{ "data": { "a": { "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": "2026-10-05", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 59.9, "grade": "C", "agentReady": false, "rank": 419, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 722, "categoryRank": 11, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 67, "maintenance": 73, "payments": 40, "reliability": 57, "schema": 79, "security": 66, "transparency": 67 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "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", "Eleven minor releases between 26 August and 5 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", "No local sandbox in the CLI, and AWS says its managed permission policies are client-enforced and can be circumvented", "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", "Export variables in the shell before starting. Since 2.24.0 a project `.env` file is no longer loaded into sessions, MCP servers or tools" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "C", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 59.9 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 67, "maintenance": 73, "payments": 40, "reliability": 57, "schema": 79, "security": 66, "transparency": 62 }, "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": "2026-10-08", "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 answers 404. aws.amazon.com publishes a security.txt whose Expires line reads 24 September 2026, which had passed when we read it.", "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", "pages": [ { "url": "https://kiro.dev/changelog/cli/", "kind": "deprecations", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:21:05.911888808Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "f2b1951f0330" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-08T18:21:05.911888808Z" } }, "answer": "Qwen Code scores 72.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Kiro CLI's 59.9 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Kiro CLI leads on security \u0026 auth.", "b": { "slug": "qwen-code", "name": "Qwen Code", "vendor": "Alibaba (Qwen team)", "vendorUrl": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/en/users/overview/", "kind": "harness", "category": "agent-harnesses", "summary": "Open-source coding agent from Alibaba's Qwen team for the terminal, with desktop, browser and editor interfaces. It runs Qwen, OpenAI, Anthropic and Gemini-compatible models or a local one, and runs headless with `qwen -p`.", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwen-code", "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwen-code.md", "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwen-code.min.md", "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/qwen-code.json", "repo": "https://github.com/QwenLM/qwen-code", "license": "Apache-2.0", "transports": [], "packages": [ { "registry": "npm", "name": "@qwen-code/qwen-code" }, { "registry": "npm", "name": "@qwen-code/sdk" }, { "registry": "pypi", "name": "qwen-code-sdk" }, { "registry": "oci", "name": "ghcr.io/qwenlm/qwen-code" } ], "auth": "api-key", "authNotes": "No account of its own. A model key goes in an environment variable or `~/.qwen/settings.json`, for Alibaba Cloud Model Studio (Coding Plan, Token Plan or a standard key), a listed third-party provider, or any OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini-compatible endpoint including a local server. Vertex AI credentials also work. The Qwen OAuth sign-in was discontinued on 15 April 2026.", "pricing": "free", "pricingNotes": "Free and Apache-2.0, with nothing to buy for the CLI. The owner pays the model provider, or nothing with a local model. The Qwen OAuth free tier ended on 15 April 2026. Alibaba Cloud sells a fixed-fee Coding Plan and a usage-billed Token Plan for it, and we couldn't load their price pages on 8 October 2026.", "priceSummary": "Free · OSS", "where": "local", "x402": { "level": "no", "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs or the source (checked 2026-10-08).", "endpoints": [] }, "toolCount": null, "popularity": { "githubStars": 28362, "npmWeekly": 104819, "pypiWeekly": null, "asOf": "2026-10-08" }, "docsUrl": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/en/users/overview/", "llmsTxt": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/llms.txt", "capabilities": [ "agent.harness", "agent.mcp-client", "agent.multi-agent" ], "tags": [ "official", "harness", "coding-agent", "cli", "open-source", "typescript", "mcp", "llms-txt", "telemetry-default-on", "pre-1.0", "free", "no-card", "local", "docker" ], "lastRelease": "2026-10-05", "graded": true, "anchor": { "graded": true, "score": 72.4, "grade": "BB", "agentReady": true, "rank": 93, "ranked": true, "rankOf": 722, "categoryRank": 3, "methodology": "0.4", "run": "2026-10-01", "scores": { "ergonomics": 85, "maintenance": 88, "payments": 60, "reliability": 69, "schema": 91, "security": 53, "transparency": 63 }, "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "assessment": { "confidence": "medium", "date": "2026-10-08" }, "negative": 0, "verdict": "Apache-2.0 with no account of its own, any OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini-compatible endpoint, and headless runs bounded by turn, tool-call and wall-time budgets with distinct exit codes. Out of the box, Auto mode lets an LLM classifier approve tool calls, with the sandbox and folder trust both off. Usage statistics are on by default.", "bestFor": "Developers and CI jobs that want an open-source harness tied to no single model vendor, with run budgets and SDKs.", "strengths": [ "Apache-2.0, with CI on main showing 12 passes and 3 cancelled runs in the last 15, none failed", "Headless `qwen -p` with json and stream-json output, and exit codes 53 for the turn limit and 55 for a wall-time or tool-call budget", "Works with any OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini-compatible endpoint, including a local server, with keys set by environment variable", "39 stable releases in the 90 days to 8 October 2026, each with a Breaking Changes heading in a generated changelog", "A Linux tool sandbox (Bubblewrap or Landlock) with `network: closed`, plus Seatbelt, Docker and Podman" ], "weaknesses": [ "The default approval mode is Auto, where an LLM classifier approves tool calls, and sandboxing and folder trust are both off by default", "Usage statistics are on by default and go to an Alibaba Cloud endpoint that the docs don't name", "SECURITY.md points only to an Alibaba Cloud console portal, with no response time, and the repository has no published advisories", "Pre-1.0 at 0.25.0, with breaking changes shipped in patch releases such as 0.23.4 and 0.24.1", "1,402 open issues and 334 open pull requests on 8 October 2026", "The Qwen OAuth free tier ended on 15 April 2026, so every run needs a paid key or a local model" ], "agentNotes": [ "Pass `--approval-mode` on every run. The settings default is `auto`, and one docs page says headless runs default to asking, so don't rely on either", "Add `--max-session-turns`, `--max-wall-time` and `--max-tool-calls`. All three are unlimited by default. Exit 53 is the turn limit and 55 a budget", "`--yolo` doesn't turn on a sandbox. Add `--sandbox`, or on Linux set `tools.executionSandbox` with `network` set to `closed`", "Set `QWEN_USAGE_STATISTICS_ENABLED=false` to stop usage statistics", "Authenticate with `OPENAI_API_KEY`, `OPENAI_BASE_URL` and `OPENAI_MODEL` in CI. The browser sign-in is discontinued" ], "metrics": { "kind": "local", "measured": false }, "reviewCount": 0, "avgRating": 0, "history": [ { "basis": "public evidence", "confidence": "medium", "grade": "BB", "methodology": "0.4", "pending": [ "performance", "tasks" ], "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run", "score": 72.4 } ], "editorialScores": { "ergonomics": 85, "maintenance": 88, "payments": 60, "reliability": 69, "schema": 91, "security": 53, "transparency": 77 }, "provenanceScore": 48 }, "connect": { "install": "npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest # or: brew install qwen-code", "headless": { "command": "qwen -p \"$TASK\" --output-format json --approval-mode auto-edit --max-session-turns 30 --max-wall-time 10m", "env": { "OPENAI_API_KEY": "\u003ckey\u003e", "OPENAI_BASE_URL": "\u003cendpoint\u003e", "OPENAI_MODEL": "\u003cmodel\u003e", "QWEN_USAGE_STATISTICS_ENABLED": "false" } } }, "letme": { "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.harness", "tool": "https://letme.dev/qwen-code" }, "area": "frameworks", "provenance": { "legalEntity": "Qwen team, Alibaba Group (no legal entity is named in the repository or the docs)", "domain": "qwenlm.github.io", "domainRegistered": "", "endpointOnVendorDomain": null, "terms": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/en/users/support/tos-privacy/", "privacy": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/en/users/support/tos-privacy/", "statusPage": "", "changelog": "https://github.com/QwenLM/qwen-code/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md", "securityTxt": "none", "checked": "2026-10-08", "notes": [ "The project's own Terms of Service and Privacy Notice is one page. It covers usage statistics and the Chrome extension, and maps each sign-in method to the model provider's terms and privacy policy. The project publishes no separate privacy policy for the CLI, so both fields point at that page.", "The LICENSE file carries Copyright 2025 Google LLC and Copyright 2025 Qwen. The docs describe the project as Alibaba's, and SECURITY.md sends reports to an Alibaba Cloud console portal.", "The docs are on GitHub Pages. qwen.ai returned its application page for /.well-known/security.txt, so no security.txt was found. alibabacloud.com couldn't be reached from our network on 8 October 2026.", "The qwen.ai terms and privacy pages render only with JavaScript and weren't read." ], "score": 48 }, "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwen-code.json", "live": { "slug": "qwen-code", "pages": [ { "url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/QwenLM/qwen-code/main/CHANGELOG.md", "kind": "changelog", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:23:49.8394153Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "0782fd2dec4a" }, { "url": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/en/users/support/tos-privacy/", "kind": "terms", "status": 200, "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:23:34.139570921Z", "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z", "fingerprint": "11f3bc6ce7da" } ], "updatedAt": "2026-10-08T18:23:49.8394153Z" } }, "facts": [ { "a": "Agent harness", "b": "Agent harness", "name": "Kind" }, { "a": "Amazon Web Services", "b": "Alibaba (Qwen team)", "name": "Vendor" }, { "a": "no (local only)", "b": "no (local only)", "name": "Hosted endpoint" }, { "a": "", "b": "", "name": "Transports" }, { "a": "OAuth or key", "b": "API key", "name": "Auth" }, { "a": "Freemium", "b": "Free", "name": "Pricing" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "x402" }, { "a": "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", "b": "Apache-2.0", "name": "Licence" }, { "a": "no", "b": "no", "name": "Read-only variant documented" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "yes", "name": "llms.txt" }, { "a": "2026-10-05", "b": "2026-10-05", "name": "Last release" }, { "a": "2026-08-14", "b": "2026-10-01", "name": "Terms last updated" }, { "a": "2026-05-18", "b": "2026-10-01", "name": "Privacy policy last updated" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Customer content may train models" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict automated access" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking" }, { "a": "not found in the text", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Terms or service can change without notice" }, { "a": "yes", "b": "not found in the text", "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver" }, { "a": "4.4k stars", "b": "28k stars, 105k npm/wk", "name": "Popularity" } ], "faq": [ { "answer": "Qwen Code scores 72.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Kiro CLI's 59.9 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Kiro CLI leads on security \u0026 auth.", "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Kiro CLI or Qwen Code?" }, { "answer": "No open-source release is listed for Kiro CLI. Qwen Code is open source (Apache-2.0).", "question": "Are Kiro CLI and Qwen Code open source?" } ], "goodFor": [ { "aheadOn": [ "Security \u0026 auth, 66 against 53" ], "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" }, { "aheadOn": [ "Reliability, 69 against 57", "Schema \u0026 documentation, 91 against 79", "Agent ergonomics, 85 against 67", "Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 40", "Maintenance \u0026 community, 88 against 73" ], "also": [ "Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better", "Open source", "No incidents deducted, where Kiro CLI loses 4 points for them" ], "goodFor": "Developers and CI jobs that want an open-source harness tied to no single model vendor, with run budgets and SDKs.", "slug": "qwen-code", "watchFor": "The default approval mode is Auto, where an LLM classifier approves tool calls, and sandboxing and folder trust are both off by default" } ], "job": { "capability": "agent.harness", "name": "Agent harness" }, "others": [ { "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/aider-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Aider vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-qwen-code" }, { "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/amp-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Amp vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-qwen-code" }, { "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/claude-code-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Claude Code vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-qwen-code" }, { "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/cline-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Cline vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-qwen-code" }, { "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/cursor-cli-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Cursor CLI vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-qwen-code" }, { "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/devin-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Devin vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-qwen-code" }, { "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/earendil-pi-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Pi vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-qwen-code" }, { "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/gemini-cli-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Gemini CLI vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-qwen-code" }, { "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/github-copilot-cli-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "GitHub Copilot CLI vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-qwen-code" }, { "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/goose-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "goose vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-qwen-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/openai-codex-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "OpenAI Codex vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-codex-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencode-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "OpenCode vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencode-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openhands-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "OpenHands vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openhands-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/prime-agent-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Prime Agent vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/prime-agent-vs-qwen-code" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-paperclip.json", "title": "Kiro CLI vs Paperclip", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-paperclip" }, { "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-qwen-code.json", "title": "Paperclip vs Qwen Code", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-qwen-code" } ], "scores": [ { "by": 12, "edge": "qwen-code", "key": "reliability", "kiro-cli": 57, "name": "Reliability", "qwen-code": 69, "weight": 16 }, { "key": "performance", "name": "Performance", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 12, "edge": "qwen-code", "key": "schema", "kiro-cli": 79, "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation", "qwen-code": 91, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 18, "edge": "qwen-code", "key": "ergonomics", "kiro-cli": 67, "name": "Agent ergonomics", "qwen-code": 85, "weight": 13 }, { "by": 13, "edge": "kiro-cli", "key": "security", "kiro-cli": 66, "name": "Security \u0026 auth", "qwen-code": 53, "weight": 14 }, { "by": 20, "edge": "qwen-code", "key": "payments", "kiro-cli": 40, "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing", "qwen-code": 60, "weight": 10 }, { "key": "tasks", "name": "Task success", "pending": true, "weight": 10 }, { "by": 15, "edge": "qwen-code", "key": "maintenance", "kiro-cli": 73, "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community", "qwen-code": 88, "weight": 7 }, { "by": 4, "edge": "kiro-cli", "key": "transparency", "kiro-cli": 67, "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust", "qwen-code": 63, "weight": 7 } ], "summary": "Qwen Code scores 72.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Kiro CLI's 59.9 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Kiro CLI leads on security \u0026 auth. Both do agent harness.", "verdicts": { "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.", "qwen-code": "Apache-2.0 with no account of its own, any OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini-compatible endpoint, and headless runs bounded by turn, tool-call and wall-time budgets with distinct exit codes. Out of the box, Auto mode lets an LLM classifier approve tool calls, with the sandbox and folder trust both off. Usage statistics are on by default." } }, "kind": "anchor.page", "links": { "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json", "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-qwen-code", "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-qwen-code.json", "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt", "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-qwen-code.md", "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-qwen-code.min.md" }, "markdown": "Qwen Code scores 72.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Kiro CLI's 59.9 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Kiro CLI leads on security \u0026 auth. Both do agent harness.\n\n- Kiro CLI: grade C, 59.9/100, rank #419 of 722. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/kiro-cli.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/kiro-cli.json\n- Qwen Code: grade BB, 72.4/100, rank #93 of 722. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwen-code.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/qwen-code.json\n\n## Which one, for what\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, 66 against 53\n\nWatch for: Free and individual paid accounts have content used for service improvement, including model training, unless they opt out\n\n### Qwen Code (BB)\n\nGood for: Developers and CI jobs that want an open-source harness tied to no single model vendor, with run budgets and SDKs.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 69 against 57\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 91 against 79\n- Agent ergonomics, 85 against 67\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 40\n- Maintenance \u0026 community, 88 against 73\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better\n- Open source\n- No incidents deducted, where Kiro CLI loses 4 points for them\n\nWatch for: The default approval mode is Auto, where an LLM classifier approves tool calls, and sandboxing and folder trust are both off by default\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Kiro CLI | Qwen Code | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 57 | 69 | Qwen Code +12 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 79 | 91 | Qwen Code +12 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 67 | 85 | Qwen Code +18 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 66 | 53 | Kiro CLI +13 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 40 | 60 | Qwen Code +20 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 73 | 88 | Qwen Code +15 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 67 | 63 | Kiro CLI +4 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -4 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **59.9 · C** | **72.4 · BB** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Kiro CLI | Qwen Code |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | Agent harness |\n| Vendor | Amazon Web Services | Alibaba (Qwen team) |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports | | |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | API key |\n| Pricing | Freemium | Free |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | 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 | Apache-2.0 |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-10-05 | 2026-10-05 |\n| Terms last updated | 2026-08-14 | 2026-10-01 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2026-05-18 | 2026-10-01 |\n| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict automated access | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | not found in the text |\n| Popularity | 4.4k stars | 28k stars, 105k npm/wk |\n\n## Verdicts\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**Qwen Code.** Apache-2.0 with no account of its own, any OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini-compatible endpoint, and headless runs bounded by turn, tool-call and wall-time budgets with distinct exit codes. Out of the box, Auto mode lets an LLM classifier approve tool calls, with the sandbox and folder trust both off. Usage statistics are on by default.\n\n## Before you call either\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. Export variables in the shell before starting. Since 2.24.0 a project `.env` file is no longer loaded into sessions, MCP servers or tools\n\n### Qwen Code\n\n1. Pass `--approval-mode` on every run. The settings default is `auto`, and one docs page says headless runs default to asking, so don't rely on either\n2. Add `--max-session-turns`, `--max-wall-time` and `--max-tool-calls`. All three are unlimited by default. Exit 53 is the turn limit and 55 a budget\n3. `--yolo` doesn't turn on a sandbox. Add `--sandbox`, or on Linux set `tools.executionSandbox` with `network` set to `closed`\n4. Set `QWEN_USAGE_STATISTICS_ENABLED=false` to stop usage statistics\n5. Authenticate with `OPENAI_API_KEY`, `OPENAI_BASE_URL` and `OPENAI_MODEL` in CI. The browser sign-in is discontinued\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Kiro CLI or Qwen Code?\n\nQwen Code scores 72.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Kiro CLI's 59.9 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Kiro CLI leads on security \u0026 auth.\n\n### Are Kiro CLI and Qwen Code open source?\n\nNo open-source release is listed for Kiro CLI. Qwen Code is open source (Apache-2.0).\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-qwen-code.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-qwen-code.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"kiro-cli\", \"b\": \"qwen-code\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare kiro-cli qwen-code`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/kiro-cli.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/qwen-code.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Kiro CLI or Qwen Code\n\n- [Aider vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [Aider vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Amp vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [Amp vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Claude Code vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [Claude Code vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Cline vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [Cline vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Cursor CLI vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [Cursor CLI vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Devin vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [Devin vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Pi vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [Pi vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Gemini CLI vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [Gemini CLI vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [GitHub Copilot CLI vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [GitHub Copilot CLI vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [goose vs Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-kiro-cli.md)\n- [goose vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Kiro CLI vs OpenAI Codex](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-openai-codex.md)\n- [Kiro CLI vs OpenCode](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-opencode.md)\n- [Kiro CLI vs OpenHands](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-openhands.md)\n- [Kiro CLI vs Prime Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-prime-agent.md)\n- [OpenAI Codex vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-codex-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [OpenCode vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencode-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [OpenHands vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openhands-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Prime Agent vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/prime-agent-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Kiro CLI vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [Paperclip vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-qwen-code.md)\n", "meta": { "attribution": "Anchor Terminal (https://www.anchorterminal.com)", "docs": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/docs/", "generatedAt": "2026-10-08", "license": "CC-BY-4.0", "method": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/benchmark/", "methodology": "0.4", "openapi": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/openapi.json", "preview": false, "run": "2026-10-01", "runLabel": "October 2026 research run" }, "page": { "breadcrumbs": [ { "name": "Home", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/" }, { "name": "Compare", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/" }, { "name": "Kiro CLI vs Qwen Code", "url": "" } ], "description": "Qwen Code scores 72.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Kiro CLI's 59.9 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Kiro CLI leads on security \u0026 auth. Both do agent harness. Category scores, facts, verdicts and agent notes side by side.", "facts": [ "Kiro CLI C 59.9", "Qwen Code BB 72.4", "scores" ], "h1": "Kiro CLI vs Qwen Code", "image": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/assets/og/compare-kiro-cli-vs-qwen-code.png", "path": "/compare/kiro-cli-vs-qwen-code", "published": "2026-10-01", "section": "tools", "title": "Kiro CLI vs Qwen Code for AI agents, C 59.9 vs BB 72.4", "toc": null, "updated": "2026-10-08", "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-qwen-code" }, "tokens": { "markdown": 2500, "slim": 630 }, "version": 1 }