Kilo (headless)
Kilo in server mode - a persistent remote coding agent your IDE extension and CLI clients attach to.
One-click deploy, from $13/mo on a Miget plan.
Kilo is an open-source AI coding agent; kilo serve is its headless mode - an HTTP+SSE API that Kilo clients attach to. Run it on a platform and the agent outlives your editor: the IDE extension, kilo attach from a terminal, or the Cloud Agents web UI (via Remote Connections) all connect to the same persistent brain.
This template runs server mode behind HTTP basic auth with a 10 GB /workspace volume that survives redeploys. Clone your repos into the workspace once; every client that attaches sees the same state.
Two variables: KILO_SERVER_PASSWORD for the API and ANTHROPIC_API_KEY (or configure another provider through Kilo’s config in the workspace). Prefer a terminal over an API? The agent-box template ships the Kilo CLI alongside Claude Code and opencode in a browser terminal.
Upstream project: Kilo
#what you get
- kilo serve: HTTP+SSE API for IDE, CLI, and web clients
- Persistent 10 GB /workspace across redeploys
- Attach from the IDE extension, kilo attach, or Cloud Agents UI
- HTTP basic auth on the API
- Provider-flexible: Anthropic by default, others via Kilo config
- Single container, official open-source agent
#topology
| Service | Role | Public |
|---|---|---|
| kilo | kilo serve - HTTP+SSE API (:5000) | yes (basic auth) |
#miget sizing
// this stack needs
2 GiB RAM · 10 GB disk · 1 service
2 GiB fits the agent runtime and typical repo tooling. Big monorepos or heavyweight builds in the workspace want the next plan up.
Hobby - recommended fit
$13/mo
1 vCPU · 2 GiB · 50 GiB disk
Headroom for your own apps: 2 GiB at $19/mo
Professional - production
$22/mo
1 vCPU · 2 GiB · 10 GiB disk
Dedicated resources, production SLOs - plan details
One Miget plan is a fixed pool of compute - the whole stack (managed databases included) deploys inside it, and anything left over runs your other apps. No per-service or per-seat math.
#vs. other PaaS
Estimated monthly cost of running this exact stack (2 GiB RAM, 10 GB disk, 1 container) elsewhere, from published June 2026 rates.
| Platform | Est. monthly | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Miget ★ | $13 flat | compose stacks first-class: one deploy, dedicated vCPU, managed Postgres/Valkey, volumes and TLS all included in the plan |
| Heroku | ~$100 | no volumes; nothing between 1 GB ($50) and 2.5 GB ($250) dynos - 2 GB containers cost far more than shown |
| DO App Platform | ~$29 | no persistent volumes - stateful containers need managed DBs/Spaces (base $5 Spaces included here) |
| Render | ~$28 | per-service instances (0.5 GB $7, 2 GB $25) - every container is its own paid service |
| Railway | ~$22 | usage-based ($10/GB RAM-mo); vCPU billed separately at $20/vCPU-mo on top |
| Fly.io | ~$13 | cheapest sticker price - but burstable shared CPUs (1/16 core; dedicated vCPUs cost ~2-3×), no compose deploys (one app per container, manual wiring), managed DBs billed extra |
Estimates assume RAM fully allocated at published on-demand rates - and sticker price isn't the whole comparison: the cheaper rows buy burstable shared CPUs, per-service wiring instead of a compose deploy, and managed databases billed separately. Heroku and DO App Platform have no persistent volumes at all - stateful stacks like this one need workarounds there.
#deploy it
On Miget
- Create a Compose Stack in app.miget.com pointing at the templates repository
- Set the stack path to
kilo -
Set the required variables:
KILO_SERVER_PASSWORD, HTTP basic auth on the APIANTHROPIC_API_KEY, model access, billed to you (other providers via Kilo config)
- Deploy. Miget layers
compose.miget.yaml(RAM, privacy, volumes, managed services) automatically
Locally first?
Every template is portable, vanilla Docker Compose - the Miget overrides are ignored locally:
git clone https://github.com/deployable-sh/stacks
cd miget-compose-templates/kilo
docker compose up -dSame files, same behavior. The template README covers connection strings and scaling notes.
#faq
What is the difference between Kilo and agent-box?
Interface. This template exposes Kilo’s server API for programmatic and IDE clients; agent-box gives you a browser terminal with the Kilo CLI (plus Claude Code and opencode) inside. Same agent family, API versus terminal.
How do I connect my IDE to it?
Point the Kilo extension (or kilo attach) at https://your-app-domain with KILO_SERVER_PASSWORD as the basic-auth credential. The Cloud Agents web UI connects the same way via Remote Connections.
Why run Kilo remotely instead of locally?
Persistence and reach: long tasks keep running after your editor closes, the workspace state is shared by every client you attach from, and a phone or tablet can check on (or redirect) the agent mid-task.
Why is this marked experimental?
Kilo’s server mode and remote-connection protocol are young and moving fast upstream. It works today; expect the template to track breaking changes. Pin image versions for stability.
Ship Kilo (headless) today
One compose stack, 2 GiB of RAM, from $13/month flat, and it runs on your laptop with the same files.