Gemini CLI vs Kiro CLI — Feature Comparison
Quick answer: Gemini CLI supports 18 of 18 tracked features; Kiro CLI supports 17 of 18. Matrix last updated November 13, 2026.
Gemini CLI (by Google) 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: Gemini CLI vs Kiro
Gemini CLI is the stronger choice for most developers today, though Kiro CLI is a genuinely competitive alternative that may better suit teams prioritizing a faster-moving release cadence. Gemini CLI's track record is extensive — over 300 tracked releases reflect a deeply mature, battle-tested tool with a long history of iterative refinement. It also has a slight edge in tracked feature coverage, supporting Vim/Neovim integration that Kiro CLI currently lacks, which matters meaningfully to developers whose workflow centers on modal editing. That said, Kiro CLI is not a distant second: it matches Gemini CLI on 17 of 18 tracked features and has actually shipped more releases in the recent 90-day window, signaling an aggressive and accelerating development pace. Developers who value a tool that is actively gaining ground — and may leapfrog on features in the near term — have a legitimate reason to favor Kiro CLI. The practical distinction comes down to stability and ecosystem depth versus momentum and trajectory. Gemini CLI's sheer volume of historical releases suggests more edge cases have been encountered and resolved; Kiro CLI's recent velocity suggests a team pushing hard to close any remaining gaps. Neither tool imposes an obviously wrong choice — the decision hinges on whether you weight proven longevity or current momentum more highly in your workflow.
Choose Gemini CLI if: Choose Gemini CLI if you rely on Vim or Neovim as your primary editor, or if you prioritize a tool with a long, proven release history and maximum tracked feature coverage.
Choose Kiro CLI if: Choose Kiro CLI if you want a fast-moving tool that is shipping updates at a high recent cadence and nearly matches Gemini CLI's feature breadth, especially if Vim integration is not a requirement for your workflow.
Key differences
- Gemini CLI has a vastly larger overall release history (321 vs 67 tracked releases), indicating greater long-term maturity
- Kiro CLI has shipped more releases in the recent 90-day window (21 vs 14), reflecting faster current development momentum
- Gemini CLI supports Vim/Neovim integration; Kiro CLI does not currently track this feature
- Both tools are near-identical in tracked feature breadth (18 vs 17 of 18), making feature parity rather than feature gaps the story
- Kiro CLI's version numbering (v2.36) versus Gemini CLI's (v0.66) may reflect different stability or API-stability signals depending on each project's versioning conventions
At a glance
| Tool | Latest version | Release date | Releases tracked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini CLI | v0.68.0 | November 10, 2026 | 323 |
| Kiro CLI | v3.3.0 | November 12, 2026 | 72 |
Gemini CLI vs Kiro: key feature differences
Gemini CLI supports 18 of 18 tracked features; Kiro CLI supports 17 of 18. Both support 17 features.
What Gemini CLI has that Kiro doesn't
- Vim/Neovim
What Kiro has that Gemini CLI doesn't
None in the tracked matrix.
Release cadence: Gemini CLI vs Kiro
Kiro ships more often: 24 releases in the last 90 days versus 13 for Gemini CLI. Counts are as of November 14, 2026.
| Metric | Gemini CLI | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| Releases in the last 30 days | 4 | 10 |
| Releases in the last 90 days | 13 | 24 |
| Median gap between recent releases | 7 days | 2 days |
| Releases tracked | 323 | 72 |
| First tracked release | June 28, 2025 | November 24, 2025 |
What's new in Gemini CLI and Kiro
Latest Gemini CLI releases
- Gemini CLI v0.68.0 (November 10, 2026) — Gemini CLI v0.68.0 is out with a batch of fixes: smoother Windows paths, rate-limit countdowns in the loading indicator, and rootless Podman sandboxing. Curious what else changed?
- Gemini CLI v0.67.0 (November 4, 2026) — Gemini CLI v0.67.0 is here: list models with a new models command, bring your IDE companion into container sandboxes, and enjoy fixes for duplicate agent loading and Thai/Lao character width.…
- Gemini CLI v0.66.0 (October 27, 2026) — Gemini CLI v0.66.0 is here: smoother terminal rendering, scrollback that sticks around, and safer git and shell environments. Plus MCP OAuth can now reach private endpoints. Curious what else changed?
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 | Gemini CLI | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-file Editing — Edit multiple files in a single operation | ✓ since v0.22.0 | ✓ (Implied by agent harness capabilities and workflow operations across files) |
| Streaming Output — Real-time streaming of AI responses | ✓ since v0.68.0 | ✓ since 2.24.0 |
| Undo/Redo — Ability to undo and redo changes | ✓ since v0.66.0 | ✓ since 2.20.0 |
| Diff View — Visual comparison of changes | ✓ since v0.68.0 | ✓ since 2.4.0 |
Terminal Integration
Shell and command execution support
| Feature | Gemini CLI | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| Command Execution — Run shell commands | ✓ since v0.68.0 | ✓ since 2.37.0 |
| Shell Integration — Integration with user shell environment | ✓ (v0.66.0 mentions 'safer git and shell environments'; v0.60.0 references 'how extensions access your system', indicating ) | ✓ (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 v0.68.0 | ✓ since 2.0.0 |
MCP Support
Model Context Protocol server and client capabilities
| Feature | Gemini CLI | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| MCP Client — Connect to MCP servers | ✓ since v0.67.0 | ✓ since 2.35.0 |
| MCP Server — Expose as MCP server | ✓ since v0.67.0 | ✓ since 2.35.0 |
| Custom Tools — Define and use custom tools | ✓ since v0.30.0 | ✓ (v2.33.0 mentions hooks, agents, MCP servers, steering, workflows as custom workspace configurations) |
IDE Integrations
VS Code, JetBrains, and other editor support
| Feature | Gemini CLI | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| VS Code — Visual Studio Code integration | ✓ since v0.68.0 | ✓ since 1.24.0 |
| JetBrains — IntelliJ/WebStorm integration | ✓ since v0.41.0 | ✓ since 1.25.0 |
| Vim/Neovim — Vim or Neovim integration | ✓ since v0.45.0 | — |
| Web UI — Browser-based interface | ✓ since v0.60.0 | ✓ since 2.35.0 |
Agentic Features
Planning, tool use, and autonomous capabilities
| Feature | Gemini CLI | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| Planning Mode — Plan before executing changes | ✓ since v0.63.0 | ✓ since 2.32.0 |
| Autonomous Mode — Extended autonomous operation | ✓ since v0.68.0 | ✓ since 3.3.0 |
| Task Decomposition — Break complex tasks into steps | ✓ since v0.62.0 | ✓ since 3.3.0 |
| Context Management — Manage context across conversations | ✓ since v0.68.0 | ✓ since 3.3.0 |
Feature timeline: who shipped first
First release where Gemini CLI and Kiro each shipped a notable feature, and which tool led.
| Feature | Gemini CLI | Kiro | Who led |
|---|---|---|---|
| Skills / Plugins | January 21, 2026 | — | only Gemini CLI |
| Sandboxing / Permission Modes | — | August 11, 2026 | only Kiro |
| Subagents / Parallel Agents | April 1, 2026 | December 18, 2025 | Kiro first, 105d ahead |
| Background Tasks | — | August 11, 2026 | only Kiro |
| Extended Thinking | — | June 5, 2026 | only Kiro |
| Hooks | January 14, 2026 | July 17, 2026 | Gemini CLI first, 183d ahead |
| MCP Support | January 7, 2026 | December 18, 2025 | Kiro first, 20d ahead |
| Voice Input | — | August 12, 2026 | only Kiro |
| Headless / Non-interactive Mode | — | October 15, 2026 | only Kiro |
| Checkpoints / Rewind | — | June 12, 2026 | only Kiro |
| Custom Slash Commands | February 10, 2026 | June 12, 2026 | Gemini CLI first, 122d ahead |
| Project Memory Files | — | August 12, 2026 | only Kiro |
| Planning Mode | — | December 18, 2025 | only Kiro |
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Gemini CLI or Kiro CLI?
Gemini CLI is the stronger choice for most developers today, though Kiro CLI is a genuinely competitive alternative that may better suit teams prioritizing a faster-moving release cadence. Gemini CLI's track record is extensive — over 300 tracked releases reflect a deeply mature, battle-tested tool with a long history of iterative refinement. It also has a slight edge in tracked feature coverage, supporting Vim/Neovim integration that Kiro CLI currently lacks, which matters meaningfully to developers whose workflow centers on modal editing. That said, Kiro CLI is not a distant second: it matches Gemini CLI on 17 of 18 tracked features and has actually shipped more releases in the recent 90-day window, signaling an aggressive and accelerating development pace. Developers who value a tool that is actively gaining ground — and may leapfrog on features in the near term — have a legitimate reason to favor Kiro CLI. The practical distinction comes down to stability and ecosystem depth versus momentum and trajectory. Gemini CLI's sheer volume of historical releases suggests more edge cases have been encountered and resolved; Kiro CLI's recent velocity suggests a team pushing hard to close any remaining gaps. Neither tool imposes an obviously wrong choice — the decision hinges on whether you weight proven longevity or current momentum more highly in your workflow.
What is the difference between Gemini CLI and Kiro?
Gemini CLI supports 18 of 18 tracked features; Kiro CLI supports 17 of 18. Only Gemini CLI: Vim/Neovim. Both support 17 tracked features.
Which gets updated more often, Gemini CLI or Kiro?
Kiro CLI ships more often. In the 90 days to November 14, 2026, Havoptic tracked 13 Gemini CLI releases and 24 Kiro releases (323 and 72 releases tracked in total). Gemini CLI's median gap between its last 21 releases is 7 days. Kiro's median gap between its last 21 releases is 2 days.
What are the latest versions of Gemini CLI and Kiro?
The latest Gemini CLI release is v0.68.0, released November 10, 2026. The latest Kiro CLI release is v3.3.0, released November 12, 2026.
Do Gemini CLI and Kiro support MCP (Model Context Protocol)?
Gemini CLI supports MCP Client, MCP Server, and Custom Tools. Kiro CLI supports MCP Client, MCP Server, and Custom Tools.
Release velocity
Havoptic tracks 323 Gemini CLI releases and 72 Kiro releases. See release frequency charts for side-by-side velocity analysis, or browse the Gemini CLI changelog and Kiro CLI changelog.
Related comparisons
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- Gemini CLI vs Claude Code
- Gemini CLI vs OpenAI Codex CLI
- Gemini CLI vs Cursor
- Gemini CLI vs GitHub Copilot CLI
- Gemini CLI vs Devin Desktop
- Gemini CLI vs Antigravity CLI
- Gemini CLI vs Grok Build
More Kiro CLI comparisons
- Kiro CLI vs Claude Code
- Kiro CLI vs OpenAI Codex CLI
- Kiro CLI vs Cursor
- 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.