head to head · open source
Cline vs Kilo
Cline has 71,221 GitHub stars, 7,835 forks, 1,288 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Kilo has 27,834 stars, 3,332 forks, 586 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Cline leads on adoption by 156% (71,221 vs 27,834 stars). Cline is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; Kilo is written in TypeScript under MIT. Cline has attracted 11% as many forks as stars, Kilo 12%. Kilo was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Cline | Kilo | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 71K | ★ 28K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 7.8K | ⑂ 3.3K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Cline if
- You weight community size — 71K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Kilo if
- You want the Kilo feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the MIT license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and Kilo fits your workflow better
About Cline
Cline The open source coding agent in your IDE, terminal, and desktop. Docs Discord r/cline Feature Requests Join us! CLI Run Cline in your terminal. Interactive chat or fully headless for CI/CD and scripting. Learn more Desktop App Cline as a native app for macOS and Windows. Run agent sessions in any folder, schedule routines, and manage models, plugins, and MCP servers. Download for macOS and Windows VS Code Extension AI coding assistant in your editor. Create files, run commands, browse the web, and use tools with human in the loop approval. Install from VS Marketplace JetBrains Plugin The same Cline…
read the full Cline overview →
About Kilo
English 简体中文 繁體中文 한국어 Deutsch Español Français Italiano Dansk 日本語 Polski Русский Bosanski العربية Norsk Português (Brasil) ไทย Türkçe Українська বাংলা Ελληνικά Tiếng Việt The open source coding agent for building with AI in VS Code, JetBrains, or the CLI. Kilo Code is an AI coding agent that meets you everywhere you work: VS Code, JetBrains, and the CLI. It's open source with open pricing. You pick from 500+ models, switch between them mid task, and pay the model provider's rate with zero markup. No API keys required to start. Installation Pick where you want to run Kilo. VS Code Install the Kilo Code extension…
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Frequently asked questions
Is Cline or Kilo more popular?
Cline has 71,221 GitHub stars and Kilo has 27,834. Cline has the larger community by that measure.
Are Cline and Kilo free?
Both are open source. Cline is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Kilo under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Cline and Kilo?
Cline is written in TypeScript and Kilo in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Cline or Kilo?
Choose Cline if you want the larger community (71,221 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Kilo if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.