Compare / Amp vs Kilo Code
Head-to-head
Amp vs Kilo Code.
Side-by-side on ratings, pricing, pros, cons, and the honest take on which to pick. Both are in our coding agent category — direct competitors.
| Amp | Kilo Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.0 / 5 | 4.0 / 5 |
| Category | Coding Agent | Coding Agent |
| Tech level | developer | developer |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Pricing | Free tier with usage limits. Paid tiers via Sourcegraph subscription. Bundled with Sourcegraph Code Search for teams already on the platform. | Free tier available (Kilo Auto, no credit card required). Paid plans for higher usage. BYOK supported — connect your own API key to any of 500+ models via Kilo Gateway. |
| Best for | Engineering teams already paying for Sourcegraph Code Search who want to add an AI agent that reuses the existing codebase index. Free tier is generous enough for individual evaluation. | Developers who want Claude Code-style agentic workflows but need JetBrains support or broader model access. The multi-IDE story is the clearest differentiator from Claude Code and Cursor. |
| Not for | Teams not on Sourcegraph — the standalone story is less differentiated than Claude Code or Augment. Builders who want a simpler CLI experience. | Non-technical users wanting a no-code interface. Teams fully happy with Claude Code who don't need JetBrains or alternative model providers. |
Our verdict on Amp
Sourcegraph's agentic coding tool built on years of code-search investment. Strong for teams already on Sourcegraph; less compelling as a standalone.
Full Amp review →Our verdict on Kilo Code
Open-source coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains, and CLI. 500+ models via Kilo Gateway. #2 on OpenRouter this week. Trusted at Meta, Amazon, and Airbnb.
Full Kilo Code review →Amp
What works
- Built on Sourcegraph's mature code-search and indexing infrastructure
- Free tier with meaningful usage allowance
- Strong codebase-context story without separate indexing setup
- Native integration with Sourcegraph Code Search
- Sourcegraph's enterprise compliance story (SOC 2, on-prem options) carries over
What doesn't
- Standalone value less compelling than Claude Code or Augment for non-Sourcegraph teams
- Newer to agentic coding than competitors with longer track records
- Smaller community vs Cursor or Copilot
- Locked into Sourcegraph as the indexing/context layer
- Best fit narrows to teams already paying for Sourcegraph
Kilo Code
What works
- VS Code, JetBrains, and CLI — the broadest IDE coverage of any coding agent on this list
- 500+ models via Kilo Gateway — not locked to Anthropic or OpenAI
- Cloud agents run 24/7 without your laptop open
- Apache-2.0 open source — auditable and self-hostable
- Slack, Discord, and Telegram integrations for async agent workflows
- Free tier with no credit card required
What doesn't
- Newer than Cursor or Cline — smaller community, less battle-tested documentation
- 500+ model support adds decision overhead — more choices don't always mean better outcomes
- Cloud agent feature is newer and less proven at scale than established CI/CD-based approaches
- JetBrains support, while a key differentiator, lags VS Code in feature parity
Which to pick
These two are closely matched. Don't pick on overall rating — pick on use case. Amp for engineering teams already paying for sourcegraph code search who want to add an ai agent that reuses the existing codebase index. free tier is generous enough for individual evaluation. Kilo Code for developers who want claude code-style agentic workflows but need jetbrains support or broader model access. the multi-ide story is the clearest differentiator from claude code and cursor.
Honest middle: most serious operators end up using more than one tool. If you're early in your AI agent journey, our five-question picker recommends a starting platform from your specific situation.
Common questions
Amp vs Kilo Code — which should I pick?
Amp and Kilo Code are closely matched (we rate them 4.0/5 and 4.0/5). Pick by use case rather than overall score: Amp for engineering teams already paying for sourcegraph code search who want to add an ai agent that reuses the existing codebase index. free tier is generous enough for individual evaluation.; Kilo Code for developers who want claude code-style agentic workflows but need jetbrains support or broader model access. the multi-ide story is the clearest differentiator from claude code and cursor..
Is Amp or Kilo Code cheaper?
Amp's pricing: Free tier with usage limits. Paid tiers via Sourcegraph subscription. Bundled with Sourcegraph Code Search for teams already on the platform. Kilo Code's pricing: Free tier available (Kilo Auto, no credit card required). Paid plans for higher usage. BYOK supported — connect your own API key to any of 500+ models via Kilo Gateway. The right "cheaper" pick depends on usage volume and what's included — see the pricing row in the table above.
What's Amp best for?
Engineering teams already paying for Sourcegraph Code Search who want to add an AI agent that reuses the existing codebase index. Free tier is generous enough for individual evaluation.
What's Kilo Code best for?
Developers who want Claude Code-style agentic workflows but need JetBrains support or broader model access. The multi-IDE story is the clearest differentiator from Claude Code and Cursor.
Are Amp and Kilo Code direct competitors?
Yes — both are coding agent options. They target similar builders, which is why the head-to-head matters.
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