Kiro is the terminal agent in the Kiro family, running on Kiro credits; HagiCode is a workbench that can run it as an executor. This page compares features, pricing and when Kiro alone is enough.
Kiro is Kiro's terminal agent: you run kiro-cli in a project, and it reads your .kiro/ steering files and MCP config, then edits code and runs commands using your Kiro plan. HagiCode is a desktop and web workbench that launches kiro-cli as one of its Agent CLIs, adding parallel sessions, proposals and commits. It does not replace Kiro and it does not sell Kiro credits.
If you already work in Kiro and want its agents, steering and hooks in a terminal, stay with Kiro alone. Add HagiCode when you run several tasks at once or want a proposal workflow independent of Kiro's own.
| Dimension | Kiro | HagiCode |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | Terminal agent from Kiro; shares core capabilities with other Kiro surfaces | Desktop and web AI programming workbench that drives Agent CLIs you install |
| Interface and platforms | Terminal chat started with kiro-cli; macOS, Linux, Windows 11 (PowerShell) | Desktop app for Windows, macOS, Linux; Docker Compose container; Microsoft Store edition |
| Pricing and licensing | Part of Kiro plans: Free (50 credits/month), Pro $20, Pro+ $40, Power $200 per month, as of October 2026 | Desktop and Container free; Store edition free with optional one-time TurboEngine purchase |
| Model and provider access | Built on Claude models; an Auto agent picks, and /model lets you choose per chat | Hosts no models; uses whatever kiro-cli is signed in with, so cost stays in Kiro credits |
| Parallel work | One chat per terminal; custom agents; cloud sessions keep running after you disconnect | Several concurrent sessions across repos, managed from an Agents view |
| Spec and planning workflow | Plan agent explores code without modifying it; steering files carry team rules | OpenSpec proposals: propose, validate, apply, archive; 3 concurrent on free editions, 32 with TurboEngine |
| Git and commit handling | Runs shell and Git commands; headless mode can open pull requests in pipelines | AI-composed commits, Git management, GitHub integration, embedded Code Server editor |
| Setup effort | curl -fsSL https://cli.kiro.dev/install | bash, then browser sign-in | Install HagiCode Desktop, with a working, signed-in kiro-cli already on the machine |
| Best for | Developers on Kiro plans who want agents, steering and hooks in the terminal or CI | Developers running several tasks or repos who want a GUI and a spec discipline |
You can define agents with pre-set prompts and tool permissions, then start one with kiro-cli --agent <name>. That is a practical way to give a reviewer agent read-only tools and a builder agent more room, all from files.
The CLI reads steering files and MCP configuration from the project's .kiro/ folder, the same place other Kiro surfaces use, so team rules carry across the IDE and terminal. Agent skills, a knowledge base and code intelligence build on that.
Hooks automate steps before and after commands, a plan agent explores code without editing it, and cloud sessions keep running after you disconnect. Together they suit longer tasks you want to leave running.
Headless mode runs prompts non-interactively in CI/CD with API keys, for example to troubleshoot a failing build or open a pull request. ACP support lets compatible IDEs drive the CLI. Sign-in works with Google, GitHub, AWS Builder ID or an organisation identity.
HagiCode starts the kiro-cli you already installed, in its ACP mode (kiro-cli acp), and shows the session in its own interface. Your install, sign-in and Kiro credits stay as they were.
Nothing is locked in: your repositories stay ordinary Git repositories and you can run kiro-cli in a terminal at any time.
curl -fsSL https://cli.kiro.dev/install | bash; for Windows see the installation page on kiro.dev) and sign in; kiro-cli login re-authenticates.kiro-cli.Kiro gives you one chat per terminal. HagiCode can keep several Kiro sessions running across repositories and list them in one Agents view.
Kiro has steering files for standing rules. An OpenSpec proposal covers a single change: written, validated, applied and archived, so you keep the reasoning behind it.
HagiCode composes the commit message from what Kiro changed, and the embedded Code Server lets you check the edits without leaving the workbench.
Monospecs lets a Kiro session span several repositories; Vault stores notes that outlast one session.
Kiro's tool calls show in the same layout as other agents' calls, and an optional TokenMonitor can show usage in the status bar. Kiro credits and billing are unchanged.
kiro-cli underneath, adding sessions, proposals and commits rather than credits or models.curl -fsSL https://cli.kiro.dev/install | bash, then start kiro-cli and sign in through the browser. Windows 11 (PowerShell) is supported; see the installation page on kiro.dev for the command.kiro-cli and sign in, then choose Kiro as the Agent CLI in HagiCode. HagiCode accepts only kiro-cli binaries, not the generic kiro launcher.HagiCode is an agentic coding workspace. Rich, convenient UI interactions make planning, agent execution, and project work approachable and easy to navigate, creating an engaging development experience.
Explore an engaging development experience through rich, convenient UI interactions.
HagiCode is an agentic coding workspace. OpenSpec workflows plan the change, multi-agent execution carries it out, and Hero Scenario makes the long run visible, so ideas become shipped software.
© 2026 HagiCode | Powered By hagilight-starlight@0.21.0 | Branch: main | Commit: 951128b | Built:
