<!-- Canonical: https://www.agentlist.io/compare/kiro-vs-cursor -->

# [KiroAmazon Web Services · ai-ide](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/kiro)vs[CursorAnysphere · ai-ide](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/cursor)

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.

## More comparisons

-   [→Cursor vs Windsurf / Devin Desktop](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/cursor-vs-windsurf)
-   [→Claude Code vs Cursor](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/claude-code-vs-cursor)
-   [→GitHub Copilot vs Cursor](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/copilot-vs-cursor)
-   [→Zed vs Cursor](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/zed-vs-cursor)
-   [→Claude Code vs Codex CLI](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/claude-code-vs-codex-cli)
-   [→Aider vs Claude Code](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/aider-vs-claude-code)

A

## Kiro

Kiro is AWS's agent-first IDE: spec-driven development (requirements → design → tasks), agent hooks, and an Auto agent, with a CLI.

[full spec sheet →](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/kiro)

-   [↗ kiro.dev/pricing/](https://kiro.dev/pricing/)
-   [↗ kiro.dev/blog/new-pricing-plans-and-auto/](https://kiro.dev/blog/new-pricing-plans-and-auto/)

B

## Cursor

Cursor is a VS Code–based AI-native editor with repo-aware chat, multi-file edits, Composer/agent modes, and cloud background agents.

[full spec sheet →](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/cursor)

-   [↗ cursor.com/pricing](https://cursor.com/pricing)
-   [↗ cursor.com/docs/models-and-pricing](https://cursor.com/docs/models-and-pricing)

## Data

Fields come from catalog records refreshed individually against public documentation. This page compares recorded specs and does not establish hands-on performance. See the [changelog](https://www.agentlist.io/changelog) or the [JSON feed](https://www.agentlist.io/api/v1/systems).

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Source: [Kiro vs Cursor: spec comparison | agentlist.io](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/kiro-vs-cursor). This is the public page rendered as Markdown; interactive controls require the website.