Kilo Code

What is Kilo Code for VS Code?

Kilo Code for VS Code is a rebuilt VS Code extension that connects to the same portable core as the Kilo CLI. It’s designed to help you run multiple agent tasks from inside your editor while keeping execution and context consistent across local terminals, SSH sessions, and other surfaces.

The extension focuses on agent workflow features for software development—such as parallel execution, delegating subtasks to specialized subagents, and inline, diff-aware code review—so that agent-produced changes can be inspected and applied with line-level context.

Key Features

• Parallel execution for tools and tasks: File reads, searches, and terminal commands can run at the same time, reducing idle waiting while agents work.
• Parallel subagents: Separate specialist subagents (e.g., for implementation, tests, and docs) can run concurrently and then merge their results.
• Custom subagent roles: Define your own agent roles to match how your team ships software, rather than relying on a single fixed workflow.
• Agent Manager built on the shared portable core: Supports worktrees, parallel sessions, and inline review as native behaviors in the VS Code extension.
• Inline code review with diff-aware comments: Inspect agent edits file-by-file using a built-in diff reviewer and add line-level comments that reference exact paths and line numbers.
• Cross-platform sessions via shared portable core: Start work in the CLI/SSH, then continue in VS Code; sessions can also be shared into Slack.
• Worktrees for isolation or collaboration: Create a new git worktree per agent (one-click branching) to isolate execution, or keep agents on the same worktree for read-heavy collaboration.
• Model comparison on the same prompt: Run multiple models (including hosted, BYOK, or local models) on the exact same prompt to compare outputs rather than relying on benchmark charts.

How to Use Kilo Code for VS Code

1. Install the extension by searching for “Kilo Code” in the VS Code extensions view or using the Visual Studio Marketplace listing.
2. Open a few tabs and start agent sessions. Use worktrees when you want isolated execution for different agent tasks.
3. For review workflows, use inline code review to inspect diffs, comment on exact lines, and send structured review context back into the chat.
4. If you also use the Kilo CLI or other surfaces, start tasks there and later resume in VS Code using shared session continuity.

Use Cases

• Run multiple engineering streams at once: Start parallel agents for implementation, tests, and documentation; then merge results back into one set of changes.
• Review agent-generated changes like a pull request: Inspect diffs in unified or split view, add file- and line-specific comments, and send review context back into the agent chat.
• Isolate experiments with worktrees: Create separate git worktrees so different agents can iterate without stepping on each other, then bring changes back via a commit, PR, or direct apply.
• Compare model outputs for an open-ended refactor: Run different models on the same prompt and compare the resulting approaches before choosing a direction.
• Continue a workflow across environments: Begin a task in an SSH terminal session, reopen it in VS Code later, and optionally share the session into Slack for team visibility.

FAQ

• What changed in the rebuilt VS Code extension? The extension is rebuilt on the same portable core as Kilo CLI, making capabilities like Agent Manager behaviors, worktrees, parallel sessions, and inline review native rather than added as separate tooling.

• Is it free and open source? The page states that Kilo Code is free and open source, and provides a link to view it on GitHub.

• Does it still support 500+ models? The page states it supports 500+ models.

• How does inline code review work? The extension includes a built-in diff reviewer, supports line-level comments with exact file path and line number, and sends comment context back into the chat with grounded code information.

• Can I move sessions between CLI and VS Code? Yes. Because the extension and CLI share the same portable core, sessions can be started in one surface (including SSH in the terminal) and continued in VS Code.

Alternatives

• General-purpose IDE copilots: Other VS Code coding assistants focus on single-agent chat/code generation; they may not provide the same structured parallel subagents, worktree isolation, or diff-aware inline review workflow.
• AI-assisted code review tools: Tools focused specifically on reviewing diffs can help with comments and summaries, but may not offer the same integrated agent execution and session continuity inside your editor.
• Workflow automation via scripts: Teams can orchestrate parallel tasks (tests, docs, linting) with build scripts and CI, but this typically lacks agent subtask delegation and inline, chat-grounded review context.
• Other agent platforms with IDE integrations: Adjacent agent systems integrated into editors can manage multi-step coding, but the exact capabilities (worktrees, parallel execution semantics, diff-aware inline review) vary by platform.