Amp vs Kilo CodeUpdated 2026-03-18

SUMMARY

Amp (CLI) uses markdown configuration while Kilo Code (IDE) uses markdown. They differ on 4 of 11 compared features. Both tools provide AI-assisted development but take different approaches to project configuration.

FEATURE COMPARISON

FeatureAmpKilo Code
Config formatmarkdownmarkdown
Hierarchy support
Global config
Project config
Subdirectory scoping
File inclusion / imports
Ignore file
IDE integrationCLI
Schema / structureFree-form (Markdown)Free-form (Markdown)
Git committed
EncodingUTF-8UTF-8

FILE MAPPING

PurposeAmpKilo Code
Settings / configurationsettings.json.kilocodemodes
Project rules.agents/checks/*.md.kilorules

SIDE-BY-SIDE CODE SAMPLES

Amp
AGENTS.md
markdown
# Agent Instructions

## Project Context
Go microservices monorepo using Bazel for builds.

## Build & Test
- Build all: bazel build //...
- Test all: bazel test //...
- Integration tests: docker compose up -d && bazel test //integration/...
- Lint: golangci-lint run ./...

## Code Conventions
- All services follow standard layout in /cmd and /internal
- Use structured logging with slog
- Error wrapping with fmt.Errorf("op: %w", err)
- See @docs/api-style-guide.md for API conventions

## Cross-Repo References
- Shared proto definitions in sourcegraph/proto
- Common Go libraries in sourcegraph/lib

## Security
- Never log sensitive data (tokens, passwords, PII)
- All external inputs must be validated
- Use parameterized queries for database access

Kilo Code
.kilorules
markdown
# Project Rules

## Stack
- TypeScript 5.x with strict mode
- React 19 + Next.js 15 (App Router)
- Tailwind CSS v4 for styling
- Drizzle ORM for database access

## Code Standards
- Named exports only (no default exports)
- Prefer `const` assertions and satisfies operator
- Use Result<T, E> pattern for error handling
- Maximum 30 lines per function

## File Organization
- Colocate tests: `foo.ts` → `foo.test.ts`
- One component per file
- Barrel exports (index.ts) for public module APIs

## Git
- Conventional commits: feat|fix|chore|docs|test
- Squash merge feature branches
- Branch naming: type/description

KEY DIFFERENCES

1. Hierarchy support

Amp: Supported. Kilo Code: Not supported.

2. Global config

Amp: Supported. Kilo Code: Not supported.

3. Subdirectory scoping

Amp: Supported. Kilo Code: Not supported.

4. IDE integration

Amp: CLI. Kilo Code: Supported.

WHICH SHOULD I USE?

Recommendation

Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use Amp, configure AGENTS.md. If you use Kilo Code, configure .kilocodemodes. Many projects include config files for multiple tools so each team member can use their preferred editor.

PORTABILITY TIP

sync-instructions.sh
bash
# Maintain a single source of truth:
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md CLAUDE.md
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md .cursorrules
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md AGENTS.md

SEE ALSO

File references:
agentconfig.ing2026-03-18COMPARE(1)