Kimi Code learning map

Kimi Code is the developer programming benefit inside a Kimi membership. Official surfaces are the CLI, the VS Code extension, and an API key that plugs the same models into third-party agents.

Product docs (www.kimi.com/code/docs): Kimi Code provides "code reading, file editing, command execution and other AI-assisted capabilities" through "CLI, VS Code extension plugins and other product forms."

Audience / prerequisites

• Who: frontend engineers who already use a terminal or VS Code and want a Claude Code analogue that works on a mainland-China network.
• Need: macOS / Linux / Windows; a Kimi account (membership or a callable API key). The install script does not require Node.js. The npm channel needs Node.js 22.19.0+.
• Non-goals: Kimi web chat, Kimi Work, Kimi Claw; model internals (see Learn LLM); treating the old Python kimi-cli as the main path.

Product family

Official first-level entries first. This directory only expands Kimi Code. Chat / Work / Claw each get one row pointing at the forthcoming Kimi family page.

Official name	Official URL	This site
Kimi Code (landing)	www.kimi.com/code	This directory
Kimi Code docs hub	www.kimi.com/code/docs	This page
Kimi Code CLI	Product docs · Getting started · CLI docs	Tutorial
Kimi Code for VS Code	Product docs · Quick start · Marketplace	Tutorial · VS Code
Kimi Code console	www.kimi.com/code/console	Map row: quota, API keys, devices
Kimi Code API (third-party tools)	Base URL table on the hub	Tutorial · API · Cheatsheet
Kimi (web / app)	www.kimi.com · comparison	One row → Kimi family (#70)
Kimi Work	comparison · downloads	One row → Kimi family
Kimi Claw	comparison	One row → Kimi family
Kimi Open Platform	platform.moonshot.cn · platform.kimi.com / platform.kimi.ai	One row: metered API, not this directory
Legacy Python kimi-cli	What's New table	Tutorial appendix

Sources: product comparison, Kimi Code hub, downloads.

Moonshot / Kimi family
├── Kimi (web / app) — chat + Agent + Deep Research
├── Kimi Work — desktop local Agent (files / cross-app / long jobs)
├── Kimi Code — developer coding suite (this directory)
│   ├── CLI (`kimi`)
│   ├── VS Code extension (moonshot-ai.kimi-code)
│   └── API key → third-party coding agents
├── Kimi Claw — zero-deploy cloud automation / bots
└── Open Platform — metered HTTP API (not a coding-agent product)

Names that collide:

• Kimi Code ≠ Kimi chat ≠ Kimi Work ≠ Kimi Claw. The comparison page: Code is for developers, writing and maintaining repos, via CLI and the VS Code extension.
• The kimi binary ≠ the product name Kimi Code.
• ~/.kimi-code/ ≠ ~/.kimi/. Current Node CLI vs old Python kimi-cli.
• api.kimi.com/coding ≠ api.moonshot.cn/v1. Membership coding quota vs metered Open Platform. Keys are not interchangeable (help FAQ).
• kimi acp ≠ the VS Code extension. ACP embeds the CLI in Zed / JetBrains / Paseo. VS Code has a first-party extension marked "adapting."

Quick decision: which surface?

What do I want to do?
├── Write / fix / refactor / test in a real repo
│   └── → Kimi Code
│       ├── Terminal? → CLI (`kimi`)
│       ├── VS Code? → read the official "new installs only for legacy Python CLI users" banner first
│       ├── Zed / JetBrains? → `kimi acp` (not the VS Code extension)
│       └── Already on Claude Code / Codex / OpenCode? → plug in a Kimi Code API key
├── Chat / write / search / sites / PPT / Deep Research
│   └── → [Kimi web / app](/products/kimi/)
├── Local files, cross-desktop apps, long-running jobs
│   └── → [Kimi Work](/products/kimi/)
├── 24/7 cloud bot, Feishu / WeChat
│   └── → [Kimi Claw](/products/kimi/)
└── Metered model calls inside my own product
    └── → Kimi Open Platform (not this directory)

Learning path

Stage	Read	Goal
1. Install and talk	Tutorial · install and login	First conversation in 15 minutes
2. Let it edit	Tutorial · TUI and approvals	Plan / YOLO / Auto
3. Pick the door	Tutorial · VS Code / ACP / API	Do not enter the wrong product
4. Look up flags	Cheatsheet	Commands, slash, model IDs, Base URLs
5. Coming from the old CLI	Migration appendix	kimi migrate

Feature cheat sheet

Only capabilities that have an official page.

Capability	One line	Official page
Interactive TUI	kimi in a project directory	Getting started
Headless	kimi -p "…"; --output-format stream-json	kimi command
Plan mode	Shift-Tab or /plan	Interaction
YOLO / Auto	/yolo skips ordinary approvals; /auto is unattended and does not ask	same
Sessions	-c / --continue, /sessions, /fork, kimi export	Sessions
ACP	kimi acp for Zed / JetBrains / Paseo	IDEs
Skills / MCP / Hooks / Plugins	Built-in skills appear as /name	Customization
Subagents	Built-in coder / explore / plan	README · What's New
Goal	/goal works a persistent objective across turns	Goals
Video input	Paste video (Ctrl-V on macOS/Linux, Alt-V on Windows)	Interaction
Models	k3 / kimi-for-coding / kimi-for-coding-highspeed	Models

Membership and quota (official text only)

• CLI / VS Code / third-party requests share one Kimi Code quota (membership).
• Quota refreshes every 7 days from the subscription date; unused quota does not roll over. There is also a rolling 5-hour rate window.
• Shared with the Kimi membership monthly cap: hitting the monthly cap freezes Code quota.
• Comparison page: membership features share one pool; Kimi Code also has Code-only 5-hour / weekly rate limits.
• Product-docs banner: a new membership system is coming, splitting Code benefits from Kimi membership. Current subscribers are unaffected. Prices live on the Kimi membership page. This site does not invent amounts.

Next

1. Open the Kimi Code tutorial and install the CLI with the official script.
2. Flags and model IDs: cheatsheet.
3. Official deep-dive: code/docs and the CLI docs.