Amazon Q Developer vs Kiro
55 fields both were evaluated on, 27 of them different — including where one discloses something the other does not. Every value links to the document it came from. 28 further fields are disclosed by neither and are listed at the end rather than tabled.
Assurance
| Field | Amazon Q Developer | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| Explainability· | no public information aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | “By using specs, Kiro works alongside you to define requirements, system design, and tasks to be implemented before writing any code. This approach explicitly documents the reasoning and implementation decisions”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
| Runtime governance· | “Enterprise-grade access controls Amazon Q provides familiar security and access controls and can understand and respect your existing AWS IAM Identity Center governance identities, roles, and permissions to personalize its interactions.”aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | no public information kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
| Permission scopes· | “Enterprise-grade access controls Amazon Q provides familiar security and access controls and can understand and respect your existing AWS IAM Identity Center governance identities, roles, and permissions to personalize its interactions.”aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | |
| Compliance certifications· | no public information aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | “Built and operated by AWS, Kiro benefits from the same security, reliability, and privacy standards and controls trusted by millions of customers.”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
| Evaluation coverage· | “Amazon Q Developer agentic capabilities have achieved the highest scores on the SWE-Bench Leaderboard and Leaderboard Lite.”aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | no public information kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
Agency
| Field | Amazon Q Developer | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| Autonomy level· | autonomously perform a range of tasks–everything from implementing features, documenting, testing, reviewing, and refactoring code, to performing software upgrades “Amazon Q Developer agentic capabilities can autonomously perform a range of tasks–everything from implementing features, documenting, testing, reviewing, and refactoring code, to performing software upgrades.”aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | no public information kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
| Human oversight· | while incorporating your feedback and providing real-time updates along the way “The agentic coding experience can intelligently perform tasks on your behalf by automatically reading and writing files, generating code diffs, and running shell commands, while incorporating your feedback and providing real-time updates along the way.”aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | no public information kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
| Goal complexity· | complex multistep tasks such as unit testing, documentation, and code reviews “Amazon Q Developer agentic coding experience eliminates much of the work involved in complex multistep tasks such as unit testing, documentation, and code reviews.”aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | turn prompts into executable specs, validate code correctness to find bugs unit tests miss, and build across large codebases with parallel agents that learn from every session “Kiro helps developers and teams do their best work: turn prompts into executable specs, validate code correctness to find bugs unit tests miss, and build across large codebases with parallel agents that learn from every session.”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
| Action space· | reading and writing files, generating code diffs, and running shell commands “The agentic coding experience can intelligently perform tasks on your behalf by automatically reading and writing files, generating code diffs, and running shell commands”aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | turn your prompts into requirements, architectural designs, and sequenced tasks , then implements them with parallel agents . Property-based tests catch the edge cases that pass unit tests but break in production “Kiro turns your prompts into requirements, architectural designs, and sequenced tasks , then implements them with parallel agents . Property-based tests catch the edge cases that pass unit tests but break in production.”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
| Operating environment· | no public information aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | “Kiro works as an agent in the [IDE](/docs/), with a [CLI](/docs/cli/), or in a [web browser](/docs/web/).”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 Not in our latest capture. We captured this page again on Sep 10, 2026 and this quote was not there. How we re-check citations |
| Initiative· | autonomously perform a range of tasks–everything from implementing features, documenting, testing, reviewing, and refactoring code, to performing software upgrades “Amazon Q Developer agentic capabilities can autonomously perform a range of tasks–everything from implementing features, documenting, testing, reviewing, and refactoring code, to performing software upgrades.”aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | “Kiro is just more than code. Aside from just listening to prompts and doing things, it can actually work on tasks based on predefined triggers, making the development experience more efficient.”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
Safety
| Field | Amazon Q Developer | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| Data handling· | “When you use Amazon Q Developer Pro , your proprietary content is not used for service improvement.”aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | no public information kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
Practicality
| Field | Amazon Q Developer | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model· | The Amazon Q Developer perpetual Free Tier gives you 50 agentic chat interactions per month. You can also transform up to 1,000 lines of code per month “Try Amazon Q Developer at no cost with the AWS Free Tier . The Amazon Q Developer perpetual Free Tier gives you 50 agentic chat interactions per month. You can also transform up to 1,000 lines of code per month. To learn about pricing and the Amazon Q Developer Free Tier, visit Amazon Q Developer pricing .”aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | credit-based pricing model “Kiro offers a credit-based pricing model with no daily or weekly rate limits and pre-paid overages, so you can code without breaking your flow or getting a surprise bill.”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
| Price point· | “Try Amazon Q Developer at no cost with the AWS Free Tier . The Amazon Q Developer perpetual Free Tier gives you 50 agentic chat interactions per month. You can also transform up to 1,000 lines of code per month.”aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | “$20 credit when you first sign up for a paid plan using social login or Builder ID ↗”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
| Availability· | available for use in your code editor. Download a plugin or extension below and get started on the Amazon Q Developer Free Tier in a few minutes “Amazon Q Developer is available for use in your code editor. Download a plugin or extension below and get started on the Amazon Q Developer Free Tier in a few minutes.”aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | no public information kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
| Deployment options· | no public information aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | “Kiro works as an agent in the [IDE](/docs/), with a [CLI](/docs/cli/), or in a [web browser](/docs/web/).”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 Not in our latest capture. We captured this page again on Sep 10, 2026 and this quote was not there. How we re-check citations |
Foundation models
| Field | Amazon Q Developer | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| Base models· | no public information aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | Anthropic Claude, open-weight models, or Auto , which picks the best model for the task based on complexity, factoring in model quality, latency, and cost. “Choose the best model for every task: Anthropic Claude, open-weight models, or Auto , which picks the best model for the task based on complexity, factoring in model quality, latency, and cost.”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
| Model provider· | no public information aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | Anthropic Claude, open-weight models, or Auto , which picks the best model for the task based on complexity, factoring in model quality, latency, and cost. “Choose the best model for every task: Anthropic Claude, open-weight models, or Auto , which picks the best model for the task based on complexity, factoring in model quality, latency, and cost.”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
| Model swappable· | no public information aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | “Choose the best model for every task: Anthropic Claude, open-weight models, or Auto , which picks the best model for the task based on complexity, factoring in model quality, latency, and cost.”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
| Open weights· | no public information aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | open-weight models “Choose the best model for every task: Anthropic Claude, open-weight models, or Auto , which picks the best model for the task based on complexity, factoring in model quality, latency, and cost.”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
Ecosystem
| Field | Amazon Q Developer | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| Protocols supported· | agentic coding, chat and MCP support “For capabilities similar to Amazon Q Developer IDE plugins, explore Kiro to access the latest models and features, including agentic coding, chat and MCP support.”aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | compatible with Agent Client Protocol (ACP) so you can bring it to your favorite tools. It supports AGENTS.md, Skills.md , and MCP . “The Kiro agent is compatible with Agent Client Protocol (ACP) so you can bring it to your favorite tools. It supports AGENTS.md, Skills.md , and MCP .”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
| Tool use· | automatically reading and writing files, generating code diffs, and running shell commands “The agentic coding experience can intelligently perform tasks on your behalf by automatically reading and writing files, generating code diffs, and running shell commands”aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | pull context from tools like Figma or Terraform . “Catch bugs with property-based tests , or pull context from tools like Figma or Terraform .”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
| Multi-agent· | no public information aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | “build across large codebases with parallel agents that learn from every session.”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
Impact
| Field | Amazon Q Developer | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| User base· | no public information aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | |
| Deployment scale· | available for use in your code editor. Download a plugin or extension below and get started on the Amazon Q Developer Free Tier in a few minutes “Amazon Q Developer is available for use in your code editor. Download a plugin or extension below and get started on the Amazon Q Developer Free Tier in a few minutes.”aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | “Kiro offers a credit-based pricing model with no daily or weekly rate limits and pre-paid overages, so you can code without breaking your flow or getting a surprise bill.”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
| Target sectors· | no public information aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | designing AWS Cloud and AI solutions with Terraform and Python “In my role designing AWS Cloud and AI solutions with Terraform and Python”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
| High-risk domains· | no public information aws.amazon.com · checked Aug 1, 2026 | built a secure file sharing application from scratch. By simply sharing my requirements with Kiro, I was able to create a fully secure application that incorporates encryption and various security coding practices—no additional prompts needed. “In roughly two days, I built a secure file sharing application from scratch. By simply sharing my requirements with Kiro, I was able to create a fully secure application that incorporates encryption and various security coding practices—no additional prompts needed.”kiro.dev · checked Aug 4, 2026 |
Disclosed by neither
Both Amazon Q Developer and Kiro publish nothing on these 28 fields. That is a finding about the category rather than a difference between them, so it is recorded here instead of as 28 identical table rows. Each is shown with its source check on the individual profiles.
- Documented incidents
- Integrations
- Supported regions
- Support model
- Fine-tuning
- Context window
- API access
- Open source
- Marketplace presence
- Safety evaluations
- Red teaming
- Safety policy
- Usage restrictions
- Model or system card
- Incident reporting
- Third-party evaluations
- Insurance available
- Insurance carriers
- Coverage limits
- Indemnification
- Liability cap
- Audit trail
- Tamper-evident log
- Regulatory alignment
- Outcome-based pricing
- Settlement mechanism
- Dispute process
- SLA terms
Questions
- How do Amazon Q Developer and Kiro compare on autonomy level?
- Amazon Q Developer: autonomously perform a range of tasks–everything from implementing features, documenting, testing, reviewing, and refactoring code, to performing software upgrades. Kiro: no public information disclosed.
- How do Amazon Q Developer and Kiro compare on human oversight?
- Amazon Q Developer: while incorporating your feedback and providing real-time updates along the way. Kiro: no public information disclosed.
- How do Amazon Q Developer and Kiro compare on goal complexity?
- Amazon Q Developer: complex multistep tasks such as unit testing, documentation, and code reviews. Kiro: turn prompts into executable specs, validate code correctness to find bugs unit tests miss, and build across large codebases with parallel agents that learn from every session.
- How do Amazon Q Developer and Kiro compare on action space?
- Amazon Q Developer: reading and writing files, generating code diffs, and running shell commands. Kiro: turn your prompts into requirements, architectural designs, and sequenced tasks , then implements them with parallel agents . Property-based tests catch the edge cases that pass unit tests but break in production.
- How do Amazon Q Developer and Kiro compare on target sectors?
- Amazon Q Developer: no public information disclosed. Kiro: designing AWS Cloud and AI solutions with Terraform and Python.
- How do Amazon Q Developer and Kiro compare on high-risk domains?
- Amazon Q Developer: no public information disclosed. Kiro: built a secure file sharing application from scratch. By simply sharing my requirements with Kiro, I was able to create a fully secure application that incorporates encryption and various security coding practices—no additional prompts needed..