Amazon's New AI IDE: Kiro
Amazon has introduced Kiro, a new agentic integrated development environment (IDE) aimed at enhancing the software development process with AI-driven workflows. This release comes as developers seek alternatives following the acquisition of Windsurf by Cognition.
Features and Functionality
Kiro is designed to assist developers in transitioning from prototype to production by integrating AI workflows that emphasize structure, planning, and engineering rigor. It utilizes Claude Sonnet 3.7 and 4.0 as its default model backends, with the potential for future support of additional models. Currently in public preview, Kiro is available on macOS, Windows, and Linux, offering a free tier limited to 50 interactions per user per month, with paid plans starting at $19.
Bridging the Gap in Development
Kiro aims to bridge the gap between rapid prototyping and the delivery of secure, maintainable, and scalable applications. It combines AI agents with project specifications, technical architecture, and automated task management, supporting a complete software development lifecycle within a single interface.
Differentiation from Q Developer
While Amazon already offers Q Developer, Kiro distinguishes itself as a general-purpose agentic IDE compatible with any platform. In contrast, Q Developer is more limited, supporting only specific third-party IDEs like VSCode and JetBrains. Kiro's spec-driven development model is another key differentiator, guiding the development process from ideation to implementation.
Spec-Driven Development
Kiro's spec-driven development model allows developers to generate structured artifacts from simple prompts. For example, a prompt to "add a review system" can produce user stories, design documents, and task lists. These tasks can be executed through Kiro's built-in agent interface, maintaining synchronization between specifications and the codebase.
Automation with Agent Hooks
Kiro includes agent hooks, which automate routine quality tasks such as regenerating tests and updating documentation. These hooks can be tied to specific actions, ensuring consistency in code quality and standards enforcement across teams.
Built on Open Source
Kiro is built on Code OSS, the open-source foundation of Visual Studio Code, ensuring compatibility with VS Code extensions and settings. It supports Model Context Protocol (MCP) for connecting external tools and offers agentic multi-modal chat capabilities.
Pricing and Availability
During its preview period, Kiro is free for all users, including those subscribed to Amazon Q Developer and Q Developer Pro. Post-preview, users can choose from three subscription tiers, with the free plan offering 50 interactions per month and paid plans providing higher usage quotas.
Competitive Landscape
Kiro enters a competitive field of AI-powered coding tools, including Amazon Q Developer, Claude Code, and GitHub Copilot. Each tool offers unique features and pricing models, with Kiro focusing on structured, spec-first development.
Demonstrating Kiro: 'Spirit of Kiro'
To showcase Kiro's capabilities, Amazon released "Spirit of Kiro," an open-source crafting game. This project demonstrates Kiro's ability to manage complex systems and features, with over 95% of the codebase generated by Kiro prompts.
Community Response
Kiro's launch has sparked discussion among developers, with some praising its structured approach and others expressing concerns over tool churn. Initial feedback highlights both curiosity and high expectations for AI coding tools.
Kiro offers a disciplined approach to AI-assisted development, focusing on long-term maintainability and quality. As it enters the market, it aims to attract teams and individuals seeking thoughtful, structured development workflows.