MiMo Code vs Claude Code: Hands‑On Review of Xiaomi’s New AI Coding Assistant

MiMo Code Overview

MiMo Code is an open‑source AI coding assistant released on June 11 under the MIT license. It is built on the OpenCode project and runs on the MiMo‑V2.5 model.

Persistent Memory System

Claude Code suffers from three issues in long sessions: loss of earlier context, one‑shot code generation without planning, and the need to restate project background for each new session. MiMo Code addresses these with an engineering‑focused architecture that does not rely on the model’s self‑awareness.

Main Agent – generates code and never records state.

Independent Sub‑Agent – automatically saves conversation history and project progress.

Window Rebuild – when the context window nears capacity, a clean brief is generated and the Main Agent continues without restarting.

This design behaves like an AI “notebook” that records notes automatically.

Behavior Comparison (Claude Code vs MiMo Code)

Long sessions: Claude Code compresses context and loses information; MiMo Code rebuilds a brief and continues.

Project memory: Claude Code requires manual updates to CLAUDE.md; MiMo Code saves automatically.

Cross‑session: Claude Code needs background restatement each time; MiMo Code restores state automatically.

Compose Mode – Full‑Process Automation

Pressing Tab switches to Compose mode. The assistant then performs design, planning, coding, testing, and review automatically, similar to hiring a development team with a project manager.

Side‑by‑Side Experiment

Both tools were given the same requirement: implement a Redis server in Go that can be accessed via redis-cli. The comparison used the same MiMo‑V2.5 model.

Planning : Claude Code skips planning; MiMo Code automatically creates a design and plan.

Coding : Claude Code produces code quickly; MiMo Code is slightly slower but yields richer functionality.

Testing : Claude Code provides almost no tests; MiMo Code generates complete, detailed tests.

Overall speed : Paper‑level speed favors Claude Code, but practical speed favors MiMo Code because it eliminates rework.

Code quality : Claude Code’s output is usable but not solid; MiMo Code’s output is industrial‑grade and ready for delivery.

The result demonstrates a “slow write, fast verify” approach can be faster overall by reducing rework.

/dream Command – Automatic Memory Organization

The /dream command runs every seven days. An independent agent reads historical sessions and existing memory files, then automatically merges, deduplicates, validates paths, compresses, and updates a compact global memory snapshot.

Voice Input

MiMo Code includes voice input powered by the MiMo‑V2.5‑ASR recognizer. Users can dictate prompts and issue commands such as “send” or “execute” without using a keyboard.

Installation

Mac/Linux (recommended):

curl -fsSL https://mimo.xiaomi.com/install | bash

Windows: npm install -g @mimo-ai/cli After installation, start the assistant with the mimo command.

Model Configuration Options

Built‑in MiMo‑V2.5 – free limited‑time channel, no registration required.

Support for mainstream models such as DeepSeek, Kimi, and GLM.

Ability to provide third‑party token plans.

Hands‑On Test: SMS Verification Feature

Using Compose mode, the assistant was asked to implement an SMS verification code feature. Observed workflow:

Context exploration – the assistant analyzed the current project structure, technology stack, and existing interfaces.

Project file loading – it automatically opened a previously saved CLAUDE.md, displayed a task list, and proposed a solution.

Coding and verification – after gaining a full understanding, the assistant coded in a step‑by‑step, planned manner rather than a single burst.

Observations:

The UI and command panel are clearer than Claude Code.

Claude Code behaves like a fast but reckless programmer; MiMo Code’s Compose mode behaves like a “think‑first‑then‑act” engineer, taking longer initially but delivering more reliable results.

Operational Modes

Plan – “think first”; analogous to a product manager writing a requirements document.

Compose – design → plan → code → test → review in one pass; analogous to a full‑stack engineer with testing.

Build – direct code generation; analogous to Claude Code’s default mode.

Summary

MiMo Code does not aim to replace Claude Code but provides engineering‑oriented solutions for specific pain points such as context forgetting and lack of planning. Although still in the early V0.1.0 stage, its persistent memory system, Compose mode, and voice input offer a compelling alternative for developers who rely heavily on AI assistance.