Updated for 2026

ZCodevsKiro

Not sure which fits your workflow in 2026? Compare pricing, features, and trade-offs — then switch tools below to explore more options in this category.

Category
Tool A
Tool B

ai-ide

ZCode

ZCode is Zhipu’s agentic coding product with a visual desktop workspace, GLM-optimized agents, MCP, and skills.

Visit ZCode

ai-ide

Kiro

Kiro is Amazon’s agentic IDE/CLI emphasizing specs, steering, hooks, and MCP integrations for production-minded workflows.

Visit Kiro

Basics

FeatureZCodeKiro
Released20252025
CompanyZhipu AI (Z.ai)Amazon (AWS)
CountryChinaUnited States
Region / AvailabilityGlobal (China-friendly)Global (AWS availability，third-party models are restricted based on their regional availability.)https://kiro.dev/pricing/#what-countries-or-regions-are-supported-for-individual-plans

Pricing comparison

PlanZCodeKiro
Modelsubscriptionfreemium
Free tierNoYes
Starts at$16/mo$20/mo
Plan 1Lite: $16/moFree: FreeExperience kiro, 50 credits/month
Plan 2Pro: $65/moPro: $20/mo1,000 credits/month
Plan 3Max: $144/moPro+: $40/mo2,000 credits/month
Plan 4—Pro Max: $100/mo5,000积分/月
Plan 5—Power: $200/mo10,000 credits/month

Feature checklist

FeatureZCodeKiro
Visual IDE UI✓✓
OS PlatformsmacOS / Windows / Linuxhttps://zcode.z.ai/en#all-downloadsmacOS / Windows / Linux / Mobilehttps://kiro.dev/downloads/
Third-party Models✓https://zcode.z.ai/cn/docs/configuration✓
MCP / Plugins✓✓
Skills Support✓✓
VS Code Extension✗✗
JetBrains Plugin✗✗
AI Autocomplete✓✓
Chat / Inline Agent✓✓
Multi-file Edit✓✓
Codebase Indexing✓✓
Terminal Integration✓✓
Local LLM Support✓https://zcode.z.ai/cn/docs/configuration✓
Open Source✗✗ (Only kiro-cli is open source; other core code is not)https://github.com/kirodotdev/Kiro
Team Collaboration✓✓
Privacy Mode✗✓
VS Code Compatible✗✓
Autonomous Agent✓✓
Git Integration✓✓
Use CaseAI coding assistant focused on China-region developer workflowsSpec-driven agentic IDE/CLI for structured AWS-oriented development

Pros & cons

ZCode

  • Desktop agentic workspace optimized for GLM
  • MCP + skills + sub-agents
  • BYOK support for other providers
  • Smaller global community than Cursor
  • Not a VS Code fork — migration cost
  • Enterprise story still maturing

Kiro

  • Spec-driven workflow before coding
  • First-class MCP + hooks / steering
  • IDE + CLI coverage from AWS
  • Newer product; polish still catching up
  • Highly engineered, difficult for beginners to get started
  • AWS-centric positioning may not fit every stack
  • JetBrains support is via ACP, not a native plugin

Dimension scores

Editorial 0–10 scores across shared dimensions — higher is better for that axis.

DimensionZCodeKiro
Capability
7.5
7.8
Privacy
6.0
7.5
Value
7.5
7.0
Depth
6.0
7.5
Ecosystem
5.0
8.5
DX
6.8
7.8
CapabilityPrivacyValueDepthEcosystemDX
  • ZCode
  • Kiro

FAQ

Is ZCode better than Kiro? (2026)

It depends on workflow. ZCode emphasizes zhipu’s agentic ai coding environment with glm models, mcp, and skills. Kiro emphasizes amazon’s spec-driven agentic ide and cli for structured ai development. Use the feature checklist above for your stack.

Which use cases fit ZCode vs Kiro?
  • ZCode: AI coding assistant focused on China-region developer workflows
  • Kiro: Spec-driven agentic IDE/CLI for structured AWS-oriented development
What are the main differences between ZCode and Kiro?
  • OS Platforms: ZCode (macOS / Windows / Linux) vs Kiro (macOS / Windows / Linux / Mobile)
  • Privacy Mode: ZCode (no) vs Kiro (yes)
  • VS Code Compatible: ZCode (no) vs Kiro (yes)
How do ZCode and Kiro compare on pricing?

ZCode pricing overview:

  • No fixed free tier listed
  • Pricing model: subscription
  • Starting from ~$16/mo
  • Plan Lite: $16/mo
  • Plan Pro: $65/mo
  • Plan Max: $144/mo

Kiro pricing overview:

  • Has a free tier
  • Pricing model: freemium
  • Starting from ~$20/mo
  • Plan Free: Free
  • Plan Pro: $20/mo
  • Plan Pro+: $40/mo

Always verify current prices on the vendor site before buying.

Do ZCode and Kiro offer a free tier?
  • ZCode: No fixed free tier listed
  • Kiro: Has a free tier
Are ZCode and Kiro open source?
  • ZCode: no
  • Kiro: no (Only kiro-cli is open source; other core code is not)
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Related alternatives

ZCode alternatives

Kiro alternatives

Disclaimer:Not Financial or Investment Advice, Educational/Dev Tool Comparison Only. Information may change; always verify pricing on the vendor site before purchasing.