Junie vs KiroComparisonUpdated 2026-03-16
SUMMARY
Junie (Agent) uses markdown configuration while Kiro (IDE) uses markdown. They differ on 3 of 11 compared features. Both tools provide AI-assisted development but take different approaches to project configuration.
FEATURE COMPARISON
| Feature | Junie | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| Config format | markdown | markdown |
| Hierarchy support | ✗ | ✓ |
| Global config | ✗ | ✓ |
| Project config | ✓ | ✓ |
| Subdirectory scoping | ✗ | ✗ |
| File inclusion / imports | ✗ | ✗ |
| Ignore file | ✗ | ✗ |
| IDE integration | Agent | ✓ |
| Schema / structure | Free-form (Markdown) | Free-form (Markdown) |
| Git committed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Encoding | UTF-8 | UTF-8 |
FILE MAPPING
| Purpose | Junie | Kiro |
|---|---|---|
| Project instructions | .junie/guidelines.md | .kiro/steering/*.md |
| Project instructions | AGENTS.md | AGENTS.md |
SIDE-BY-SIDE CODE SAMPLES
Junie
.junie/guidelines.md
markdown
# Project Guidelines
## Language & Framework
- Kotlin with Spring Boot 3.x
- Gradle with Kotlin DSL
- JDK 21 with virtual threads
## Architecture
- Hexagonal architecture (ports & adapters)
- Domain events for cross-module communication
- CQRS for read-heavy endpoints
## Code Standards
- Follow Kotlin coding conventions
- Use data classes for DTOs
- Prefer sealed classes for domain errors
- Extension functions over utility classes
## Testing
- JUnit 5 with Kotest assertions
- Testcontainers for integration tests
- MockK for mocking (not Mockito)
## Build & Run
- Build: ./gradlew build
- Test: ./gradlew test
- Run: ./gradlew bootRun
Kiro
.kiro/steering/*.md
markdown
---
inclusion: always
---
# Project Standards
## Stack
- TypeScript 5.x with Node.js 22
- AWS CDK v2 for infrastructure
- DynamoDB for data, S3 for assets
## Conventions
- Use ESM imports, not CommonJS
- Lambda handlers export a named `handler` function
- Use middy middleware for cross-cutting concerns
- All API responses follow JSON:API format
## Testing
- Unit tests with vitest
- Integration tests with aws-testing-library
- E2E tests use deployed staging environment
KEY DIFFERENCES
Junie: Not supported. Kiro: Supported.
Junie: Not supported. Kiro: Supported.
Junie: Agent. Kiro: Supported.
WHICH SHOULD I USE?
Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use Junie, configure .junie/guidelines.md. If you use Kiro, configure .kiro/steering/*.md. 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.ing2026-03-16COMPARE(1)