Overview

Rating

10.0 / 10

Rating

Best For

Developers using multiple coding agents

Best For

Developers and teams who want an open-source coding agent in their existing IDE, with full model freedom and no API markup

Product Summary

Open-source desktop app for running multiple coding agents in parallel, each isolated in its own git worktree.

Product Summary

Kilo Code is an open-source AI coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains, and the CLI, forked from Cline and Roo Code. It connects to 500+ models across 60+ providers with zero markup, and ships an Orchestrator mode that routes complex tasks to specialist sub-agents (Architect, Coder, Debugger). 1.5M+ users; raised $8M seed in December 2025.

Starting Price

Free

Starting Price

$0Per forever

Free Trial

Yes

Free Trial

Yes

Free Version

Yes

Free Version

Yes

Website

emdash.sh

Website

kilo.ai

Key features

Core capabilities each platform advertises.

Emdash

Multi-agent parallel execution
Git worktree isolation
SSH remote support
Claude Code & Codex support
Open source

Kilo Code

Orchestrator mode routes complex tasks to specialist sub-agents (Architect / Coder / Debugger)
500+ models across 60+ providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Mistral, Ollama, OpenRouter)
Runs in VS Code, JetBrains, and as a standalone CLI
Inline autocomplete, browser automation, and automated refactoring
Open-source (forked from Cline + Roo Code) with 1.5M+ active users

Strengths and tradeoffs

What each tool does well, and the limitations to keep in mind.

Emdash

Pros

Fully open source (MIT) with zero cost and no vendor lock-in — 2,900+ stars and 220K+ downloads
True multi-agent parallelism with Git worktree isolation preventing conflicts between agents
Provider agnostic supporting 23+ coding agent CLIs from all major providers
End-to-end workflow from issue tracker to PR merge including diff review and CI/CD checks
Remote SSH support enabling use with cloud dev environments and powerful remote hardware

Cons

No built-in AI — requires separate paid subscriptions for each coding agent CLI
Electron-based and can be resource-heavy when running 20+ agents concurrently
Enterprise features like team management and auth are planned but not yet shipped
Early-stage desktop app at v0.4.x — users may encounter stability issues

Kilo Code

Pros

Most-used open-source coding agent (1.5M+ users, #1 on OpenRouter)
Zero markup — pays Anthropic/OpenAI/Google list price
Orchestrator routes complex work to specialist sub-agents
500+ models across 60+ providers, including local
BYOK credits never expire

Cons

Emdash or Kilo Code — which should you choose?

Choose Emdash if you wantChoose if you want

Parallel coding tasks
Multi-agent orchestration
Remote development
Large codebase refactoring

Choose Kilo Code if you wantChoose if you want

Orchestrated multi-step refactors across an existing codebase
Cost-conscious AI coding via BYOK with zero provider markup
Multi-IDE team standardization across VS Code and JetBrains
Local-first private coding workflows with Ollama
Architectural planning and automated debugging from a single agent

Compare Emdash and Kilo Code on your own traffic

10KFree traces/mo

500+Models

5 minSetup

Respan lets you trace LLM and agent calls across any model or framework, A/B test prompts on production traffic, and route requests across 500+ models through one gateway.

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Emdash vs Kilo Code (2026)

Overview

Key features

Strengths and tradeoffs

What people are saying

Emdash or Kilo Code — which should you choose?

Compare Emdash and Kilo Code on your own traffic

Frequently Asked Questions

Other popular comparisons

Emdash vs Kilo Code (2026)

Overview

Key features

Strengths and tradeoffs

What people are saying

Emdash or Kilo Code — which should you choose?

Compare Emdash and Kilo Code on your own traffic

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a coding agent?

Will coding agents replace developers?

How do I choose between GitHub Copilot, Cursor, and Claude Code?

Other popular comparisons