Most AI coding tools either cap you at a trial or force you onto one model provider. Kilo does neither: it's open source, works across VS Code, JetBrains, and the CLI, and connects to more than 500 models with zero markup on top of provider pricing. Here's how to actually run it for free.
What Kilo is
Kilo is an open-source AI coding agent, not a single-model chatbot bolted onto an editor. It runs as an extension in VS Code and JetBrains, as a standalone CLI, and as a hosted cloud agent, all sharing the same context. You choose the model per task instead of being locked to whatever the vendor picked for you, and every request through Kilo Gateway is billed at the provider's exact rate with no markup.
Setting up the free tier
Kilo's $0/month plan isn't a stripped-down trial. It includes:
- **Auto Free routing** — Kilo automatically picks from its free model catalog, currently around a dozen active models, including options like Ling-3.0-flash and Hy3.
- **Mistral BYOK for Codestral** — Mistral offers a free tier for its Codestral coding model, and once you add your own Mistral key, autocomplete requests run on your key at no cost to your Kilo balance.
- **Gemini BYOK** — Google's free tier for Gemini models doesn't require billing information, so you can plug in a Gemini key and use it inside Kilo without touching a card.
To get running: install the Kilo extension for your editor (or the CLI), sign up for the free plan, and either stick with Auto Free routing or add a BYOK key from Mistral or Google under Settings. BYOK requests are billed at $0 on Kilo's side since you're paying the provider directly, and Google and Mistral's own free tiers cover a real amount of daily coding work.
Where free stops making sense
The free catalog is fine for small edits, autocomplete, and lighter tasks, but it trades off quality compared to frontier models, and some providers log prompts on the free tier, which matters if you're working with anything sensitive. For heavier agentic work, real quality gains show up once you're on a paid model.
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | Auto Free routing, BYOK for Mistral/Gemini free tiers |
| Kilo Pass (Starter) | From $19/month | Bonus credits, zero markup on model costs |
| Kilo Gateway credits | $19 to $199/month | Starter, Pro, and Expert tiers by usage |
The honest tradeoff
Kilo isn't a "just works" tool out of the box. Getting the most out of it means actively choosing models per task instead of accepting a default, and the feature set is still moving fast enough that some things are rough around the edges. If you want a zero-decision experience where one model handles everything, a single-vendor tool like [Cursor](https://www.questloops.com/tools/cursor) is a simpler starting point, and our guide to [free AI coding tools](https://www.questloops.com/blog/best-free-ai-coding-tools-in-2026-cursor-s-free-tier-and-what-else-is-worth-trying) covers how its free tier stacks up. Kilo is for people who want control over which model touches their code and don't mind a bit of setup to get there.
FAQ
**Is Kilo actually free, or is this a trial?** The free tier has no time limit. It's genuinely $0/month, though you're limited to the free model catalog and BYOK routes unless you add paid credits.
**Do I need a credit card to start?** No. The free plan and BYOK setup with Google or Mistral don't require billing information.
**What's the catch?** Free-tier models trade off some code quality versus frontier models, and a few providers log prompts on their free plans. Read the fine print on whichever BYOK provider you connect.
