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Kiro

Spec-driven AI coding tool that turns prompts into requirements, designs and tasks, with a free tier and credit-based paid plans.

Freemium

What is Kiro?

Kiro is an AI coding tool that works through specs: you describe a feature, and it drafts requirements, a design and a task list before agents implement the work. It is available as the Kiro IDE, a CLI, Kiro Web and Kiro Crew, and subscriptions also work in ACP-compatible IDEs and in CI/CD automation such as pull request reviews. Kiro meters usage in credits, where a simple prompt can use less than one credit and a spec task typically uses more. The default Auto agent mixes several models, and you can instead pick specific ones, including Claude, GPT and open-weight models such as DeepSeek and Qwen3 Coder. Pricing starts with a Free tier of 50 credits. Paid plans are Pro at $20 per month, Pro+ at $40, Pro Max at $100 and Power at $200, with add-on credits at $0.04 each.

Use cases

  • Turn a feature idea into a written spec
  • Implement tasks with an AI agent
  • Review pull requests in CI/CD
  • Choose between different AI models per prompt
  • Buy add-on credits beyond plan limits
  • Manage team billing for developers

Who it's for

  • Software developers
  • Engineering teams
  • Tech leads

Why use Kiro

  • Writing requirements and design first gives the agent a plan to follow, which helps on larger features.
  • The free tier lets you try spec mode before paying anything.
  • Credits are metered to two decimal places, so small prompts cost very little.
  • A usage dashboard in the app shows credits used and remaining.
  • Add-on credits keep work going between plan tiers without forcing an upgrade.

Kiro features

  • Spec mode that produces requirements, design and tasks
  • Vibe mode for ordinary chat-style prompts
  • Auto agent that blends several models
  • Manual model choice across Claude, GPT and open-weight models
  • Credit-based usage with a dashboard for tracking consumption
  • Add-on credits at $0.04 each on paid plans
  • Workflows and steering to guide how work is divided
  • Enterprise tier with centralized billing, SSO and usage analytics

How to get started with Kiro

  1. Sign in with social login or an AWS Builder ID and start on the Free tier.
  2. Describe a feature in spec mode and review the requirements, design and task list.
  3. Run tasks with the Auto agent or pick a specific model.
  4. Track credits in the dashboard and upgrade or buy add-on credits when you need more.

Kiro limitations

  • Free tier is limited to 50 credits and rate-limited models
  • Monthly credits do not roll over to the next month
  • Each developer needs their own subscription
  • Third-party automation harnesses that bypass Kiro's own interfaces are not permitted
  • Not every premium model is available in all countries and regions

Kiro pricing

Yes, Kiro has a free plan. Paid plans start at $20 per month, according to the official pricing page on .

Kiro plans

  • Free

    $0

    per month

    • 50 credits
    • Open-weight models and Claude Sonnet 4.5
    • Subject to rate limits
  • Pro

    $20/month

    per user

    • Open-weight and premium models
    • Add-on credits at $0.04 each
  • Pro+

    $40/month

    per user

    • Open-weight and premium models
    • Add-on credits at $0.04 each
  • Pro Max

    $100/month

    per user

    • Open-weight and premium models
    • Add-on credits at $0.04 each
  • Power

    $200/month

    per user

    • Open-weight and premium models
    • Add-on credits at $0.04 each
  • Enterprise

    Custom

    • Centralized billing
    • SSO
    • Usage analytics
    • Enterprise security controls

Plans as listed on the official pricing page on . Prices can change and may vary by country or exclude tax. Check the official pricing page.

Kiro alternatives

The main Kiro alternatives listed on Debuly are Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Cline, Kilo Code and Devin. The table compares pricing and platforms; order is A–Z.

Kiro compared with its alternatives
ToolPricingStarting pricePlatforms
KiroFreemium$20/moKiro IDE, CLI, Web, ACP-compatible IDEs
Claude CodePaid—macOS, Linux, Windows, Web
ClineOpen source$9.99/moVS Code, JetBrains, CLI, macOS
CursorFreemium$8/moCLI, iOS, Web, API
DevinFreemium$20/moWeb, CLI, API
GitHub CopilotFreemium$10/mo—
Kilo CodeFreemium$15/moVS Code, JetBrains IDEs, CLI, Web
  1. Claude Code

    Anthropic's coding agent that fixes bugs, writes tests and runs migrations from your terminal, IDE, desktop app, web or Slack.

  2. Cline

    Open-source AI coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains, the terminal and desktop that edits files and runs commands with your approval.

  3. Cursor

    AI code editor and coding agent with cloud agents, Bugbot code review and multi-provider models, sold with Grok and X plans.

  4. Devin

    Cognition's AI software engineer, with a desktop app, CLI and cloud agents that take coding tasks through to pull requests.

  5. GitHub Copilot

    GitHub's AI coding assistant for code completion, chat and agents in VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, the CLI and GitHub.com.

  6. Kilo Code

    Open-source AI coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains and the CLI, with 500+ models, bring-your-own-key and team plans.

Kiro FAQ

How much does Kiro cost?

The pricing page lists Free at $0, Pro at $20 per user per month, Pro+ at $40, Pro Max at $100 and Power at $200. Prices exclude applicable taxes. Enterprise pricing is not shown.

Is there a free plan for Kiro?

Yes. The perpetual Free tier includes 50 credits, open-weight models and Claude Sonnet 4.5, subject to rate limits. First-time upgraders via social login or AWS Builder ID get $20 credited toward a paid plan.

What is a Kiro credit?

A credit is a unit of work. Simple prompts can use less than 1 credit and complex ones, such as running a spec task, typically use more. Credits are metered down to 0.01.

Can I buy more credits on Kiro?

Yes. On Pro, Pro+, Pro Max and Power, add-on credits cost $0.04 each, in packs from $5 for 125 credits up to $100. Unused add-on credits expire 12 months after purchase.

Does Kiro have a CLI or API for automation?

Kiro has a CLI, and subscriptions can be used for automation in software development, such as reviews during CI/CD. Routing requests through outside harnesses is not permitted.

What are alternatives to Kiro?

Alternatives include Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf, Cline and Amazon Q Developer.

Sources & verification

Facts on this page come from the official sources below, each with the date we read it. Written by Debuly; the vendor did not review this page.

SourceTypeAccessed
kiro.dev/official
kiro.dev/pricing/pricing
kiro.dev/blog/understanding-kiro-pricing-specs-vibes-usage-tracking/pricing
kiro.dev/blog/new-pricing-plans-and-auto/pricing

Image credits

  • Logo: from kiro.dev · fetched · Vendor trademark, used only to identify the product; removed on request
  • Cover: none collected yet, so a generated tile is shown.

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