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Roo Code

Discontinued

Discontinued VS Code AI coding agent that forked Cline

discontinued May 2026open sourceverified Jun 10, 2026

Roo Code was an open-source VS Code AI coding agent and Cline fork known for custom modes, BYO-model workflows, terminal execution, and MCP extensions. The original extension was shut down on May 15, 2026; the repository is archived and roocode.com now redirects to Roomote. Treat it as a historical reference, not a new-adoption recommendation.

Read our Roo Code review

A detailed review by the aicoolies team — click to read

Roo Code was an open-source AI coding agent for VS Code that forked from Cline and built a large community around mode-based agent workflows. It offered Code, Architect, Debug, Ask, and custom modes, plus terminal execution, multi-file editing, model/provider choice, and MCP extensibility for developers who wanted more control than a hosted IDE assistant usually provides.

The original product is no longer an active recommendation. The RooCodeInc/Roo-Code repository is archived, the final Visual Studio Marketplace release was v3.54.0 on May 15, 2026, and the project README states that the Roo Code extension was shut down on May 15th. The former product domain now redirects to Roomote, the team’s newer cloud-agent product, rather than a live Roo Code product page.

For historical research, Roo Code remains important because it pushed IDE agent workflows, custom modes, and Cline-fork experimentation forward. For new adoption, teams should evaluate active successors instead: Cline for a supported IDE-centric agent, ZooCode if they specifically want the community fork path, or Roomote if they want the original team’s cloud/Slack-based async engineering agent.

Pricing

Was: Free open-source extension; optional paid Roo Code services shut down May 15, 2026

Platforms

Was: VS Code extension; original project archived

Why it died

discontinued May 15, 2026

Roo Code extension was shut down on May 15, 2026. The official RooCodeInc/Roo-Code GitHub repository is archived, the final VS Marketplace release is v3.54.0 from May 15, 2026, and roocode.com now redirects to Roomote. The original team pivoted to Roomote; new IDE-extension users should evaluate Cline or the community ZooCode fork instead.

use instead: Cline, Kilo Code

Categories

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Use Cases

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Comparisons

Claude Code vs Roo Code — Terminal Agent Depth vs Editor-Native Control

Claude Code and Roo Code used to represent two different agent-control surfaces: terminal-centered delegation versus VS Code extension supervision. The current decision is clearer. Claude Code is an active Anthropic coding agent, while the original Roo Code extension was shut down on May 15, 2026 and its repository is archived. Roo Code now belongs in historical/migration context, not new-tool selection.

Claude CodeRoo Code

Cursor vs Roo Code — Polished AI IDE vs Extensible VS Code Agent

Cursor and Roo Code both shaped editor-based AI coding, but they are no longer equivalent live options. Cursor is an active AI-native IDE with a managed product surface. Roo Code was an open VS Code agent and Cline fork, but the original extension was shut down on May 15, 2026 and the GitHub repository is archived. This comparison is now Cursor versus a discontinued historical agent.

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Roomote vs Roo Code — RooCodeInc's Cloud Pivot vs the IDE Extension That Built the Brand

Roomote and Roo Code share a parent — RooCodeInc — but they are not the same product. Roo Code was the 23k-star VS Code extension that helped define multi-mode IDE agents; the original extension shut down on May 15, 2026, the repository is archived, and roocode.com now redirects to Roomote. Roomote is the team’s active cloud-first successor bet, not a direct Roo Code rename.

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Cline vs Roo Code — Active Upstream vs Discontinued Fork

Cline and Roo Code used to be a live fork-versus-upstream decision for VS Code agent users. That changed after Roo Code shut down on May 15, 2026: the Roo repository is archived, the final release is v3.54.0, and roocode.com now redirects to Roomote. For new IDE-agent adoption, Cline is the active path; Roo Code is now historical context or a migration case.

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FAQ

What is Roo Code?

Roo Code was an open-source VS Code AI coding agent and Cline fork known for custom modes, BYO-model workflows, terminal execution, and MCP extensions. The original extension was shut down on May 15, 2026; the repository is archived and roocode.com now redirects to Roomote. Treat it as a historical reference, not a new-adoption recommendation.

Is Roo Code free?

Yes — Roo Code is open source and free to use. Was: Free open-source extension; optional paid Roo Code services shut down May 15, 2026

Is Roo Code open source?

Yes — Roo Code is open source.

Is Roo Code still available?

No — Roo Code was discontinued on May 15, 2026. Roo Code extension was shut down on May 15, 2026. The official RooCodeInc/Roo-Code GitHub repository is archived, the final VS Marketplace release is v3.54.0 from May 15, 2026, and roocode.com now redirects to Roomote. The original team pivoted to Roomote; new IDE-extension users should evaluate Cline or the community ZooCode fork instead. Consider Cline, Kilo Code instead.

What are the best Roo Code alternatives?

The top editor-verified Roo Code alternatives are Cline, Kilo Code.

How does Roo Code score in our review?

Our hands-on review scores Roo Code 40/100 overall, based on speed, privacy, and developer-experience testing.