AWS has been forced to implement daily usage caps and a waitlist for new users of Kiro, its AI-powered code editor, after unexpectedly high demand during its preview phase overwhelmed the service. The restrictions follow widespread user reports of performance degradation, signaling that the underlying infrastructure couldn't handle the load.

Developer experience engineer Jay Raval announced the measures on Kiro's official Discord, stating:

"We've introduced some temporary measures – including a waitlist for new users and daily usage limits for existing users... We're not sharing specific limits yet."

The abrupt constraints frustrated some early adopters, with one developer noting: "I didn't have these limits the 1st 4 days of my project … now I am restricted" – highlighting the lack of paid tier options during this transitional period. Notably, previously advertised pricing plans (Free, Pro, Pro+) have vanished from kiro.dev, replaced by a notice that "updated pricing details for different tiers will be shared soon."

Why the Surge? Spec-Driven Development Resonates
Kiro distinguishes itself through its "spec mode," where an initial prompt generates detailed project documentation – including requirements, tech stack recommendations, and implementation tasks – before writing code. This methodology has struck a chord:

  • Built on a fork of Code OSS (VS Code's open-source base)
  • Powered by Anthropic's Claude Sonnet 3.7 or 4.0 LLMs
  • Operates independently of AWS accounts or service lock-in during preview

Industry voices validate its potential. Cloud analyst Corey Quinn remarked: "Well this is awkward. AWS released a Cursor clone and it's … actually not terrible," while RedMonk's James Governor predicted it could be "one of the company's fastest growing products ever." Early testing by The Register found Kiro produced more comprehensive project plans than comparable tools like Google's Firebase Studio.

Scaling Pains & The Road Ahead
The current crisis underscores the immense computational resources required for agentic AI coding tools. While Kiro’s document-first approach adds rigor compared to "vibe coding," it inherits common AI pitfalls:

  • Potential for errors and security vulnerabilities in generated code
  • Requires developer oversight to validate outputs
  • Performance highly dependent on backend LLM capacity

The preview's popularity, coupled with its current AWS-agnostic stance, presents both an opportunity and a scaling challenge for Amazon. As the team races to bolster infrastructure and define a sustainable commercial model, developers face a temporary reality: even promising AI tools can buckle under the weight of their own success.

Source: The Register (https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/21/aws_kiro_usage_cap/)