Quick answer
Kiro - Kiro is an AI coding environment with a monthly credit allowance: 50 credits free. Warp is a terminal with an AI agent, and its free plan lets you bring your own AI inference. Both charge $20 a month at the first paid step.
How the free tiers compare
Kiro's free plan gives 50 credits a month. It includes open weight models and Claude Sonnet 4.5. Warp's free plan includes the terminal, Warp Agent CLI access, limited cloud agents access and the option to bring your own AI inference. Kiro's Pro plan costs $20 a month for 1,000 credits. Warp's Build plan costs $20 a month, or $18 billed annually, for 1,500 credits.
Kiro vs Warp free tier, side by side
| KiroFTV 34 | WarpFTV 45 | |
|---|---|---|
| Free AI allowance | 50 credits per month | Reload credits at pay-as-you-go rates, or bring your own AI inference |
| Models on Free | Open weight models and Claude Sonnet 4.5 | Bring your own AI inference |
| First paid plan | Pro - $20/mo, 1,000 credits | Build - $20/mo, or $18/mo billed annually, 1,500 credits |
| Next plan up | Pro+ - $40/mo, 2,000 credits | Max - $200/mo, 18,000 credits |
| Extra usage | Add-on credits at $0.04 each | Reload credits at pay-as-you-go rates |
After you outgrow the free tier
Kiro has four paid plans: Pro at $20 a month for 1,000 credits, Pro+ at $40 for 2,000, Pro Max at $100 for 5,000 and Power at $200 for 10,000. Add-on credits cost $0.04 each. Warp Build costs $20 a month, or $18 billed annually, and includes 1,500 credits worth $20 of agent usage at API rates. Warp Max costs $200 a month for 18,000 credits. Warp Business costs $50 per user a month.
Cost at real usage
| Usage | Kiro | Warp |
|---|---|---|
| Plan around $200 a month | $200/mo for Power, with 10,000 credits | $200/mo for Max, with 18,000 credits |
Estimates, not quotes. Usage-based rates change - verify with the vendor's pricing page before committing.
When to pick each one
Pick Kiro when…
- You want specs and tasks handled in a coding environment.
- You want a fixed credit count each month. The free plan has 50.
- You want add-on credits at $0.04 each on paid plans.
Pick Warp when…
- You live in the terminal and want an agent there.
- You have your own AI inference and want to use it on the free plan.
- You want unlimited Warp Drive objects and cloud conversation storage on Build.
Bottom line
Pick Kiro for spec-driven work in one environment. Pick Warp to work from the terminal, or to use your own AI inference for free. Credits are not the same unit in both products, so compare plans by price.
Read the full listings: Kiro and Warp. Scores use the FTV methodology at /ftv. Browse more head-to-heads on /compare, or see the top-ranked free tiers on /top.