SUMMARY
Claude Code (CLI) uses markdown configuration while Kilo Code (IDE) uses markdown. They differ on 6 of 11 compared features. Both tools provide AI-assisted development but take different approaches to project configuration.
FEATURE COMPARISON
| Feature | Claude Code | Kilo Code |
|---|---|---|
| Config format | markdown | markdown |
| Hierarchy support | ✓ | ✗ |
| Global config | ✓ | ✗ |
| Project config | ✓ | ✓ |
| Subdirectory scoping | ✓ | ✗ |
| File inclusion / imports | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ignore file | .claudeignore | ✗ |
| IDE integration | CLI | ✓ |
| Schema / structure | Free-form (Markdown) | Free-form (Markdown) |
| Git committed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Encoding | UTF-8 | UTF-8 |
FILE MAPPING
| Purpose | Claude Code | Kilo Code |
|---|---|---|
| Settings / configuration | .claude/settings.json | .kilocodemodes |
| Project rules | .claude/rules/*.md | .kilorules |
SIDE-BY-SIDE CODE SAMPLES
# Project Name
> TypeScript + React monorepo. Deployed on Vercel.
## Code Style
- TypeScript strict mode — no `any`, no `ts-ignore`
- Named exports only (no default exports)
- Prefer functional patterns: map/filter/reduce over for-loops
- Error handling: use Result<T, E> from `src/lib/result.ts`
## Architecture
- `src/routes/` — Route handlers (thin layer, delegates to services)
- `src/services/` — Business logic, one file per domain entity
- `src/db/` — Drizzle ORM schema and query helpers
- `src/lib/` — Shared utilities (logger, result type, validation)
## Commands
```bash
pnpm install # Install dependencies
pnpm dev # Start dev server (port 3000)
pnpm test # Run Vitest suite
pnpm test:e2e # Run Playwright tests
pnpm lint # ESLint + Prettier check
pnpm db:migrate # Run pending Drizzle migrations
```
## Git Conventions
- Conventional Commits: `feat:`, `fix:`, `chore:`, `docs:`
- Branch naming: `feat/short-description`, `fix/issue-number`
- Squash merge to main; delete branches after merge
## Notes
- The `src/legacy/` directory is being migrated. Do not add new code there.
- All dates are stored as UTC. Never use local time.
@docs/api-patterns.md
@docs/database-conventions.md
# 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
Claude Code: Supported. Kilo Code: Not supported.
Claude Code: Supported. Kilo Code: Not supported.
Claude Code: Supported. Kilo Code: Not supported.
Claude Code: Supported. Kilo Code: Not supported.
Claude Code: .claudeignore. Kilo Code: Not supported.
Claude Code: CLI. Kilo Code: Supported.
WHICH SHOULD I USE?
Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use Claude Code, configure CLAUDE.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
# Maintain a single source of truth:
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md CLAUDE.md
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md .cursorrules
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md AGENTS.md