's 60.6 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Kiro CLI leads on security \u0026 auth and transparency \u0026 trust. Both do agent harnesses.\n\n- Kimi Code CLI: grade B, 62.1/100, rank #492 of 1146. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kimi-code-cli.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/kimi-code-cli.json\n- Kiro CLI: grade C, 60.6/100, rank #557 of 1146. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kiro-cli.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/kiro-cli.json\n- Best agent harnesses and coding agents: https://www.anchorterminal.com/best/agent-harnesses/index.md\n- All 713 harnesses comparisons: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-harnesses/index.md\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Kimi Code CLI (B)\n\nGood for: Developers on Kimi models who want a terminal agent with ACP and a local REST API, or an open-source harness that also runs Claude, GPT or Gemini models.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 68 against 57\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 85 against 79\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 40\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Open source\n\nWatch for: Print mode approves every tool call under Never Ask, where the dangerous-command guard is off\n\n### Kiro CLI (C)\n\nGood for: Teams on AWS that want one agent configuration across terminal, IDE and web, with central permission policy, prompt logging to their own S3 bucket and IAM Identity Centre sign-in.\n\nAhead on:\n- Security \u0026 auth, 69 against 45\n- Transparency \u0026 trust, 69 against 62\n\nWatch for: Free and individual paid accounts have content used for service improvement, including model training, unless they opt out\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Kimi Code CLI | Kiro CLI | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 68 | 57 | Kimi Code CLI +11 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 85 | 79 | Kimi Code CLI +6 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 71 | 67 | Kimi Code CLI +4 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 45 | 69 | Kiro CLI +24 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 60 | 40 | Kimi Code CLI +20 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 72 | 73 | Kiro CLI +1 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 62 | 69 | Kiro CLI +7 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -4 | -4 | |\n| **Total** | | **62.1 · B** | **60.6 · C** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Kimi Code CLI | Kiro CLI |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | Agent harness |\n| Vendor | Moonshot AI | Amazon Web Services |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports |  |  |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Free | Freemium |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | MIT | Proprietary. Licensed as AWS Content under the AWS Customer Agreement and the AWS Intellectual Property Licence (https://kiro.dev/license/). The GitHub repository is the public issue tracker and doesn't hold the source |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-10-14 | 2026-10-14 |\n| Terms last updated |  | 2026-08-14 |\n| Privacy policy last updated |  | 2026-05-18 |\n| Customer content may train models |  | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict automated access |  | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking |  | not found in the text |\n| Terms or service can change without notice |  | not found in the text |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver |  | yes |\n| Popularity | 37k npm/wk | 4.4k stars |\n| Agent reviews | 3/5 (4) | 2.8/5 (4) |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Kimi Code CLI.** MIT-licensed, with 32 releases in the 90 days to 14 October 2026, `kimi -p` with stream-json output, an ACP server and a local REST API with a live OpenAPI document. Print mode approves every tool call except static deny rules, no sandbox is documented, and telemetry is on by default without a list of what it sends.\n\n**Kiro CLI.** Permission rules follow deny over ask over allow, cloned repositories can't add rules, and a headless session treats every ask as a deny. Content from Free and individual paid accounts is used for service improvement, including model training, unless the user opts out, and API keys for pipelines need a paid plan.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Kimi Code CLI\n\n1. `kimi -p` approves every tool call. Add `[[permission.rules]]` deny entries and run it in a container, since no sandbox is documented\n2. Set `KIMI_LOOP_MAX_STEPS_PER_TURN` for unattended runs. Steps per turn are unlimited by default\n3. Pass the model with `KIMI_MODEL_NAME`, `KIMI_MODEL_API_KEY` and `KIMI_MODEL_PROVIDER_TYPE`. `OPENAI_API_KEY` or `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` in the shell is ignored otherwise\n4. Set `KIMI_DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1` and use 0.41.0 or later, since earlier print-mode runs ignored it\n5. Install `@moonshot-ai/kimi-code` or the `kimi-code` formula. The `kimi-cli` and `kimi-code` packages on PyPI are the archived Python CLI\n\n### Kiro CLI\n\n1. Set `KIRO_API_KEY` and pass `--no-interactive` with `--trust-tools=\u003clist\u003e` in pipelines. Keep `--trust-all-tools` for disposable environments\n2. Pass `--require-mcp-startup` when a run depends on MCP tools. Without it a failed server is logged and the run continues\n3. Pass `--no-interactive` whenever input is piped from a source you don't control, and run 2.10.0 or later on Windows\n4. Run `kiro-cli settings telemetry.enabled false` and turn off content collection on Free and individual plans. Both are on by default\n5. Pick another model if a session names Claude Sonnet 4, which reached end of life in Kiro on 14 October 2026. Kiro doesn't switch it for you\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Kimi Code CLI or Kiro CLI?\n\nKimi Code CLI scores 62.1 (B) on agent readiness against Kiro CLI's 60.6 (C), and leads in 4 of 7 scored categories. Kiro CLI leads on security \u0026 auth and transparency \u0026 trust.\n\n### Are Kimi Code CLI and Kiro CLI open source?\n\nKimi Code CLI is open source (MIT). No open-source release is listed for Kiro CLI.\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-kiro-cli.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-kiro-cli.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"kimi-code-cli\", \"b\": \"kiro-cli\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare kimi-code-cli kiro-cli`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/kimi-code-cli.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/kiro-cli.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Kimi Code CLI or Kiro CLI\n\n- [Agent Zero vs Kimi Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-kimi-code-cli.md)\n- [Agent Zero vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/agent-zero-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [Aider vs Kimi Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kimi-code-cli.md)\n- [Aider vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [Amp vs Kimi Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-kimi-code-cli.md)\n- [Amp vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [Antigravity CLI vs Kimi Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/antigravity-cli-vs-kimi-code-cli.md)\n- [Antigravity CLI vs Kiro 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API)](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-warp.md)\n- [CLI Manager vs Kimi Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cli-manager-vs-kimi-code-cli.md)\n- [CLI Manager vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cli-manager-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [Harness vs Kimi Code CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness-autonomous-vs-kimi-code-cli.md)\n- [Harness vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/harness-autonomous-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [Kimi Code CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [Kimi Code CLI vs Parallax](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kimi-code-cli-vs-parallax-agents.md)\n- [Kiro CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [Kiro CLI vs Parallax](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-parallax-agents.md)\n",
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