Testing Kimi Code: First Impressions from Web and CLI

By Piotr Sikora

Development
19 February 2026
3 min read

Testing Kimi Code: First Impressions from Web and CLI

Yesterday I started working with Kimi Code, and I'm currently in the testing phase. It's still early, but the first impressions are strong enough to share.

From a workflow perspective, it feels very similar to Claude Code - focused on developers, practical in usage, and designed to fit directly into real coding environments rather than just being a chat interface.

Why I Decided to Try It

The biggest trigger?

The first-month price.

The standard price is $19.00 - but I managed to grab the first month for:

$1.49

And yes - you can literally negotiate with the bot.

Kimi runs a small interactive "bargaining" flow where you talk to the bot and try to lower the price.
You can start it here:

https://www.kimi.com/kimiplus/sale?activity_enter_method=h5_share&invitation_code=T3F9MV

It takes just a minute and the bot adjusts the offer dynamically based on the conversation.

Kimi Code Pricing - $1.49 first month

At that price, it was an easy decision to test it seriously in real-world scenarios. Low risk, high curiosity.

Testing the Web Version

The Web console gives a clean dashboard-style overview of:

Weekly usage
Rate limits
Model access (K2.5)
API key management

Kimi Code Web Console

What I like so far:

Clear visibility into consumption
Simple UI without unnecessary complexity
Feels built for developers, not marketers

It's straightforward and functional - exactly what you want from a tool that complements your coding workflow.

Testing the CLI Version

This is where it gets interesting.

The CLI integrates directly into your working directory and project context. Instead of switching tabs constantly, you stay inside your development flow.

Kimi Code CLI

It reminds me a lot of Claude Code's workflow:

Context-aware responses
Terminal-first experience
Minimal friction

For developers who live in the terminal, this matters more than fancy UI.

Early Observations

Still early days, but here's what stands out:

Responses are coding-focused
CLI feels natural inside a project
Web console gives good visibility into limits
Setup was simple
No unnecessary complexity

I'm not making final judgments yet - this is still testing phase. The real evaluation will come after deeper usage in production-like tasks.

What I'm Looking For Next

Over the next days I want to evaluate:

How well it handles larger refactors
Context retention across sessions
Performance on real-world debugging
How it compares directly to Claude Code in complex scenarios

Because initial impressions are one thing - long-term reliability is what really matters.

Conclusion

So far, Kimi Code feels promising.

The $1.49 first month made it a no-brainer to experiment, and both the Web and CLI versions show strong potential.

I'll share more detailed thoughts after deeper testing - especially once I push it through real project pressure.

If you're experimenting with AI coding assistants, this one is definitely worth a look.

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