# Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs Kiro

> Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs Kiro: Kiro is our pick, leading for beginners and free plans. They split on default model and max context. Verified.

![Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) logo](https://www.versusref.com/logos/devin-desktop.png) ![Kiro logo](https://www.versusref.com/logos/kiro.png)

This is the verified Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs Kiro breakdown: Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) (Agentic AI IDE (ex-Windsurf) inside the Devin family; shares plans with Devin Cloud and Devin CLI) and Kiro (Spec-driven AI IDE + CLI (ex-Q Developer CLI) + web/cloud agent; AWS successor to Amazon Q Developer) are AI coding agents platforms, priced from $20/mo and $20/mo respectively. The bottom line, head-to-head facts, and true cost tiers follow.

AI coding agents platforms · 36 facts compared · all sourced · pricing verified Oct 2, 2026

## Bottom line

Kiro wins three use cases to Devin Desktop's two, with two ties. Both start at $20/mo, but Kiro publishes what you get: 1,000 credits a month on Kiro Pro and 50 credits a month on its free plan, while Devin Desktop offers only a light quota with no number. That carries Beginners and Free Plans. Kiro also runs as an IDE, a CLI and on the web, which wins Terminal Workflows. Devin Desktop takes Enterprise, with self-hosted deployment, zero data retention and SOC 2, and VS Code, thanks to its VS Code-based IDE. Neither publishes local model support or a license, so those use cases tie.

## Verdict summary

| Use case | Winner | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Beginners | Kiro | Both start at $20/mo, so included usage and the free plan decide it. |
| Enterprise | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Neither vendor's training policy, as published, decides this on its own, so deployment and data controls carry the comparison. |
| Free Plans | Kiro | What the free plan actually allows matters most. |
| Local Models | Tie | Running models on your own machine is the deciding capability, and neither tool offers it in what they publish. |
| Open Source | Tie | The license matters most for teams that want to read, fork or self-host the agent, and neither Devin Desktop nor Kiro publishes one. |
| Terminal Workflows | Kiro | Where the agent runs matters most for shell-first developers. |
| VS Code | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Editor fit matters most here. |

## Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs Kiro: head-to-head facts

| Fact | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Kiro | Verified |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| How usage is metered | Time windows + per-token ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/desktop/accounts/quota)) | $ usage pool + model multipliers ([source](https://kiro.dev/docs/billing)) | Oct 2 |
| What the free plan allows | "Light quota to code with agents" ([source](https://devin.ai/pricing)) | 50 credits/month ([source](https://kiro.dev/pricing/)) | Oct 2 |
| Cheapest paid plan (monthly) | $20 ([source](https://devin.ai/pricing)) | $20 ([source](https://kiro.dev/pricing/)) | Oct 2 |
| Top individual plan | $200 ([source](https://devin.ai/pricing)) | $200 ([source](https://kiro.dev/pricing/)) | Oct 2 |
| Usage included at entry tier | n/a | 1,000 credits/month (Kiro Pro) ([source](https://kiro.dev/pricing/)) | Oct 2 |
| Rate-limit window | "Pro and Teams full seats have a daily and weekly... ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/admin/billing/self-serve)) | Monthly billing cycle ([source](https://kiro.dev/docs/billing)) | Oct 2 |
| Bring your own API key | Partial: no general BYO API key on current self-serve plans ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/admin/billing/chatgpt)) | No ([source](https://kiro.dev/docs/models)) | Oct 2 |
| Models available | Model selector (self-serve token-cost table, dated... ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/desktop/models)) | GPT-5.6 Sol/Terra/Luna, Claude Opus 5.5, Opus 5 +10 more ([source](https://kiro.dev/docs/models)) | Oct 2 |
| Pick the model per task | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/desktop/models)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://kiro.dev/docs/models)) | Oct 2 |
| Runs local models | n/a | ✗  No ([source](https://kiro.dev/docs/models)) | Oct 2 |
| Where it runs | desktop IDE (VS Code-based, macOS/Windows/Linux) +2 more ([source](https://devin.ai/desktop)) | IDE, CLI, web (Kiro Web), mobile (iOS, preview) +2 more ([source](https://kiro.dev/docs/how-kiro-works)) | Oct 2 |
| Autonomous multi-file edits | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/desktop/devin-local)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://kiro.dev/docs/web)) | Oct 2 |
| Runs terminal commands | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/desktop/devin-local)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://kiro.dev/docs/permissions)) | Oct 2 |
| Background / cloud agents | ✓  Yes ([source](https://devin.ai/desktop)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://kiro.dev/docs/cloud-sessions)) | Oct 2 |
| Opens PRs from issues | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/integrations/linear)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://kiro.dev/docs/web)) | Oct 2 |
| MCP support | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/desktop/devin-local)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://kiro.dev/docs/mcp)) | Oct 2 |
| Trains on your code? | Self-serve: "By default ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/admin/security)) | Free Tier and individual subscribers: "Subject to your... ([source](https://kiro.dev/docs/privacy-and-security/data-protection)) | Oct 2 |
| Zero data retention option | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/admin/security)) | ✗  No ([source](https://kiro.dev/docs/privacy-and-security/data-protection)) | Oct 2 |
| Self-hosted / VPC deployment | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.devin.ai/enterprise/deployment/overview)) | ✗  No ([source](https://kiro.dev/docs/privacy-and-security/vpc-endpoints)) | Oct 2 |

## Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs Kiro pricing: true cost at 3 usage tiers

Real monthly cost at 3 developer profiles: hobbyist (~5 h/week), full-time developer (~25 h/week of daily agent use), team of 5. Most vendors do not publish how much usage a plan covers, so the full-time row spans the cheapest to the top individual plan unless the vendor publishes its own guidance for daily users. Bring-your-own-key and open-source agents show the model bill you pay the provider, never $0.

| Volume | Buyer | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Kiro | Note |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ~5 h/week of agent use | Hobbyist | $20/mo | $20/mo | Side projects and evenings. Priced at each vendor's cheapest paid plan (annual billing where offered), the tier every vendor sells for light use. |
| ~25 h/week, daily multi-file agent tasks | Full-time developer | $20-$200/mo | $20-$200/mo | Daily agent use. Most vendors do not publish how much usage a plan covers, so this shows the span from the cheapest to the top individual plan; where a vendor publishes its own guidance for daily agent users, that figure is used instead. |
| 5 seats | Team of 5 | $200/mo | $100/mo | Priced from each vendor's own team plan: per-seat prices x 5, flat team plans as published. A tool with no published team price shows that rather than a guess. |

## Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs Kiro: verdicts by use case

### Beginners → Kiro

Both start at $20/mo, so included usage and the free plan decide it. Kiro publishes 1,000 credits a month on Kiro Pro, while Devin Desktop does not publish an entry-tier allowance. Kiro's free plan states 50 credits a month, against Devin Desktop's light quota to code with agents, with no number given. Both offer checkpoints and rollback, so undoing agent mistakes is covered either way. Kiro also runs in more places, including an IDE, a CLI and the web. A clearly stated allowance makes Kiro's bill easier to predict.

### Enterprise → Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)

Neither vendor's training policy, as published, decides this on its own, so deployment and data controls carry the comparison. Devin Desktop offers a self-hosted or VPC deployment and Kiro does not. Devin Desktop offers a zero data retention option, while Kiro says it has none. Both provide SSO, with Devin Desktop's Enterprise tier adding SAML/OIDC and SCIM, and both have admin audit logs. Devin Desktop also has SOC 2, which Kiro does not publish.

### Free Plans → Kiro

What the free plan actually allows matters most. Kiro states 50 credits a month, while Devin Desktop offers a light quota to code with agents without a published number. Neither offers a general way to bring your own API key: Devin Desktop has only partial support with no general option on self-serve plans, and Kiro says no. Both charge $20/mo for the cheapest paid plan, and Kiro states it does not run local models. A concrete, published allowance gives Kiro a small edge.

### Local Models → Tie

Running models on your own machine is the deciding capability, and neither tool offers it in what they publish. Kiro states it does not run local models, and Devin Desktop does not publish local model support. Neither publishes a license or a supported provider list. Bringing your own API key does not rescue either one: Devin Desktop has only partial support with no general option on self-serve plans, and Kiro says no. Local-first developers will not find a meaningful advantage on either side.

### Open Source → Tie

The license matters most for teams that want to read, fork or self-host the agent, and neither Devin Desktop nor Kiro publishes one. Neither publishes GitHub stars or a supported provider list. Kiro states it does not run local models, and Devin Desktop does not publish local model support. Both let you pick the model per task, but that is no substitute for an open license. With none of the deciding open-source facts available for either tool, there is no basis to favor one.

### Terminal Workflows → Kiro

Where the agent runs matters most for shell-first developers. Kiro lists an IDE, a CLI, the web and mobile in preview, plus two more surfaces, while Devin Desktop lists its VS Code-based desktop IDE and two more, with no CLI named. Both run terminal commands, offer background or cloud agents, support MCP and read project rules files, with Kiro using steering files in .kiro/steering/ and Devin Desktop using .devin/rules/. Kiro's dedicated CLI settles it.

### VS Code → Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf)

Editor fit matters most here. Devin Desktop's own IDE is VS Code-based, and it lists six more supported editors, while Kiro uses its own Kiro IDE plus ACP-compatible editors through Kiro CLI, a vendor claim. Both make autonomous multi-file edits and offer checkpoints and rollback. Devin Desktop also indexes the codebase, which Kiro does not publish. Kiro does publish 1,000 credits a month at its Pro tier, but the VS Code base and indexing tip it to Devin Desktop.

## Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs Kiro: common questions

### Is Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) cheaper than Kiro?

Not for individuals: both start at $20/mo and both top out at $200/mo. For teams, Kiro is cheaper at $20/user/mo against $40/user/mo for Devin Desktop. Kiro also publishes 1,000 credits a month on Kiro Pro and charges $0.04 per add-on credit, while Devin Desktop bills extra usage as on-demand credits at API list pricing.

### Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs Kiro: which is better for beginners?

Kiro is the better fit for most beginners. Both start at $20/mo, but Kiro publishes 1,000 credits a month on Kiro Pro and 50 credits a month on its free plan, while Devin Desktop offers only a light quota with no published number. Both offer checkpoints and rollback for undoing agent mistakes.

### How much do Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) and Kiro team plans cost?

Devin Desktop's team plan is $40/user/mo and Kiro's is $20/user/mo. Both also offer an Enterprise plan through contact sales.

### Is Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) or Kiro better for enterprise security?

Devin Desktop offers self-hosted or VPC deployment, zero data retention and SOC 2. Kiro offers neither self-hosted deployment nor zero data retention, and does not publish SOC 2. Both have SSO and admin audit logs. Kiro lists data residency for Enterprise profiles in US East (N. Virginia).

### What does extra usage cost on Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs Kiro?

Kiro charges $0.04 per add-on credit beyond the plan. Devin Desktop bills extra usage as on-demand credits at API list pricing. Kiro meters a dollar usage pool with model multipliers on a monthly billing cycle, while Devin Desktop uses time windows plus per-token metering.

### Which is better for terminal work, Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) or Kiro?

Kiro runs as an IDE, a CLI, on the web and on mobile in preview, while Devin Desktop runs mainly as a VS Code-based desktop IDE plus two more surfaces. Both run terminal commands and support background agents.

### Which models can Kiro use?

Kiro offers models including GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra and Luna, Claude Opus 5.5 and Opus 5, among others, with Auto as the recommended default. You can pick the model per task, and Kiro publishes a 1M token maximum context.

### Can I bring my own API key to Kiro?

No. Kiro states it does not support bringing your own API key, and it does not run local models. Devin Desktop offers only partial support, with no general bring-your-own-key option on current self-serve plans.

### What is the top individual plan price for Devin Desktop and Kiro?

Both Devin Desktop and Kiro list a top individual plan at $200/mo, and both start at $20/mo for the cheapest paid plan.

Source: https://www.versusref.com/coding-agents/devin-desktop-vs-kiro/