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Kimi Code: The Ultimate AI Coding Agent for Developers in 2026

Jan 30, 2026

Kimi Code: The Ultimate AI Coding Agent for Developers in 2026

Kimi Code CLI is an open-source AI agent that runs directly in your terminal. It’s designed to help developers read/edit code, execute shell commands, plan multi-step tasks, and extend capabilities via MCP—without switching tools.

Kimi Code is often paired with the Kimi model family. For example, the public model card for Kimi K2.5 lists 1T total parameters and a 256K context length, which can be useful for long-context coding workflows.
Reference: https://huggingface.co/moonshotai/Kimi-K2.5

What is Kimi Code CLI?

Kimi Code CLI is Moonshot AI’s terminal-first coding agent. Unlike classic code completion tools, it’s closer to an “agent”: it can analyze a repo, propose a plan, run commands, and iterate.
Reference: https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-cli/en/guides/getting-started.html

Core capabilities

  • Code reading & editing: Understands structure and refactors across files
  • Shell command execution: Runs builds/tests/scripts inside your environment
  • Web search & fetch (platform-dependent): Availability depends on your provider selection
  • Autonomous planning: Breaks a goal into steps and executes iteratively
  • Multimodal input (optional): Paste images from clipboard if your model supports image_in
    Reference: https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-cli/en/guides/interaction.html

Why Kimi Code matters

1) Long context for real projects

Many coding tasks require more than a snippet. A long context window helps the agent keep more files/configs/docs in scope.

2) Agentic workflows > autocomplete

Kimi Code can plan, act, and revise—especially useful for multi-file refactors, debugging, and repetitive automation.

3) Optional vision support

You can paste text or images via Ctrl-V into the CLI. If the clipboard contains an image, it’s attached to the message (requires a model with image_in).
Reference: https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-cli/en/guides/interaction.html

Install Kimi Code CLI

curl -LsSf https://code.kimi.com/install.sh | bash

Verify:

kimi --version

Windows

Invoke-RestMethod https://code.kimi.com/install.ps1 | Invoke-Expression

Alternative

uv tool install --python 3.13 kimi-cli

Reference: https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-cli/en/guides/getting-started.html

Initial setup

Launch:

kimi

Login (recommended):

/login

Or configure via API key:

/setup

During /setup, you’ll choose a provider. The docs list:

Note: Web search/fetch support can be provider-dependent. If you rely on built-in web capabilities, confirm what your selected platform supports.
Reference: https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-cli/en/configuration/providers.html

Key workflows

Agent mode vs Shell mode

Press Ctrl-X to toggle:

⚠️ Shell mode gotcha: In Shell mode, each command is executed independently. Commands like cd or export do not persist for later commands.
Reference: https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-cli/en/guides/interaction.html

IDE integration via ACP

Run as an ACP server:

kimi acp

Example configuration (IDE-specific):

{
  "agent_servers": {
    "Kimi Code CLI": {
      "command": "kimi",
      "args": ["acp"],
      "env": {}
    }
  }
}

Reference: https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-cli/zh/reference/kimi-acp.html

MCP support

Kimi Code CLI includes a full MCP management command set.
Reference: https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-cli/en/reference/kimi-mcp.html

Manage MCP servers

kimi mcp add --transport http context7 https://mcp.context7.com/mcp \
  --header "CONTEXT7_API_KEY: your-key"

kimi mcp add --transport http --auth oauth linear https://mcp.linear.app/mcp

kimi mcp add --transport stdio chrome-devtools \
  -- npx chrome-devtools-mcp@latest

kimi mcp list
kimi mcp remove chrome-devtools
kimi mcp auth linear
kimi mcp test context7

Header format tip (KEY: VALUE with a space after the colon):
Reference: https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-cli/zh/faq.html

Use an MCP config file

mcp-config.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "context7": {
      "url": "https://mcp.context7.com/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "CONTEXT7_API_KEY": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    },
    "chrome-devtools": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "chrome-devtools-mcp@latest"]
    }
  }
}

Launch:

kimi --mcp-config-file ./mcp-config.json

Reference: https://moonshotai.github.io/kimi-cli/en/customization/mcp.html

Best practices

  1. Start with context: project structure, stack versions, constraints, test commands
  2. Ask for a plan before large refactors
  3. Review diffs + run tests before committing
  4. Debug with full logs and “expected vs actual”
  5. Use git branches for safety

Comparison: Kimi Code CLI vs Claude Code

ItemKimi Code CLIClaude Code
Open source✅ Yes (Apache-2.0)Not positioned as open-source CLI in official docs
MCP✅ Built-in kimi mcp✅ Supported
Context window (commonly cited)Kimi K2.5 model card lists 256KClaude docs describe 200K capacity
PricingDepends on provider/plan & tokensToken-based; docs provide cost guidance

Claude references:

FAQ

Is Kimi Code CLI free?

The CLI is open-source and free to install. Usage depends on your chosen platform and billing (subscription/credits).

Can I use it inside my IDE?

Yes. Use ACP (kimi acp) and configure your IDE’s agent panel.

Does it support images?

Yes. Paste images via Ctrl-V (requires a model that supports image_in).

Kimi K2.5 Team

Kimi K2.5 Team

Kimi Code: The Ultimate AI Coding Agent for Developers in 2026 | Blog