Devin vs Kilo Code: How They Actually Differ
Devin suits small teams that want a managed cloud agent to take whole tasks end-to-end and don't mind pay-per-ACU pricing. Kilo Code fits solo developers already on VS Code who want a free, open-source extension that merges Cline and Roo Code features.
Compiled 2026-08-27 from our catalogue entries for Devin and Kilo Code.
The short answer
- Pick Devin if
- You want a fully managed cloud sandbox with browser, terminal, and editor, long-horizon tasks run to a PR in one go, and Slack or Linear integration so non-engineers can file work.
- Pick Kilo Code if
- You live in VS Code, want a free open-source extension, and would rather have a single tool that merges Cline and Roo Code with extra power-user modes.
- Cheapest way in
- Kilo Code — the fact sheet lists it as free with no paid tier. Devin's starting price is not recorded; it is pay-per-ACU and described as the highest-cost option in the category.
- What we could not compare
- Specific plan tiers and ACU pricing for Devin (not on file), documentation depth for either (none listed), and any JetBrains, CLI, or web interface for Kilo Code (explicitly not supported).
Devin is Cognition's autonomous software engineer that runs tasks in a managed cloud sandbox with its own browser, terminal, and editor. Kilo Code is an open-source VS Code coding agent that merges features from Cline and Roo Code into one free extension, with extra power-user modes.
Both sit in the AI coding agents category, but the day-to-day experience is different. Devin asks you to hand off whole tasks and runs them through to a pull request; Kilo Code lives inside your editor as an extension you drive yourself. The trade-off is managed autonomy on a web platform versus a free, open extension that only runs in VS Code.
Side by side
Every cell is a field on our catalogue entry for that tool, copied as recorded. Rows where the two differ come first; blank fields say so rather than being filled in.
| Devin | Kilo Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Paid | Free |
| Starts at | Not recorded | Free |
| Runs on | web | vscode-ext |
| Public source code | No public repo listed | Yes — public repo |
| Category | AI Coding Agents | AI Coding Agents |
| Public docs | Not listed | Not listed |
- Public source code: From the repository link on each catalogue entry, not a licence audit.
Where Devin is the better fit
- Fully managed cloud environment with browser, terminal, and editor; no local setup required.
- Handles long-horizon tasks — research, planning, code, test, and PR — in a single run.
- Slack and Linear integrations let non-engineers file tasks directly.
Where Kilo Code is the better fit
- Open-source codebase that allows community inspection and contributions (public repo on GitHub).
- Merges Cline and Roo Code, combining two established agents into one VS Code extension.
- Free VS Code extension with no paid tier required, and includes power-user modes for advanced workflows.
Which one should you pick?
It runs end-to-end in a managed cloud sandbox and accepts work through Slack and Linear, so tasks can be filed by people who don't drive the editor.
It is a free, open-source extension that merges two established agents (Cline and Roo Code) and adds power-user modes, with no paid tier needed.
The fact sheet notes Devin is closed source and entirely cloud-hosted, which makes it unsuitable for air-gapped work; Kilo Code's open codebase and editor-based footprint fit local-only workflows.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Devin actually cost?
- The fact sheet lists it as paid with pay-per-ACU pricing and describes it as the highest-cost option in the category. The starting price is not recorded.
- Is Kilo Code really free?
- Yes. The fact sheet lists its pricing model as free, with no paid tier required, and it ships as a VS Code extension.
- Does Kilo Code work outside VS Code?
- No. The fact sheet states it is only available as a VS Code extension, with no JetBrains, CLI, or web-based interfaces.
- Can Devin be self-hosted or run offline?
- No. The fact sheet describes it as closed source and entirely cloud-hosted, and calls out that it is not suitable for air-gapped work.
- Do either of these have public docs or verified plans on file?
- No. The fact sheet lists no docs for either product and no verified plans on file for either.
What we compared
This page states nothing that is not in the two catalogue entries below. The exact text used to write it is reproduced here so you can check our reading, and both tools link through to their own pages and to the vendor.
- /tools/devin — checked 2026-08-21 · official site
- /tools/kilocode — checked 2026-06-14 · official site
Show the source text
## Devin (/tools/devin) Tagline: Cognition's autonomous software engineer — runs tasks in a managed cloud sandbox with browser, terminal, and editor. Category: AI Coding Agents Pricing model: paid Starts at: Not recorded Platforms: web Public repo: none listed Docs: none listed Verified plans: none on file Strengths on file: Fully managed cloud environment — no local setup required.; Long-horizon tasks: research, planning, code, test, and PR in a single run.; Slack and Linear integrations let non-engineers file tasks. Limits on file: Highest-cost option in the category — pay-per-ACU pricing.; Closed source and entirely cloud-hosted; not suitable for air-gapped work. Devin is Cognition's autonomous software engineer — it runs tasks in a managed cloud sandbox with its own browser, terminal, and editor. Its pitch is autonomy at length: a fully managed cloud environment with no local setup that takes long-horizon tasks — research, planning, code, test, and PR — in a single run, with Slack and Linear integrations so non-engineers can file work. It suits teams that want to hand off whole tasks rather than drive an editor. The trade-offs are real: it's the highest-cost option in the category, priced pay-per-ACU, and it's closed source and entirely cloud-hosted — not an option for air-gapped work. It's the managed, hands-off end of the spectrum, where OpenHands offers a self-hostable open alternative. ## Kilo Code (/tools/kilocode) Tagline: Open-source VS Code coding agent merging the best of Cline and Roo Code with extra power-user modes. Category: AI Coding Agents Pricing model: free Starts at: Free Platforms: vscode-ext Public repo: https://github.com/Kilo-Org/kilocode Docs: none listed Verified plans: none on file Strengths on file: Open-source codebase that allows community inspection and contributions.; Merges features from both Cline and Roo Code, combining two established AI coding agents into a single extension.; Includes power-user modes aimed at advanced coding workflows beyond basic completions.; Available as a free VS Code extension with no paid tier required. Limits on file: Only available as a VS Code extension, with no support for JetBrains, CLI, or web-based interfaces.; As a fork that merges Cline and Roo Code, it depends on multiple upstream projects that can introduce maintenance and compatibility issues.; Lack of an enterprise tier or dedicated support channels compared to commercial alternatives. Kilo Code is an open-source VS Code coding agent that merges features from Cline and Roo Code into one extension, with extra power-user modes. Its pitch is both, plus more: it combines two established open agents in a single free VS Code extension, adds power-user modes for workflows beyond basic completion, and keeps an open codebase anyone can inspect. It's for VS Code users who want the union of Cline and Roo Code without picking one. Two caveats: it's VS Code only — no JetBrains, CLI, or web — and because it merges two upstream projects, it inherits their maintenance and compatibility churn. It's the merge-of-both option next to its parents, Cline and Roo Code, in the open, in-VS-Code lane.
Change log
- 2026-08-27 — First published, compiled from the catalogue entries for Devin and Kilo Code.