head to head · open source
code-server vs Kilo
code-server has 79,759 GitHub stars, 6,941 forks, 152 open issues and last shipped 2 days ago. Kilo has 27,834 stars, 3,332 forks, 586 open issues and last shipped yesterday. code-server leads on adoption by 187% (79,759 vs 27,834 stars). code-server is written in TypeScript under MIT; Kilo is written in TypeScript under MIT. code-server has attracted 9% 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. The two share 1 topic tag (vscode), so they are genuine substitutes rather than adjacent tools.
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
| code-server | Kilo | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 80K | ★ 28K |
| License | MIT | MIT |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-01 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 6.9K | ⑂ 3.3K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick code-server if
- You weight community size — 80K stars and counting
- You want the MIT 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 code-server
code server Run VS Code on any machine anywhere and access it in the browser. Highlights Code on any device with a consistent development environment Use cloud servers to speed up tests, compilations, downloads, and more Preserve battery life when you're on the go; all intensive tasks run on your server Requirements See requirements for minimum specs, as well as instructions on how to set up a Google VM on which you can install code server. TL;DR: Linux machine with WebSockets enabled, 1 GB RAM, and 2 vCPUs Getting started There are five ways to get started: 1. Using the install script, which automates most of…
read the full code-server 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 code-server or Kilo more popular?
code-server has 79,759 GitHub stars and Kilo has 27,834. code-server has the larger community by that measure.
Are code-server and Kilo free?
Both are open source. code-server is licensed under MIT and Kilo under MIT. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between code-server and Kilo?
code-server 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, code-server or Kilo?
Choose code-server if you want the larger community (79,759 stars) or its MIT licence terms. Choose Kilo if its feature set, stack or MIT licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.