Kilo alternative
Pumpkin vs Kilo
Kilo is an open-source coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains and the command line, with cloud agents and a desktop app in beta. Pumpkin is an independent desktop editor that runs its agent on your machine and can use your Claude Code or Codex subscription.
Side by side
| Topic | Pumpkin | Kilo |
|---|---|---|
| Who makes it | Independent. Built by developers at Ezoic; no model company owns it. | Kilo Code, Inc. Kilo's site says Kilo has been acquired by Anaconda. |
| Subscriptions you already pay for | Connect a supported Claude Code or Codex subscription and use its quota first, then fall back to a paid key if you set one. | Kilo's inference page lists sign-in for ChatGPT Plus and Pro and for SuperGrok / X Premium+, in the VS Code extension and CLI. It says Claude Pro and Max subscriptions cannot be used by sign-in; Claude models need your own Anthropic API key. |
| Hosted model credits | Optional Fireworks models on Pumpkin's key cost Fireworks' rate + 2.9% + $0.01 per million tokens. Own-key tokens carry no Pumpkin fee. | Kilo Gateway lists 500+ models at provider rates with no markup, and Kilo lists a 5% processing fee on credit purchases. Own keys are supported. |
| Where you work | A full desktop editor for Windows, macOS, and Linux: files, terminals, Git, debugging, and extensions, with SSH and WSL workspaces. | Kilo lists VS Code and JetBrains extensions, a CLI, Cloud Agents, Slack, mobile apps, and Kilo Desktop, which it labels Beta. |
| Compute bill | The agent runs on your workspace machine, local or over SSH or WSL. Pumpkin has no cloud compute charge. | Kilo's cloud features bill compute per second: Code Review $0.33 an hour and Cloud Agents $0.60 to $1.20 an hour, with model inference charged separately. |
| Local models | A built-in local model that Pumpkin installs and runs on your computer, with no provider account or API key. | Kilo lists running local models with Ollama or LM Studio. |
| Price | $20 per seat per month after a 14-day free trial; a card is required to start. Model use is billed by your provider or covered by your subscription. | Free for individuals. Teams is $15 per user per month with a 14-day Enterprise trial. Enterprise is custom. Inference is billed separately. |
| Team controls | Business plans set an organization model policy (allowed providers and models) that every member's editor enforces, plus seats, roles, and usage reports. | Teams adds usage analytics, shared own keys, and team management. Enterprise lists limits on models and providers, audit logs, SSO, OIDC and SCIM, and SLA commitments. |
Pumpkin fits when
- You pay for Claude Code and want its quota in your editor's agent, beside Codex and other providers.
- You want a full desktop editor rather than an extension or a beta desktop app.
- You want the agent's compute on your own machine, with no per-hour cloud bill.
- You want a built-in local model that needs no provider account.
- You use hosted credits and prefer a 2.9% fee plus $0.01 per million tokens to a 5% purchase fee.
Kilo may fit better when
- You want a free tier for solo use.
- You want to stay in VS Code or JetBrains rather than switch editors.
- You want cloud agents and hosted code review that keep running without your machine.
- Your company needs SSO, SCIM, audit logs, and an SLA from the vendor today.
Sources
Kilo details come from these pages, checked October 20, 2026. Products change, so check them before you decide.