Roo Code

Roo Code is a fork of the Cline (formerly Claude Dev) VS Code extension, rebuilt with additional agent modes and broader model support. The core pitch: agentic coding inside the editor you already use, model-agnostic, with your own API keys so you control costs and data. It can read and modify files across your entire project, run shell commands, use MCP tools, and maintain context across multi-step tasks — the same class of capability as Cursor's Agent Mode or Windsurf's Cascade, but as an extension rather than a bundled IDE.

The main modes give different levels of AI autonomy. Code mode handles implementation tasks. Architect mode is for high-level planning and structure. Ask mode is a read-only research and explanation mode that doesn't make changes. Each mode has configurable permissions for what the agent is allowed to do without asking first, which is useful for teams that want agentic speed but with guardrails on destructive operations like file deletion.

Roo Code has gained traction among developers who want Cursor-class agent features without the subscription cost or the vendor lock-in of a bundled editor. Because you bring your own API key, you can point it at any model: Claude, GPT, Gemini, a local Ollama instance, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. The extension is free and open-source; you pay only for the model calls you make.