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AWS has officially rolled out Kiro, its AI-enabled programming platform designed around spec-driven development, marking the end of its preview period and expanding access globally. Alongside general availability, AWS has launched a Kiro Startup Credits Program, offering eligible early-stage to Series B companies up to one year of complimentary Kiro Pro+ usage through the AWS Startups network.
Kiro: From preview to global release
Since launching its preview in July 2025, Kiro has attracted more than 250,000 developers worldwide. The platform introduces spec-driven development — a structured framework that allows developers to plan, generate, and validate code through intelligent AI agents.
Kiro’s latest release adds several advanced functions, including:
- Property-Based Testing (PBT), which checks whether generated code matches defined specifications;
- Checkpointing, allowing developers to revert to earlier workflow stages without losing work;
- Multi-root workspace support for multi-module projects; and
- Kiro CLI, a new terminal-based interface offering the same AI automation tools available in Kiro’s integrated development environment (IDE).
The platform now integrates with the AWS IAM Identity Center, allowing companies to manage billing, user permissions, and security from a central console.
Kiro pricing structure
According to Kiro’s official pricing, developers can start with the Free tier (US$ 0 per month), which includes 50 credits, and a one-time 500 bonus credits valid for 30 days when first signing up.
Credits are a metered unit representing AI computation per prompt. Simple tasks may cost less than one credit, while complex operations — such as executing a full spec task — require more. Usage resets monthly, and unused credits do not carry forward.
Kiro plans are billed per individual user. Enterprise customers can adopt organization-wide subscriptions with central billing, analytics, and identity management through AWS IAM Identity Center.
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AWS has launched the Kiro Startup Credits Program as part of its broader startup initiatives. The program offers up to a year of free Kiro Pro+ access to eligible startups worldwide.
The offer includes three tiers:
- Starter Tier – up to 2 users
- Growth Tier – up to 50 users
- Scale Tier – up to 100 users
Approved companies will receive credits automatically applied to their AWS accounts. The program is available in most countries globally and runs until December 31, 2025.
Integration with AWS Activate
Startups not participating in the credits programme can still access Kiro using AWS Activate credits. These credits can now be applied to Kiro subscriptions in the same way they are used across more than 200 AWS services, including compute, databases, machine learning, and developer tools.
A structured approach to AI development
AWS said Kiro was created “to empower developers through accessible, secure AI innovation,” providing a foundation for teams to define requirements, generate tested code, and deploy features in minutes.
With spec-driven development, Kiro supports a structured workflow where AI agents assist not only in generating code but also in maintaining alignment with specifications, performing documentation, and managing automated testing.
The platform aims to help teams iterate quickly and scale efficiently, combining speed and engineering discipline as projects grow in complexity.
Startups can apply for the programme through AWS Startups before December 31, 2025 to “unlock a year of building and scaling faster through spec-driven development.”
