Kilo Code is a ide extension; OpenClaw is a personal agent: different tools for different jobs. Here is what each is for, how they differ, and when to run each (or both). Vote for your favorite.
Either way, you pay for the model calls. A median coding-agent day on our gateway is 95 requests and 8.6 million tokens. The table prices every step at one model’s rate.
Both run on Standard Compute, where each step goes to the cheapest model that can do it: routine steps go to efficient open models, hard ones to frontier models such as Claude Fable 5.1 or GPT-6 Astra.
| Model | Typical day | Busy day |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 5.5 | $7.34 | $59.10 |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | $3.67 | $29.55 |
| GPT-6 Luna | $0.23 | $2.43 |
Fixed monthly plans from $19. Eligible new accounts can try $0.25 of compute first, no card. Trial terms
Pick a winner in each category. You can change your vote anytime.
Not to new customers. KiloClaw was Kilo's hosted OpenClaw (generally available since February 24, 2026). On August 6, 2026 Kilo stopped accepting new KiloClaw subscriptions: people with a current subscription keep their instances, billing and settings, but new customers can't start one. kilo.ai/kiloclaw now redirects to Kilo's homepage and Kilo's docs no longer cover it. For a new setup, run OpenClaw yourself on a small VPS or a spare machine, then point it at a model API. On Standard Compute the router sends each OpenClaw step to the cheapest model that can do it, with providers vetted for price, uptime and speed and automatic fallback.
Sources, read 2026-10-16: Kilo blog: KiloClaw is now generally available (Feb 24, 2026); Kilo-Org/cloud PR #5064: close new KiloClaw subscriptions (merged Aug 6, 2026); Kilo: OpenClaw guides (no KiloClaw product page).
Kilo CodeOpenClawChoose Kilo Code if you are vS Code users who want an open-source AI coding assistant. Choose OpenClaw if you are tinkerers who want a self-hosted JARVIS that actually does things.
Editorially this matchup is a dead heat: each agent leads in 2 of our six categories. On price, Kilo Code runs free (free models or byo key) / kilo pass from $19/mo and is open source; OpenClaw runs free (mit) / models via standard compute and is open source.
What it costs to run Kilo Code or OpenClaw
Best API for Kilo Code →
4 options compared, with prices and limits
Best API for OpenClaw →
5 options compared, with prices and limits
Standard Compute sends each step to the cheapest model that can do it, on providers we vet for price, uptime and speed. Plans start at $19 a month, and eligible new accounts can try $0.25 of compute with no card. Choose your agent below to connect.
See the trial and activation steps →
More on Kilo Code: How do I run Kilo Code on a fixed monthly budget?
More on OpenClaw: How do I use DeepSeek in OpenClaw? · How do I use GLM 5.3 in OpenClaw?
Kilo Code is an open-source (MIT) coding agent that runs as a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin and Kilo CLI (a fork of OpenCode). It supports multi-file editing, refactoring and context-aware code generation. The tools are free: you can start on its free models without a card, bring your own key for any OpenAI-compatible API, or buy models through Kilo's gateway at provider rates, with the optional Kilo Pass from $19 a month adding bonus credits.
OpenClaw is the open-source autonomous agent created by Peter Steinberger (it began as Clawdbot in 2025, became Moltbot, then OpenClaw in January 2026, and passed 390,000 GitHub stars by October 2026). It runs locally, uses messaging platforms (29 channels) as its main interface, and acts rather than advises: with skills from the ClawHub registry it browses the web, sends email, manages files, runs shell commands, and drives APIs. Since July 2026 the MIT-licensed project has been run by the nonprofit OpenClaw Foundation, with Steinberger, who joined OpenAI earlier in 2026, still its chief steward.
Kilo Code and OpenClaw both run on Standard Compute
