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Kiro alternatives: 5 apps ranked by verified data

Facts checked Oct 25, 2026AppBreakup editorialHow we rank

Common reasons people leave Kiro: free plan has only a small credit allowance, and spec workflow is overkill for quick edits. We ranked 5 alternatives by how directly each one replaces Kiro, then by reviews, real visits and how recently each app's facts were checked against its own website. Google Antigravity currently ranks first.

Quick comparison

#AppPricingOpen sourcePlatformsVerified factsScore
1Google Antigravity logoGoogle AntigravityFree plan + paidNoWindows, macOS, Linux4 of 477.6
2Windsurf logoWindsurfFree plan + paidNoWindows, macOS, Linux2 of 373.3
3Visual Studio Code logoVisual Studio CodeFreeYesWindows, macOS, Linux +13 of 368.9
4Cursor logoCursorFree plan + paidNoWindows, macOS, Linux0 of 367.7
5Amazon Q Developer logoAmazon Q DeveloperFree plan + paidNomacOS, Windows, Linux +14 of 447.8
  1. Google Antigravity logo

    1. Google AntigravityTop pick

    Best for: Developers who want to delegate whole tasks to Gemini-powered agents for free

    Free plan + paidWindows, macOS, Linux

    77.6

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kiro

    Google's agent-first IDE, free for individuals.

    Pros

    • Free individual plan with unlimited tab completions
    • Agents verify work in a browser and show reviewable artifacts
    • IDE, CLI, app and SDK share one agent setup

    Cons

    • Centred on Google's models and accounts
    • Free plan agent use is rate-limited
    • Fast-changing product with frequent reshuffles
    Visit Google Antigravity Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.387
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Google Antigravity a good Kiro alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Individual plan
    $0/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026antigravity.google(opens source in a new tab)
    Tab completions
    Unlimited on free plan
    Checked Oct 25, 2026antigravity.google(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    macOS, Windows, Linux
    Checked Oct 25, 2026antigravity.google(opens source in a new tab)
    Enterprise
    Via Gemini Enterprise, from $30/seat/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026antigravity.google(opens source in a new tab)
  2. Windsurf logo

    2. WindsurfAcquired

    Best for: Developers who want an agent-centric AI editor

    Free plan + paidWindows, macOS, Linux

    73.3

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kiro

    An agent-centred VS Code-based editor with a free plan.

    Pros

    • Capable Cascade agent
    • Familiar VS Code-style interface
    • Free plan available

    Cons

    • Product direction changing after acquisition
    • Credit-based limits
    Visit Windsurf Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.377
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.15100
    Freshness ×0.1577
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Windsurf a good Kiro alternative?

    Verified facts

    2 of 3 verified
    Free plan
    Yes
    Checked Oct 24, 2026windsurf.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Current name
    Devin Desktop
    Checked Oct 24, 2026windsurf.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux
    Not checked yetwindsurf.com(opens source in a new tab)
  3. Visual Studio Code logo

    3. Visual Studio Code

    Best for: Developers who want a free, extensible editor for any language

    FreeOpen sourceWindows, macOS, Linux, Web

    68.9

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kiro

    Keep a plain editor and add Copilot or other agents as needed.

    Pros

    • Free with a huge extension marketplace
    • Excellent remote development
    • Fast and lightweight for an IDE

    Cons

    • Microsoft builds include telemetry
    • Heavy extension use can slow it down
    Visit Visual Studio Code Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.369
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.1563
    Freshness ×0.15100
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Visual Studio Code a good Kiro alternative?

    Verified facts

    3 of 3 verified
    Price
    Free
    Checked Oct 24, 2026code.visualstudio.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Open source core
    Yes (Code - OSS, MIT)
    Checked Oct 24, 2026github.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux, web
    Checked Oct 24, 2026code.visualstudio.com(opens source in a new tab)
  4. Cursor logo

    4. Cursor

    Best for: Developers who want deep AI help across a whole codebase

    Free plan + paidWindows, macOS, Linux

    67.7

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kiro

    The leading AI-first editor, quicker for small changes without a spec step.

    Pros

    • Familiar VS Code foundation
    • Strong codebase-aware agent
    • Choice of AI models

    Cons

    • Heavy AI use requires paid plans
    • Usage limits can change
    Visit Cursor Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.3100
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.1563
    Freshness ×0.1530
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Cursor a good Kiro alternative?

    Verified facts

    0 of 3 verified
    Free plan
    Yes (Hobby)
    Not checked yetcursor.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Based on
    VS Code fork
    Not checked yetcursor.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Platforms
    Windows, macOS, Linux
    Not checked yetcursor.com(opens source in a new tab)
  5. Amazon Q Developer logo

    5. Amazon Q Developer

    Best for: Teams building on AWS who want an assistant that understands their cloud setup

    Free plan + paidmacOS, Windows, Linux, Web

    47.8

    score / 100

    Why switch from Kiro

    AWS's coding assistant that plugs into editors you already use.

    Pros

    • Perpetual free tier with monthly limits
    • Strong knowledge of AWS services and IAM
    • Built-in tools for Java version upgrades

    Cons

    • IDE plugins reach end of support in April 2027
    • Less useful outside AWS-heavy work
    • Free tier caps agentic requests at 50 a month
    Visit Amazon Q Developer Details and reviews
    How this score is calculated
    Editorial fit ×0.338
    Reviews ×0.363
    Clicks (90 days) ×0.150
    Freshness ×0.1585
    Votes ×0.150

    0 counted reviews, 0 up and 0 down votes. Full formula

    Is Amazon Q Developer a good Kiro alternative?

    Verified facts

    4 of 4 verified
    Pro tier
    $19 per user/month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026aws.amazon.com(opens source in a new tab)
    Free tier
    50 agentic requests per month
    Checked Oct 25, 2026aws.amazon.com(opens source in a new tab)
    IDEs
    JetBrains, Visual Studio, VS Code, Eclipse
    Checked Oct 25, 2026aws.amazon.com(opens source in a new tab)
    IDE plugin end of support
    30 April 2027
    Checked Oct 25, 2026docs.aws.amazon.com(opens source in a new tab)

The best Kiro alternative for…

The highest-ranked app in this list for each need.

Google Antigravity logo

Best Kiro alternative for most people

Google Antigravity

Google's agent-first IDE, free for individuals.

Visual Studio Code logo

Best Kiro alternative for a free option

Visual Studio Code

Keep a plain editor and add Copilot or other agents as needed.

Windsurf logo

Best Kiro alternative for a free plan you can upgrade

Windsurf

An agent-centred VS Code-based editor with a free plan.

Visual Studio Code logo

Best Kiro alternative for open source

Visual Studio Code

Keep a plain editor and add Copilot or other agents as needed.

Cursor logo

Best Kiro alternative for Mac

Cursor

The leading AI-first editor, quicker for small changes without a spec step.

Amazon Q Developer logo

Best Kiro alternative for Windows

Amazon Q Developer

AWS's coding assistant that plugs into editors you already use.

Google Antigravity logo

Best Kiro alternative for Linux

Google Antigravity

Google's agent-first IDE, free for individuals.

Visual Studio Code logo

Best Kiro alternative for working in the browser

Visual Studio Code

Keep a plain editor and add Copilot or other agents as needed.

Kiro alternatives: common questions

What is the best alternative to Kiro?

Google Antigravity ranks first right now. Google's agent-first IDE, free for individuals. Windsurf and Visual Studio Code follow it in our ranking.

Is there a free alternative to Kiro?

Yes. Google Antigravity (free plan + paid), Windsurf (free plan + paid), Visual Studio Code (free) and Cursor (free plan + paid) have a free option. Check each app's verified facts for current plan limits.

Is there an open-source alternative to Kiro?

Yes: Visual Studio Code.

Which Kiro alternatives work on Linux?

Google Antigravity, Windsurf, Visual Studio Code, Cursor and Amazon Q Developer run on Linux.

Why do people switch from Kiro?

The complaints we hear most: free plan has only a small credit allowance; spec workflow is overkill for quick edits; requires signing in to AWS-run services.

How is this list ranked?

Every app is scored with the same published formula: how directly it replaces Kiro, reviews (weighted by verification), visits from AppBreakup, how recently its facts were checked against its own website, and reader votes.