Kiro Featured

Score: 85/100 ⓘ How we score

AWS's spec-driven agentic IDE that transforms natural language into structured requirements, designs, and tasks—enabling autonomous AI agents to work for hours or days with persistent context.

🚀 See Kiro in Action

Watch Kiro's spec-driven approach: first generating structured requirements and design, then implementing with full traceability.

💡 This is a simulated example demonstrating typical Kiro capabilities. No actual LLM call is made.

Prompt:
Build a user authentication system with JWT tokens, password hashing, and rate limiting.

Key Features

Spec-driven development with auto-generated requirements.md, design.md, and tasks.md
Autonomous agent that works for hours/days with persistent context
Kiro Powers for dynamic context activation (Stripe, Figma, Datadog)
Property-based testing (PBT) to verify code matches specifications
Native MCP (Model Context Protocol) integration
Agent hooks for automated documentation and testing on file events
Multimodal chat supporting images and UI designs
Agent steering files for project-specific customization

Best For

Agentic WorkflowsSpec-Driven DevelopmentEnterprise DevelopmentAWS IntegrationLong-Running Tasks

Key Specifications

Core CompetencyAgentic Workflows, Spec-Driven Development, Enterprise Development, AWS Integration, Long-Running Tasks
AI ArchitectureClaude Sonnet 4.5 as primary model, with Auto mode that combines frontier models with prompt caching to optimize quality, latency, and cost.
Context WindowLarge context support through Claude Sonnet 4.5. Persistent context across sessions enables multi-day autonomous work without losing project understanding.
DeploymentStandalone IDE (Code OSS-based) for macOS, Windows, Linux. CLI available for macOS and Linux. No AWS account required—sign in with GitHub, Google, AWS Builder ID, or IAM Identity Center.
Offline SupportCloud-based, requires internet connection. Core agentic features depend on cloud AI inference.
IDE IntegrationKiro is a standalone IDE based on Code OSS. Supports VS Code settings import, Open VSX extensions, and existing themes. CLI available for terminal workflows.
Company Maturity1 years
Pricing ModelStandard - Individual developers

📊 Performance Metrics & Comparisons

Score Breakdown

Visual breakdown of this tool's performance across six key evaluation criteria

Top 5 Tools Comparison

See how Kiro ranks against the top AI coding assistants in our directory

Common Use Cases

Detailed Analysis

✓ Strengths

  • Enterprise-grade AI models
    Powered by Claude Sonnet 4.5 as primary model, with Auto mode...
  • Strategic technology partnerships
    Backed by major tech companies with deep AI and cloud infrastructure expertise

✗ Limitations

  • Internet dependency
    Limited or no offline functionality, impacting use in restricted environments

Expert Analysis

Kiro represents AWS's strategic entry into agentic coding, differentiated by its unique spec-driven development approach. Rather than jumping straight to code, Kiro first generates structured specifications (requirements, design, tasks) that guide implementation—creating an auditable trail from intent to code. The autonomous agent's ability to maintain persistent context across hours or days of work addresses a key limitation of other tools. Powered by Claude Sonnet 4.5 with AWS enterprise backing, it's positioned for teams needing traceable, specification-compliant AI-generated code. Note: Score reflects public preview status—may increase as the tool reaches GA.

Verdict

Kiro offers solid AI development capabilities with specific technical strengths. Best suited for developers requiring advanced AI assistance in their primary development workflow.

Who is This For?

**Experienced developers** working in specialized domains or with specific technical requirements.

Company Background

Status: Subsidiary of Amazon.com, Inc.

Founded: 2025 (Announced at AWS re:Invent December 2025)

Backing: Backed by Amazon, with enterprise-grade infrastructure and long-term commitment to developer tools.

Last Verified: 2026-01

Sources

Primary references: blog, docs, release notes, API, and status pages.

User Reviews & Ratings

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