Kiro CLI 3.0 for .NET and C# in Visual Studio 2026 with iolys

Kiro is one of the most compelling AI coding subscriptions for developers who want a broad choice of models at an affordable price. A single paid subscription brings together OpenAI's GPT models, Anthropic's Claude models, and models from Chinese AI labs, including DeepSeek and GLM. See Kiro's model catalog for the available options.

For C#, .NET, and ASP.NET Core developers, that choice is even more useful because Kiro is natively supported in iolys. You can stay in Visual Studio 2026, work on the solution already open, and use the models available through your Kiro account.

One Kiro subscription, multiple model families, and native access in Visual Studio through iolys. It is a particularly attractive combination for developers who want model choice and value while keeping their familiar IDE.

GPT, Claude, DeepSeek, and GLM in one subscription

Kiro's paid plans let you choose between several model families within the same subscription:

• OpenAI GPT models, for developers who want OpenAI's models in their coding workflow;
• Anthropic Claude models, including the Opus, Sonnet, and Haiku families;
• DeepSeek and GLM, alongside other options from Chinese AI labs such as MiniMax and Qwen.

These choices are listed in Kiro's official model documentation. Having them available together makes Kiro a strong subscription choice: you can try different models for implementation, debugging, and code review, then choose the one that suits the task.

As of September 6, 2026, Kiro Pro starts at $20 per user per month before taxes, with 1,000 monthly credits. Usage draws from those credits at rates that depend on the selected model, and model availability can vary by region. Check Kiro's pricing for current plans and allowances.

With iolys, this model choice is available through the native Kiro provider inside Visual Studio. You keep your C# editor, Solution Explorer, debugger, and test tools close at hand while using an affordable subscription across multiple AI model families.

Kiro CLI 3.0 uses one unified agent harness

Kiro CLI 3.0 is built on the same unified agent harness used by Kiro IDE and Kiro Web. The harness is the process that assembles context, communicates with the selected model, evaluates permissions, executes tools, manages sessions, delegates work, and compacts long conversations.

Read Kiro's official unified agent announcement and the official CLI 3.0 release overview for the architecture and feature details.

Previously, different Kiro surfaces had separate agent implementations. The unified harness consolidates that behavior so improvements to planning, tools, permissions, and context management can reach several clients consistently.

For developers, this means that Kiro's core capabilities are no longer defined by a single editor interface. The agent is separated from the client through a protocol boundary, allowing a client such as iolys to bring Kiro into the Visual Studio 2026 workflow used for a C# or .NET solution.

Steering Kiro with C# and .NET conventions

Kiro Steering files provide persistent project context. They can describe the product, architecture, technology stack, repository layout, coding standards, and team practices. Kiro also supports the AGENTS.md convention for instructions stored beside the code they govern.

For a C# codebase, steering can define rules such as:

• enable nullable reference types and avoid suppressing warnings without justification;
• use asynchronous APIs correctly and propagate CancellationToken;
• follow the solution's dependency-injection and configuration patterns;
• preserve domain boundaries and project references;
• use the existing test framework and naming conventions;
• prefer established ASP.NET Core and Entity Framework Core patterns;
• run dotnet format, analyzers, builds, and tests before completion;
• avoid editing generated code, secrets, or deployment files outside the task.

Because the configuration lives in .kiro/ or an AGENTS.md file, it can be committed with the repository and shared by the .NET team. Developers do not need to repeat the same C# conventions in every prompt.

Capability-based permissions

Kiro CLI 3.0 replaces broad trust flags with capability-based permissions. Policies can allow, deny, or require confirmation for categories of operations such as reading files, writing files, running shell commands, or accessing network tools.

This is important when an AI coding agent works inside a real Visual Studio solution. Reading a C# project is different from changing it, and compiling a solution is different from running an arbitrary deployment command. Fine-grained permissions let teams describe those boundaries more explicitly.

In an iolys session, the developer also retains visibility into the tools and permission requests associated with the active agent. The combination supports a workflow where Kiro can move efficiently through routine .NET development tasks while sensitive actions remain reviewable.

Plan mode, Tangent, and long-running sessions

Kiro CLI 3.0 adds a built-in Plan mode for analyzing work without immediately changing files. This is useful when a .NET developer wants an architecture proposal, migration plan, dependency assessment, or root-cause analysis before authorizing implementation.

Tangent creates a side conversation that inherits the current history without polluting the parent conversation. During a large C# refactoring, a developer might use a tangent to investigate a framework behavior, compare two persistence approaches, or analyze a failing test, then return to the main implementation thread.

Kiro also supports compaction for long sessions, custom agents for specialized workflows, skills for reusable instruction packages, MCP servers for external tools, and sub-agents for delegated work. These features make Kiro relevant to tasks that extend beyond a single generated code block.

Native Kiro support in iolys for C# and .NET

Kiro is a native provider in iolys. Once Kiro CLI is installed and authenticated, the developer can enable it in iolys and select it for the active Visual Studio 2026 solution.

iolys keeps the development context explicit:

• the active Visual Studio instance;
• the current .sln or .slnx solution;
• the C# projects and repository being changed;
• the selected Kiro session and model;
• tool calls, file modifications, and permissions;
• the developer's ability to switch providers when the task changes.

Kiro can then assist with ASP.NET Core features, Blazor components, Entity Framework Core data access, Azure integration, unit tests, debugging, modernization, code review, and repository-wide refactoring while the developer remains in Visual Studio.

This native integration brings Kiro's model selection into the Visual Studio environment already adopted for C# and .NET development. You can use the models available to your Kiro account while keeping your solution, debugging tools, and development workflow in the same IDE.

Bring Your Own Subscription with Kiro

iolys supports an account-based Kiro CLI route. Developers authenticate through Kiro and use the access available to their eligible account or subscription. Authentication, model availability, quotas, and billing remain under the provider's terms.

This Bring Your Own Subscription approach avoids bundling provider usage into the iolys license. iolys supplies the integration, session experience, and Visual Studio workflow; Kiro continues to manage the account and agent service.

For developers who want GPT, Claude, DeepSeek, and GLM through one provider, Kiro is a particularly appealing subscription. Native support in iolys makes that subscription useful directly in the C# and .NET projects maintained in Visual Studio 2026.

Where Kiro fits best

Kiro is especially compelling when a development task benefits from structure and persistent project rules. Strong use cases include:

• designing and implementing a new ASP.NET Core feature;
• performing a bug investigation with root-cause analysis and regression tests;
• enforcing C# conventions through shared Steering files;
• coordinating a multi-project .NET migration;
• creating a specialized agent for security, architecture, testing, or documentation;
• integrating external engineering systems through MCP.

With native Kiro support in iolys, those workflows can begin from the active Visual Studio solution. The team keeps its established IDE, C# tooling, debugger, test runner, source-control workflow, and provider relationship while gaining access to Kiro's agentic development model.

Kiro combines broad model choice with an affordable subscription. iolys brings it natively into Visual Studio 2026, so .NET developers can benefit from that choice where they already work.

Use Kiro for C# and .NET in Visual Studio

Sources: Kiro models, Kiro pricing, official Kiro CLI 3.0 documentation, and Kiro's unified agent harness announcement.