agentlist

KiroAmazon Web Services · ai-idevsCursorAnysphere · ai-ide

AWS's spec-driven agent IDE vs the incumbent AI-native editor. Kiro leads with a requirements → design → tasks pipeline, agent hooks, and an Auto agent plus CLI; Cursor leads with repo-aware chat, multi-file edits, and the widest third-party model pool.

agentlist.io · spec diff · updated 2026-09-25 — recorded specs, not benchmarks

Spec diff

KiroCursor
vendorAmazon Web ServicesAnysphere
categoryai-ideai-ide
interfaceseditor · clieditor · api
hostinglocal · cloudlocal · cloud
pricingFree (50 credits); Pro $20/user/mo; Pro+ $40; Pro Max $100; Power $200Hobby free; Pro $20/mo; Pro+ $60; Ultra $200; Teams $40/user
statusactively maintainedactively maintained
also known asKiro IDE

Pick which

pick Kiro if

You want structured specs and steering files instead of ad-hoc chat — especially if your team already runs on AWS.

pick Cursor if

You want the polished default: the biggest ecosystem, cloud background agents, and conventional per-seat tiers.

watch out

Kiro bills in credits ($0.04 each beyond plan) and was migrating plan limits to a single credit pool through Oct 2026. Cursor's two-pool pricing surprises heavy agent users on lower tiers.

Feature notes

  • Kiro
  • 01Spec-driven workflow
  • 02Agent hooks
  • 03Auto agent
  • 04MCP
  • 05Kiro CLI
  • 06Claude + open-weight models
  • Cursor
  • 01Tab completion
  • 02Agent / Composer modes
  • 03Project rules
  • 04Model choice
  • 05Cloud agents
  • 06Code review helpers

Frequently asked

Kiro or Cursor — which should I pick?

AWS's spec-driven agent IDE vs the incumbent AI-native editor. Kiro leads with a requirements → design → tasks pipeline, agent hooks, and an Auto agent plus CLI; Cursor leads with repo-aware chat, multi-file edits, and the widest third-party model pool. Pick Kiro if: You want structured specs and steering files instead of ad-hoc chat — especially if your team already runs on AWS. Pick Cursor if: You want the polished default: the biggest ecosystem, cloud background agents, and conventional per-seat tiers.

Is Kiro or Cursor cheaper?

Kiro: Free (50 credits); Pro $20/user/mo; Pro+ $40; Pro Max $100; Power $200. Cursor: Hobby free; Pro $20/mo; Pro+ $60; Ultra $200; Teams $40/user. These records are refreshed separately. Confirm current usage allowances and seat terms with each vendor.

Does Kiro or Cursor run locally?

Kiro hosting: local, cloud. Cursor hosting: local, cloud. Interfaces differ too: Kiro exposes editor/cli, Cursor exposes editor/api.

Are Kiro and Cursor still maintained?

Kiro: actively maintained. Cursor: actively maintained. These are recorded catalog statuses, not a live availability check. Review each product’s official documentation and the catalog changelog.

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