Getting started

Install Kimo

Kimo is a local-first design canvas that coding agents can edit. It runs as a desktop app on macOS, Windows and Linux, or in a browser. There is no account and no sign-up.

2 min read

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Kimo 1.0 · format 1.0

On this page3 sections

Desktop app
In a browser
Build from source

Desktop app

Download the build for your system from the latest GitHub release:

System	Download
macOS (Apple silicon and Intel)	`.dmg` (one universal app)
Windows x64	`.msi` or the `-setup.exe` installer
Linux x64	`.AppImage` or `.deb` (needs glibc 2.35, Ubuntu 22.04 or newer)

macOS (Apple silicon and Intel)

Download .dmg (one universal app)

Windows x64

Download .msi or the -setup.exe installer

Linux x64

Download .AppImage or .deb (needs glibc 2.35, Ubuntu 22.04 or newer)

The desktop app opens .kimo and .kimoz files from Finder, Explorer or your file manager, and kimo:// links. It is the full Kimo: files on disk with autosave, the MCP server for coding agents, local agent CLIs for the built-in agent, git integration and updates.

Updates

Kimo checks for an update when it starts and, with Download updates on (the default), downloads it in the background. A toast then says Kimo X is ready · Restart. Restarting saves every open file first; Kimo never restarts on its own. Settings › Updates has the switch, the release channel and Check now. With Download updates off, an available update shows Download there (turning the switch on downloads it); once downloaded, Restart to update saves every open file in every window first. A failed check or download shows a banner with Retry.

In a browser

Open the web app from Open in browser on getkimo.design. It runs entirely in the browser; your files stay in that browser's storage until you save them to disk.

	Desktop	Browser
Files	Real files on disk, autosaved	A library in the browser's storage. Save writes a `.kimo` (or a `.kimoz` if it has images) to disk; in Chromium browsers Save can write back to the file in place
Coding agents (MCP)	Yes	No: agents connect to the desktop app
Built-in agent	Local CLIs and every API provider	Some API providers (see Providers)
Git merge driver, Reveal in Finder, updates	Yes	No
Local fonts	Yes	Where the browser allows it

Files

Desktop Real files on disk, autosaved

Browser A library in the browser's storage. Save writes a .kimo (or a .kimoz if it has images) to disk; in Chromium browsers Save can write back to the file in place

Coding agents (MCP)

Desktop Yes

Browser No: agents connect to the desktop app

Built-in agent

Desktop Local CLIs and every API provider

Browser Some API providers (see Providers)

Git merge driver, Reveal in Finder, updates

Desktop Yes

Browser No

Local fonts

Desktop Yes

Browser Where the browser allows it

Build from source

Kimo is open source (MIT). With Bun:

bun install
bun --filter @kimo/web dev       # the web editor
bun --filter @kimo/desktop dev   # the desktop app (needs the Tauri v2 prerequisites)

See Contributing for the full setup.

Next: Your first file.