Cursor vs Kiro CLI — Feature Comparison
Quick answer: Cursor supports 15 of 18 tracked features; Kiro CLI supports 17 of 18. Matrix last updated November 13, 2026.
Cursor (by Anysphere) vs Kiro CLI (by Amazon Web Services): a side-by-side comparison of tracked features, release cadence, and the latest releases of each tool. Data as of November 14, 2026, refreshed daily.
Verdict: Cursor vs Kiro
Kiro CLI is the stronger choice for most developers, though Cursor remains a compelling option for those deeply invested in its specific ecosystem. Kiro CLI ships updates at a noticeably higher cadence — nearly double the releases tracked over the same 90-day window — suggesting a team that is actively iterating and responding to user feedback at a faster pace. It also edges out Cursor on tracked feature coverage, supporting 17 of 18 tracked features compared to Cursor's 15, with the notable addition of VS Code and JetBrains integration. That IDE compatibility is a meaningful differentiator: developers who split time between editors, or who work in JetBrains-based environments for language-specific tooling, can bring Kiro CLI into their existing workflow without switching contexts. Cursor, by contrast, is a purpose-built AI-first editor with a tightly integrated experience — if you've already committed to Cursor as your primary IDE and value the cohesion of a single, AI-native environment, the feature gap matters less. Cursor's 37-release history with 11 in the recent window still reflects an active project, just at a more measured pace. The decision ultimately hinges on workflow: Kiro CLI wins on flexibility and breadth of integration, while Cursor wins on depth of experience within its own environment. Neither tool should be dismissed — the right pick depends on whether you prioritize editor-agnostic reach or a focused, all-in-one coding environment.
Choose Cursor if: Choose Cursor if you've fully adopted it as your primary editor and want a deeply integrated, AI-native coding environment without needing to bridge multiple IDEs.
Choose Kiro CLI if: Choose Kiro CLI if you work across multiple editors — especially VS Code or JetBrains — and want a faster-moving tool with broader IDE compatibility and a wider tracked feature set.
Key differences
- Kiro CLI ships updates at roughly twice the cadence of Cursor in the recent window, signaling faster iteration
- Kiro CLI supports VS Code and JetBrains integration; Cursor does not track support for either
- Kiro CLI covers 17/18 tracked features vs. Cursor's 15/18, giving it a broader capability footprint
- Cursor is a self-contained AI-first editor; Kiro CLI is designed to integrate into existing developer toolchains
- Cursor has fewer total tracked releases, suggesting a more deliberate, consolidated release strategy
At a glance
| Tool | Latest version | Release date | Releases tracked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cursor | 2026.11.06 | November 6, 2026 | 39 |
| Kiro CLI | v3.3.0 | November 12, 2026 | 72 |
Cursor vs Kiro: key feature differences
Cursor supports 15 of 18 tracked features; Kiro CLI supports 17 of 18. Both support 15 features.
What Cursor has that Kiro doesn't
None in the tracked matrix.
What Kiro has that Cursor doesn't
- VS Code
- JetBrains
Release cadence: Cursor vs Kiro
Kiro ships more often: 24 releases in the last 90 days versus 12 for Cursor. Counts are as of November 14, 2026.
| Metric | Cursor | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| Releases in the last 30 days | 4 | 10 |
| Releases in the last 90 days | 12 | 24 |
| Median gap between recent releases | 6.8 days | 2 days |
| Releases tracked | 39 | 72 |
| First tracked release | September 12, 2025 | November 24, 2025 |
What's new in Cursor and Kiro
Latest Cursor releases
- Cursor: Voice Chat with Agents (November 6, 2026) — Talk to your coding agent out loud. Cursor 2026.11.06 adds realtime voice chat: describe changes, check progress, and hear updates while it works. Ready when you are.
- Cursor: Build Live Apps in Cursor (November 5, 2026) — Stop stopping at localhost. Describe an app in Cursor and it builds, database, auth, and hosting included, then hands you a shareable link. Your whole team can use it. Curious what you'd build first?
- Cursor: Agent SDK (October 20, 2026) — The Agent SDK is here! Build agents as code, test them with evals, and deploy with one command. Wake bots from PRs, Slack, and cron. Ready to see what your agent can do?
Latest Kiro CLI releases
- Kiro CLI v3.3.0 (November 12, 2026) — This release adds /copy N and /copy last N, so you can copy an earlier response or the last few messages, and lets you choose the context usage at which automatic compaction starts. It also shows e...
- Kiro CLI v3.2.0 (November 11, 2026) — This release brings Output details to everyone: choose in /settings how much detail tool calls show, from one line per call to the full output. It also fixes sign-in on Linux hosts with no graphica...
- Kiro CLI v3.2.1 (November 11, 2026) — Output Details and Sign-In Fixes. Learn more ->
Core Editing
Multi-file editing, streaming, undo capabilities
| Feature | Cursor | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-file Editing — Edit multiple files in a single operation | ✓ (Agent SDK and cloud agents support working across multiple repos (300 repos mentioned), implying multi-file editing capa) | ✓ (Implied by agent harness capabilities and workflow operations across files) |
| Streaming Output — Real-time streaming of AI responses | ✓ since 2026.08.17 | ✓ since 2.24.0 |
| Undo/Redo — Ability to undo and redo changes | ✓ since 2026.09.23 | ✓ since 2.20.0 |
| Diff View — Visual comparison of changes | ✓ since 2026.11.06 | ✓ since 2.4.0 |
Terminal Integration
Shell and command execution support
| Feature | Cursor | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| Command Execution — Run shell commands | ✓ since 2026.10.20 | ✓ since 2.37.0 |
| Shell Integration — Integration with user shell environment | ✓ (Self-hosted machines for computer use on Linux and Mac, agents run within own infrastructure) | ✓ (v2.35.0 mentions jumping back to prompt from long outputs; terminal authentication and Linux sign-in fixes in v3.2.0) |
| Background Tasks — Run tasks in background | ✓ since 2026.09.10 | ✓ since 2.0.0 |
MCP Support
Model Context Protocol server and client capabilities
| Feature | Cursor | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| MCP Client — Connect to MCP servers | ✓ since 2026.10.20 | ✓ since 2.35.0 |
| MCP Server — Expose as MCP server | ✓ since 2026.10.20 | ✓ since 2.35.0 |
| Custom Tools — Define and use custom tools | ✓ (Agent SDK lets you build agents as code with custom tools; Origin App Marketplace allows developer tool teams to publish) | ✓ (v2.33.0 mentions hooks, agents, MCP servers, steering, workflows as custom workspace configurations) |
IDE Integrations
VS Code, JetBrains, and other editor support
| Feature | Cursor | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| VS Code — Visual Studio Code integration | — | ✓ since 1.24.0 |
| JetBrains — IntelliJ/WebStorm integration | — | ✓ since 1.25.0 |
| Vim/Neovim — Vim or Neovim integration | — | — |
| Web UI — Browser-based interface | ✓ since 2026.11.06 | ✓ since 2.35.0 |
Agentic Features
Planning, tool use, and autonomous capabilities
| Feature | Cursor | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| Planning Mode — Plan before executing changes | ✓ since 2026.11.05 | ✓ since 2.32.0 |
| Autonomous Mode — Extended autonomous operation | ✓ since 2026.10.20 | ✓ since 3.3.0 |
| Task Decomposition — Break complex tasks into steps | ✓ since 2026.09.10 | ✓ since 3.3.0 |
| Context Management — Manage context across conversations | ✓ since 2026.09.23 | ✓ since 3.3.0 |
Feature timeline: who shipped first
First release where Cursor and Kiro each shipped a notable feature, and which tool led.
| Feature | Cursor | Kiro | Who led |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skills / Plugins | February 17, 2026 | — | only Cursor |
| Sandboxing / Permission Modes | February 17, 2026 | August 11, 2026 | Cursor first, 176d ahead |
| Subagents / Parallel Agents | January 22, 2026 | December 18, 2025 | Kiro first, 35d ahead |
| Background Tasks | April 24, 2026 | August 11, 2026 | Cursor first, 110d ahead |
| Extended Thinking | — | June 5, 2026 | only Kiro |
| Hooks | September 29, 2025 | July 17, 2026 | Cursor first, 291d ahead |
| MCP Support | March 3, 2026 | December 18, 2025 | Kiro first, 75d ahead |
| Voice Input | April 13, 2026 | August 12, 2026 | Cursor first, 122d ahead |
| Headless / Non-interactive Mode | October 20, 2026 | October 15, 2026 | Kiro first, 5d ahead |
| Checkpoints / Rewind | — | June 12, 2026 | only Kiro |
| Custom Slash Commands | September 12, 2025 | June 12, 2026 | Cursor first, 274d ahead |
| Project Memory Files | — | August 12, 2026 | only Kiro |
| Git / PR Integration | July 29, 2026 | — | only Cursor |
| Planning Mode | September 29, 2025 | December 18, 2025 | Cursor first, 80d ahead |
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Cursor or Kiro CLI?
Kiro CLI is the stronger choice for most developers, though Cursor remains a compelling option for those deeply invested in its specific ecosystem. Kiro CLI ships updates at a noticeably higher cadence — nearly double the releases tracked over the same 90-day window — suggesting a team that is actively iterating and responding to user feedback at a faster pace. It also edges out Cursor on tracked feature coverage, supporting 17 of 18 tracked features compared to Cursor's 15, with the notable addition of VS Code and JetBrains integration. That IDE compatibility is a meaningful differentiator: developers who split time between editors, or who work in JetBrains-based environments for language-specific tooling, can bring Kiro CLI into their existing workflow without switching contexts. Cursor, by contrast, is a purpose-built AI-first editor with a tightly integrated experience — if you've already committed to Cursor as your primary IDE and value the cohesion of a single, AI-native environment, the feature gap matters less. Cursor's 37-release history with 11 in the recent window still reflects an active project, just at a more measured pace. The decision ultimately hinges on workflow: Kiro CLI wins on flexibility and breadth of integration, while Cursor wins on depth of experience within its own environment. Neither tool should be dismissed — the right pick depends on whether you prioritize editor-agnostic reach or a focused, all-in-one coding environment.
What is the difference between Cursor and Kiro?
Cursor supports 15 of 18 tracked features; Kiro CLI supports 17 of 18. Only Kiro: VS Code and JetBrains. Both support 15 tracked features.
Which gets updated more often, Cursor or Kiro?
Kiro CLI ships more often. In the 90 days to November 14, 2026, Havoptic tracked 12 Cursor releases and 24 Kiro releases (39 and 72 releases tracked in total). Cursor's median gap between its last 21 releases is 6.8 days. Kiro's median gap between its last 21 releases is 2 days.
What are the latest versions of Cursor and Kiro?
The latest Cursor release is “Voice Chat with Agents”, released November 6, 2026. The latest Kiro CLI release is v3.3.0, released November 12, 2026.
Do Cursor and Kiro support MCP (Model Context Protocol)?
Cursor supports MCP Client, MCP Server, and Custom Tools. Kiro CLI supports MCP Client, MCP Server, and Custom Tools.
Release velocity
Havoptic tracks 39 Cursor releases and 72 Kiro releases. See release frequency charts for side-by-side velocity analysis, or browse the Cursor changelog and Kiro CLI changelog.
Related comparisons
More Cursor comparisons
- Cursor vs Claude Code
- Cursor vs OpenAI Codex CLI
- Cursor vs Gemini CLI
- Cursor vs GitHub Copilot CLI
- Cursor vs Devin Desktop
- Cursor vs Antigravity CLI
- Cursor vs Grok Build
More Kiro CLI comparisons
- Kiro CLI vs Claude Code
- Kiro CLI vs OpenAI Codex CLI
- Kiro CLI vs Gemini CLI
- Kiro CLI vs GitHub Copilot CLI
- Kiro CLI vs Devin Desktop
- Kiro CLI vs Antigravity CLI
- Kiro CLI vs Grok Build
Data source
Feature data is maintained in feature-matrix.json under a CC-BY-4.0 license. Release data comes from releases.json. Both are updated daily. See the methodology page for details on sourcing and human review.