Coding agent (CLI) · Moonshot AI

Kimi Code CLI

Moonshot AI's terminal coding agent, rewritten in TypeScript as a single binary. It edits code, runs shell commands, accepts video input and exposes an ACP mode for editors.

Reviewed by the Termdex team · facts checked 2026-10-28 against 9 vendor sources · how we check

Official site

Kimi Code CLI review

Kimi Code CLI is Moonshot AI's terminal coding agent, rewritten in TypeScript as a single binary. The CLI is free and MIT licensed, but default use draws on a paid Kimi membership. We read the vendor's pages and repository in October 2026. We did not run an independent test.

Who it is for

Developers who already use Kimi models and want a single-binary terminal agent with scripting support. It does not suit anyone needing a documented sandbox.

What stands out

It edits code, runs shell commands, accepts video input and has an ACP mode for editors. The default login is Kimi Code OAuth. You can instead use a Moonshot platform API key. On Windows it needs Git for Windows.

Non-interactive use is documented: `kimi -p` with `--output-format stream-json`. Built-in subagents (coder, explore, plan), lifecycle hooks, MCP and a plugin marketplace are included. Provider types cover Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenAI Responses and Gemini/Vertex, plus a custom base_url, so you are not locked to Kimi models.

Price and licence

The CLI is free under MIT. The default login uses a Kimi membership. On the China membership page, seen 28 October 2026, Go is 49 yuan a month and does not include Kimi Code. Plus is 99, Pro 199, Max 699 and Ultra 1,399 yuan a month, with a rolling 5-hour limit. We did not confirm international USD prices on official pages. We found no free tier. The alternative is pay-per-use through a Moonshot API key.

Where it falls short

It replaced the older Python Kimi CLI, which is archived with no further security updates. Credentials and MCP authorisations do not migrate.
Out-of-the-box use needs a paid membership (Plus or above) or an API key.
The docs describe an approval flow but no sandbox.
The docs do not mention Ollama, LM Studio or other local setups.

Alternatives

See terminal coding agents. OpenCode is an open-source option that is not tied to one vendor's models. Qwen Code is another model-maker's agent.

Facts: platforms, price and licence

platforms: macOSWindowsLinuxReplaces the legacy Python 'Kimi CLI' (MoonshotAI/kimi-cli), which is archived and unsupported. Windows needs Git for Windows (Git Bash is used as the shell). Single-binary install, no Node.js needed with the script.
price: SubscriptionThe CLI is free (MIT). Default login is Kimi Code OAuth, which draws on a Kimi membership: on the China membership page (seen 2026-10-28) Go is ¥49/month with Kimi Code not included, Plus ¥99, Pro ¥199, Max ¥699, Ultra ¥1,399 per month include it with a rolling 5-hour limit. Alternatively use a Moonshot platform API key (pay-per-use) or configure other providers. No free tier found; international USD prices not confirmed on official pages.
source: Open sourceLicence: MIT
github: MoonshotAI/kimi-code 8k stars, seen 2026-10-28

Kimi Code CLI features

✓ yes MCP
✓ yes Multi-agent
✓ yes Headless / CI
? not verified Sandbox
? not verified Local models
✓ yes Your own API key
? not verified Git worktrees
? not verified SSH

✓ documented · – absent or not in its feature list · ? not verified

Kimi Code CLI strengths

MIT licence, active repo with frequent releases
Documented non-interactive mode: `kimi -p` with `--output-format stream-json`
Built-in subagents (coder, explore, plan), lifecycle hooks, MCP and a plugin marketplace
Provider types for Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenAI Responses and Gemini/Vertex, plus custom base_url, so not locked to Kimi models

Kimi Code CLI weak points

Replaced the earlier Python Kimi CLI, which is archived with no further security updates; credentials and MCP authorisations do not migrate
Out-of-the-box use needs a paid Kimi membership (Plus or above) or a Moonshot API key; no free tier seen
No documented sandbox: it relies on an approval flow instead
Docs do not mention Ollama, LM Studio or other local-model setups

Who Kimi Code CLI is for

best for: Developers who already use Kimi models and want a fast single-binary terminal agent with scripting support.
look elsewhere if: Users who need OS-level command sandboxing or a documented local-model workflow.

Lists that include Kimi Code CLI

Sources and what we could not verify

Checked 2026-10-28. Prices and features change; the vendor's page is the authority.

github.com/MoonshotAI/kimi-code — README: features, install, subagents, hooks, ACP, MIT
api.github.com/repos/MoonshotAI/kimi-code — stars, license MIT, pushed_at, archived=false
github.com/MoonshotAI/kimi-cli — legacy repo archived, replaced by Kimi Code CLI; Apache-2.0 legacy
api.github.com/repos/MoonshotAI/kimi-cli — archived=true, 11423 stars, pushed 2026-09-22
moonshotai.github.io/kimi-code/en/guides/getting-started — login options, -p flag, platforms, install
moonshotai.github.io/kimi-code/en/reference/kimi-command — -p/--output-format stream-json, permission modes, provider commands
moonshotai.github.io/kimi-code/en/configuration/providers.html — provider types, base_url override
www.kimi.com/en/help/membership/membership-pricing — membership prices (China, CNY), Kimi Code included from Plus
registry.npmjs.org/@moonshot-ai%2Fkimi-code — latest version/date

Not verified

USD / international pricing for Kimi Code not confirmed on official pages (third-party guides disagree); CNY prices come from the China-market help page
Free tier: none found, not confirmed absent
Git worktree support, sandbox and local-model support not documented in pages read (null, not false)
Kimi Code product page kimi.com/code gave no plan prices itself