auto-model

Auto Model

Auto Model is a smart routing system that selects an underlying model for each request. Each tier uses its own routing strategy so you can balance cost and capability to fit your needs.

Tier	Best For	Pricing
kilo-auto/frontier	Maximum capability with the best available models	Paid
kilo-auto/efficient	Lowest cost per task, with capability matched to difficulty	Paid
kilo-auto/free	The best free models available	Free

How It Works

1. Select an Auto Model tier (e.g. kilo-auto/frontier) in the model dropdown
2. Start working in any mode (Code, Architect, Debug, etc.)
3. The system automatically routes your requests to the best model for that task

That's it. No configuration needed.

You can see which underlying models are used, as well as the cost, in the expanded model picker. Model mapping information is also available on the Gateway Model page.

{% callout type="info" title="Models can change" %} The underlying models behind each Auto Model tier are updated server-side as better options become available or as providers change pricing and availability. The tier you select stays the same; the model it routes to may change over time. {% /callout %}

Tiers

• Frontier — Routes to the latest and most capable paid models. Uses different models for reasoning-heavy tasks (planning, architecture, debugging) versus implementation tasks (coding, building, exploring), pairing the right capability to each type of work.
• Efficient — Session-aware routing that classifies the difficulty of each request in real time and routes it to the cheapest model proven accurate enough for that task, based on Kilo's continuously-run benchmarks. Routine work stays lean while harder tasks get a more capable model. Because it watches your session in context, it keeps using a model across related turns and only switches when a cheaper option is clearly worth it. If a routing decision can't be made, it falls back to a fixed, cost-effective baseline model, so quality never drops below that baseline. A good default for most developers who want strong AI assistance without paying frontier prices.
• Free — Routes to the best available free models on OpenRouter, splitting traffic across them. Because free model availability shifts over time as providers change promotional periods, the mapping is updated server-side — you always get the best free option without having to track what's currently available. Quality will be lower than paid tiers, and the models may change over time.