Kiro

AWS's spec-driven agentic IDE and CLI.

Amazon Web Services · checked Oct 22, 2026

What it is

Kiro focuses on spec-driven development (requirements → design → tasks) with an IDE and CLI, hooks, steering files and MCP. Credit-based plans.

Use cases

→Spec-first, structured agent work
→AWS-centric teams
→Teams that want guardrails (workspace trust, hooks)

Pros

+Spec-driven workflow reduces vibe-coding chaos
+Clear credit pricing
+IDE + CLI

Cons

−Free tier model access is limited
−Credit model needs monitoring

Where it ranks

#5 Best AI Code Editors & IDEs
Spec-driven workflow adds structure that vibe coding often lacks; clear credit pricing.

On the Release Radar

Kiro CLI 2.33.0: workspace trust

Interactive V3 sessions now ask you to trust a folder before loading its hooks, agents, MCP servers, steering and workflows. Also workflow plan step trees and Mermaid subgraphs.

Verdict: Anyone running Kiro CLI in cloned or third-party repos (security win).

Worth trying Kiro Kiro changelog Oct 20, 2026

FAQ

How much does Kiro cost?

Free tier with 50 credits. Pro $20/user/mo (1,000 credits), Pro+ $40 (2,000), Pro Max $100 (5,000), Power $200 (10,000). Add-on credits $0.04 each. (As checked on 2026-10-22; confirm on https://kiro.dev/pricing/.)

What is Kiro best for?

#5 in Best AI Code Editors & IDEs: Structured, spec-first projects.

What are the best alternatives to Kiro?

Cursor (AI-first code editor with local and cloud agents); Claude Code (Anthropic's agentic coding tool for terminal, IDE and cloud); Devin (Devin Desktop, formerly Windsurf) (Agent command center IDE plus Devin cloud agents).

Is Kiro open source?

No, Kiro is a commercial product.