Kiro CLI

Kiro CLI is Amazon's terminal-based AI development assistant. Developers can discuss a project, inspect context, propose or apply changes and automate approved tasks from a terminal. It is distinct from the Kiro desktop IDE, web app and Crew service. It follows the former Amazon Q Developer CLI lineage; old Q commands, settings and subscriptions should be migrated using Kiro's official guidance rather than assumed identical.

Features

• Interactive terminal chat for code explanation, debugging and development tasks.
• Agent configurations and Steering documents for project conventions and context.
• Hooks, Skills, MCP integrations and supported workflow/sub-agent delegation.
• Model selection and supported reasoning-effort controls.
• Reviewable local file and shell actions governed by permission settings.
• Supported headless/automation and ACP integrations where available to the selected engine.

The recorded 2.x release family includes Classic and V3 behavior. Features explicitly documented for V3 are not promises that every Classic engine supports them. Kiro is an assistant rather than a replacement for reviewing code, tests, deployment configuration or command effects.

Install and start

Install this Mac cask with brew install --cask kiro-cli, or follow the official CLI download/setup instructions. The captured cask downloads the Kiro CLI 2.28.0 DMG. The official site also offers a CLI installer, but the IDE installer and editor extension settings are separate workflows. Review which distribution and engine you are updating before replacing an existing Q/Kiro setup. Back up agent and project settings before migration.

Open your intended project directory and start the installed Kiro CLI, then authenticate through a supported method. Keep the workspace limited to relevant files and review proposed edits and commands. A project's compilers, test runners and other dependencies remain separate requirements; installing the assistant does not install every development tool. The captured cask declares no additional formula dependency or explicit conflicting cask.

Login and plans

Current official authentication supports GitHub, Google and AWS Builder ID, as well as organization identity through AWS IAM Identity Center or a configured identity provider. Organization login may require its Start URL, Region and administrator authorization. Supported remote device flows let users authenticate from another browser; non-interactive API-key authentication is a separate supported workflow. Review consent requests and keep credentials out of source control.

A Builder ID is not automatically an AWS cloud account or an unlimited paid entitlement. Kiro offers a limited Free tier and paid commercial plans with credit allocations, model access and rate limits. The current public Free tier advertises 50 credits; paid plans and add-on credits expand capacity. Enterprise billing and regional availability differ, and GovCloud does not have the same Free-tier offering. Check current pricing and organization policy before beginning large automated tasks. Third-party model providers named in the model catalog are not automatically separate login providers or a promise of arbitrary bring-your-own-model support.

Local actions and cloud data

Kiro can read workspace files, write changes and execute local commands subject to configured capabilities and approvals. Hooks and MCP servers can add further actions or external data access. Review tool trust and permission rules, particularly before approving broad shell access, running untrusted project instructions or connecting an MCP server. These processes use the access of the local user and can alter files or contact services. No general Accessibility, Screen Recording or Full Disk Access permission should be assumed necessary merely to chat in a terminal.

The installed client is not an entirely offline local language model. Prompts and selected project/tool context are processed by Kiro's hosted services and models. Review the official data-protection rules for your login type, plan and organization, including content collection and opt-out options. Do not send secrets or sensitive material without the appropriate policy and authorization. Excluding files or using narrower permissions helps limit context but does not turn a cloud request into offline processing. Optional voice or local helper features do not change the model-service boundary.

Platforms and versions

Official installation documentation lists CLI support for macOS, Windows 11/PowerShell and Linux, with platform-specific dependencies. The captured Mac cask does not declare a precise macOS minimum. Use the official CLI download for your Mac architecture and check the release/setup guidance; do not copy an IDE-only OS requirement or Linux glibc requirement into this DMG's Mac compatibility claim. The latest recorded 2.28.0, 2.27.1 and 2.27.0 have distinct official notes. CLI package 2.28.0 can offer migration from Classic to the 3.0 engine on compatible hosts; the package number and selected engine are different concepts.

The official 2.28.0 Mac DMG is 361,909,516 bytes, verified through HTTP HEAD without downloading or running the installer. Installed usage, project dependencies and local caches require extra storage. Hosted assistance needs network access and a valid entitlement; proxies and firewall policies can affect authentication and service connectivity.

License and cost

Kiro CLI is licensed as AWS Content under the AWS Customer Agreement or applicable agreement and AWS Intellectual Property License. It includes separately licensed open-source components; their licenses do not make the entire current Kiro CLI a MIT-licensed free software product. Download availability and limited Free credits are distinct from unlimited free model usage. Cloud infrastructure, third-party services, paid Kiro plans and any separately used integrations can have their own charges.

Sources: CLI product, CLI documentation, Installation, Authentication, Pricing, Data protection, License.