Roo Code
AI-powered VS Code extension with multiple specialized agents for coding, debugging, and docs.
About
Roo Code was an open source VS Code extension that put a team of AI coding agents inside the editor, handling code generation from natural language, refactoring, debugging, documentation, and codebase questions. It organized work into five modes: Code for everyday editing, Architect for system planning and migrations, Ask for quick explanations, Debug for tracing root causes, and Custom for user-defined workflows, with support for MCP servers and a range of AI model providers. The project was shut down on May 15, 2026 and its GitHub repository, which had accumulated over 24,000 stars, is now archived and read-only. The README directs users to ZooCode, a community fork that continues development, and to Cline, the project Roo Code was originally forked from. The code remains available under the Apache 2.0 license, so existing installs and forks can still build on it, but there is no ongoing official maintenance.
Should you use Roo Code?
Pick it when
Pick it only if you already rely on its Code, Architect, Ask, Debug, and Custom modes and need to keep an existing install running or fork the Apache-2.0 code, accepting that nothing upstream will change.
Look elsewhere when
Skip it for any new setup: the project shut down on May 15, 2026 and the repository is archived, so no fixes or new provider support will arrive. Kilo Code carries similar architect, coder, and debugger modes forward, and Cline is its upstream.
Alternatives to Roo Code
- Kilo Code
Descends from Roo Code and Cline, keeps mode-based work such as architect, coder, and debugger, and is actively developed under MIT with CLI and JetBrains support.
- Cline
The project Roo Code was forked from, still maintained under Apache 2.0 with JetBrains and headless terminal support, so updates keep coming.
- OpenCode
Moves agent work to the terminal with an actively developed, provider-agnostic MIT core, if you are not tied to working inside VS Code.
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Details
- Category
- AI Code Assistants
- Price
- Free
- Platform
- Hybrid
- Difficulty
- Beginner (1/5)
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Added
- May 7, 2026