Frequently Asked Questions About Kiro
What makes spec-driven development different from traditional AI pair programming?
Most AI coding assistants augment *writing*—Kiro augments *thinking*. Instead of suggesting snippets mid-line, Kiro pauses at critical inflection points: “Here’s how this feature impacts your auth flow,” “These three database indexes will prevent N+1 queries,” or “This spec conflicts with your existing rate-limiting policy.” It treats the specification as the source of truth—and code as its faithful, verifiable expression.
Is Kiro truly free during the preview period?
Yes—Kiro is completely free to use throughout its public preview, with no usage caps on core features: spec generation, agent hooks, multimodal input, MCP integrations, and autopilot workflows. There are no hidden paywalls or feature gates. As Kiro matures, optional Pro tiers will offer enhanced agentic concurrency, enterprise SSO, and advanced audit logging—but the foundational spec-driven workflow remains open and accessible to all developers.
Does Kiro require me to leave VS Code—or learn a new editor?
No. Kiro is a lightweight, extensible VS Code extension—not a standalone application. Install it like any other plugin, retain your entire setup (including Copilot, Prettier, and custom keymaps), and instantly gain AI-powered spec modeling, contextual automation, and cross-tool orchestration—without changing your daily rhythm.
Which languages, frameworks, and platforms does Kiro support out of the box?
Kiro supports any stack where high-quality documentation and tooling exist—including JavaScript/TypeScript (React, Next.js, Node), Python (Django, FastAPI), Rust, Go, and SQL ecosystems. Its Model Context Protocol integration allows it to dynamically adapt to your tech stack by ingesting framework-specific docs, internal SDKs, and even legacy API specs—so whether you're building a WebAssembly game or a HIPAA-compliant EHR module, Kiro speaks your language.
How do I customize agent behavior for my team’s standards?
Through steering files—YAML-based configuration that defines tone, formatting, security rules, testing depth, and architectural constraints. Want all generated Express routes to include rate limiting? Require Jest snapshots for every new component? Enforce DDD boundaries in Python services? Define it once in a steering file—and Kiro enforces it consistently across every agent interaction, every sprint, and every developer.