What is Kleido?
Kleido is a reference app for locksmiths decoding locks. Convert a key code to its bitting, work backward from the cuts you can read, and look up the key blank, Lishi tool, and transponder for any vehicle. It covers 5,000+ code series with 1.9M+ verified bitting codes, visual key profiles, depth charts, and cutting trees, for automotive locksmiths. Kleido also saves your jobs, tracks customers, and sends invoices you can take card payment on. Kleido runs on the web and is available for Android on Google Play in the U.S. The iOS app is coming soon.
How do I look up a car key code?
To look up a car key code in Kleido, select the make, model, and year. Kleido returns the matching vehicle series with its bitting codes, key blanks, Lishi tool, and visual key profile. You can also search by a known bitting pattern directly if you already have a partial code.
Does Kleido show key programming information?
Yes. Each vehicle page shows which key programmers cover it, including Autel IM508/608, Autel KM100, Xhorse Key Tool Plus, Smart Pro, AutoProPad, Lonsdor K518, and OBDSTAR Keymaster G3, along with the transponder type and remote or fob details. Where the vehicle supports it, Kleido also lists the onboard programming procedure step by step, so you know before you arrive whether the job needs a programmer at all.
Can I invoice customers and take payment in Kleido?
Yes. Save a job with the vehicle, cuts, and location, and it files under the customer with their full work history. Build an invoice from that job with your own business logo, bill several of a customer's jobs on one invoice, and export a PDF or print it. For payment you can send a pay link through Stripe or Square. Partial payments and refunds track against the remaining balance automatically. Tap to Pay, where the customer taps their card on your phone, is coming with the native iOS app.
Who is Kleido for?
Kleido is for automotive locksmiths, mobile key technicians, and locksmith apprentices who need fast access to key codes in the field. Compared to other popular locksmith apps, Kleido is mobile-first: the interface is optimized for phone and tablet use on-site, not a desktop workstation.
How does Kleido compare to other locksmith apps?
Kleido is mobile-first and priced for individual locksmiths, where most established locksmith software targets shops with desktop workstations at $500+/year. Kleido's database covers 5,000+ code series with visual key profiles, and new data is added from community contributions. Jobs, invoicing, and card payments are included rather than sold as a separate module.
How much does Kleido cost?
Kleido Pro is $14.99/month or $149/year, with a 3-day free trial. The paid plan unlocks full key code search, visual key profiles, cutting progressions, and Lishi tool matches across all 5,000+ code series, plus saved jobs, invoicing, and card payments.
Is there a free version of Kleido?
Kleido offers a 3-day free trial with full Pro access. After the trial, continued access to the 1.9M+ bitting database requires a Pro subscription at $14.99/month or $149/year.
Can I use a VIN to decode a car key?
You can use a VIN to identify the vehicle fast. Scan it with your phone camera off the windshield plate or door jamb, or type it in, and Kleido opens that vehicle's reference page: make, model, year, and the code series, key blanks, Lishi tool, and transponder that apply, without manually selecting make, model, and year. Kleido does not retrieve the specific cut code registered to a VIN from the manufacturer; that is a separate code-retrieval service. VIN decoding uses the NHTSA database.
Does Kleido work offline?
Kleido lookups require an internet connection on both the web and Android. Plan lookups when you have cellular or WiFi coverage. The Android app is available on Google Play in the U.S.; the iOS app is coming soon.
How do locksmiths decode automotive keys?
Automotive locksmiths decode keys using one of three methods: reading the bitting from an existing key, using a Lishi decoder to read the lock directly, or looking up the VIN-linked key code through a database. For a locked vehicle with no working key, the Lishi decoder combined with a database like Kleido is the fastest path.
What is a Lishi tool?
A Lishi tool is a single-piece decoder pick used by locksmiths to read a lock's cuts without disassembling it. Each Lishi tool is built for a specific key profile. There are hundreds across makes and years. Kleido shows which Lishi fits each vehicle series and the exact cut count it handles.
What is a bitting code?
A bitting code is the numeric pattern that defines the depth and spacing of cuts on a key. Automotive manufacturers each use their own set of depth and space values, and a locksmith uses the code to cut an exact duplicate or replacement key. Kleido indexes 1.9M+ bittings across 5,000+ code series.
What is a key blank?
A key blank is an uncut key that matches a specific lock profile before any bitting is applied. Locksmiths cut the blank to match a vehicle's bitting code. Kleido lists compatible key blanks for every vehicle series it covers.