---
title: "Roo Code alternatives after the shutdown: 5 VS Code agents (2026)"
canonical_url: https://cookiesforai.app/alternatives/roo-code-alternatives
last_updated: 2026-10-03
type: article
summary: "Roo Code was shut down on 2026-05-15. Cline is the closest replacement, since Roo Code was forked from it; Kilo Code is the best free pick for model choice and Roo-style modes, and OpenCode the best for terminal work."
---

# Roo Code alternatives, and how to move your setup

Updated 2026-10-03. First published 2026-10-01.

The best overall Roo Code alternative is Cline, the open source VS Code agent Roo Code was originally forked from, and one of the two options Roo Code's own shutdown notice names. The best free alternative for model choice is Kilo Code (MIT, 500+ models at provider prices, with the Ask, Architect, Code and Debug mode names Roo Code used), and the best for terminal work is OpenCode. We compared 5 maintained tools on license, free tier, model choice, agent skills and MCP; facts checked on 2026-10-01.

| Name | Best for | Made by | License | Notes | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Cline](https://cookiesforai.app/tools/cline) | The closest replacement, named in Roo Code's shutdown notice | Cline Bot Inc. | Apache-2.0 | Free plan | 2026-10-02 |
| [Kilo Code](https://cookiesforai.app/tools/kilo-code) | Roo-style modes and 500+ models at provider prices | Kilo Code, Inc. (Anaconda) | MIT | Free plan | 2026-10-02 |
| [OpenCode](https://cookiesforai.app/tools/opencode) | A terminal agent with any model, plus a VS Code extension | Anomaly | MIT | Free | 2026-10-02 |
| [GitHub Copilot](https://cookiesforai.app/tools/github-copilot) | Teams on GitHub who want one bundled plan | GitHub | Proprietary | Free plan | 2026-10-01 |
| [OpenAI Codex](https://cookiesforai.app/tools/codex) | ChatGPT subscribers who want a VS Code agent and cloud tasks | OpenAI | Apache-2.0 | Free plan | 2026-10-02 |

## What happened to Roo Code

Roo Code, an Apache-2.0 coding agent for VS Code by Roo Code, Inc., was shut down on 2026-05-15. Its GitHub repository was archived the same day, roocode.com now redirects to roomote.dev, and docs.roocode.com points to an archived copy. The README notice names two places to go: ZooCode, a community fork, and Cline. [ZooCode](https://github.com/Zoo-Code-Org/Zoo-Code) is Apache-2.0, was created on 2026-04-23 and had 1,934 GitHub stars and was last pushed on 2026-10-01; we do not list it as a pick yet because it is young, but it is the option closest to Roo Code itself. Roomote, from the same creators, is a cloud agent and is not described as a replacement. Roo Code's last version, 3.54.0, is still on the VS Code Marketplace. Details: [Roo Code on CookiesForAI](/tools/roo-code).

## Cline: the closest replacement

Cline is an open source coding agent by Cline Bot Inc., for Roo Code users who want the nearest thing to what they had: Roo Code began as a fork of Cline, and Roo Code's shutdown notice names it. Cline runs in VS Code and its forks, JetBrains, a CLI and a desktop app, with your own keys for Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, OpenRouter, Bedrock and others, or local models through Ollama or LM Studio. Its strength is the working loop: Plan mode works out a change without touching files, Act mode carries it out, and checkpoints roll code back while keeping the conversation. Cline had 69,653 GitHub stars on 2026-10-01 under Apache-2.0, and is free for individual developers. Its limit for a Roo Code user is modes: Cline is organised around two, Plan and Act, so Roo Code's Architect, Debug and custom modes need rebuilding, for example as skills. Its MCP config uses the same mcpServers JSON shape as Roo Code; skills go in .cline/skills or .claude/skills. Details: [Cline on CookiesForAI](/tools/cline).

## Kilo Code: best free pick for model choice

Kilo Code is an open source coding agent by Kilo Code, Inc., acquired by Anaconda in 2026, for Roo Code users who relied on modes and wide model choice. Its Ask, Architect, Code and Debug modes, plus custom modes, carry the same names Roo Code used, so the workflow feels familiar. Its strength is models: the Kilo Gateway offers 500+ models from 60+ providers at the provider's price with no markup, and you can also bring your own keys or run Ollama or LM Studio locally. It runs in VS Code and its forks, JetBrains and a CLI, with cloud agents and mobile apps on top, and is MIT licensed with 27,460 GitHub stars on 2026-10-01. Its limit is billing: Teams seats, Kilo Pass credits, a fee on credit purchases and cloud compute are billed separately, so total cost is harder to estimate. Kilo Code reads .agents/skills, one of Roo Code's two skills folders. Details: [Kilo Code on CookiesForAI](/tools/kilo-code).

## OpenCode: best for terminal work

OpenCode is an MIT-licensed coding agent by Anomaly, for Roo Code users who are ready to work from a terminal, while keeping an extension for VS Code, Cursor, Zed and Windsurf. Like Roo Code, it is not tied to one vendor: it connects to 75+ providers through Models.dev, local models included, and accepts a GitHub Copilot or ChatGPT Plus or Pro login. Its two main agents, Build for changes and Plan for read-only planning, cover the same ground as Roo Code's Code and Architect modes. Its strength is scale and pace: 211,260 GitHub stars on 2026-10-01 and a push the same day. Its limit is that OpenCode is mid-move to v2, and the classic and v2 docs describe different MCP config shapes, so check your version before copying a config. OpenCode reads .agents/skills, so skills Roo Code read from that folder load without moving. The tool is free; you pay your model provider, or for the optional Go subscription. Details: [OpenCode on CookiesForAI](/tools/opencode).

## GitHub Copilot: one bundled plan

GitHub Copilot is an AI coding assistant by GitHub, for Roo Code users, often in teams, who would rather pay one subscription than manage model keys. It differs from Roo Code in being proprietary and bundling the models: Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, xAI and others come with the plan, though bring-your-own-key also works in VS Code. Agent mode runs inside VS Code, and a cloud agent takes an issue, works on a branch and opens a pull request. Its strength is a free entry and wide reach: Copilot Free has limited chat and agent use, and the paid plans add the cloud agent and code review, read on 2026-10-01. Its limit is metering: paid plans count agent work in GitHub AI Credits and bill each credit beyond the included amount, so heavy agent use raises the bill. Copilot reads skills from .agents/skills and MCP servers from .vscode/mcp.json under a servers key, a different shape from Roo Code's. Details: [GitHub Copilot on CookiesForAI](/tools/github-copilot).

## OpenAI Codex: VS Code agent plus cloud tasks

OpenAI Codex is a coding agent by OpenAI that ships a VS Code extension, an open source CLI and a cloud agent, for Roo Code users who already pay for ChatGPT. It differs from Roo Code in centring on OpenAI's models rather than any provider, though the CLI can also run a local open source model through Ollama or LM Studio with --oss. Its strength is the cloud half: from ChatGPT on the web, the desktop app or mobile, Codex runs tasks in isolated environments and opens pull requests, on the same account as the extension. Its limit is cost and model choice: OpenAI's pricing page, read on 2026-10-01, lists the IDE extension from the paid Plus plan up, with usage capped per five-hour window and per week, and developers who want many vendors are better served by Cline or Kilo Code. The CLI had 127,502 GitHub stars on 2026-10-01. Codex reads .agents/skills; MCP servers go in ~/.codex/config.toml. Details: [OpenAI Codex on CookiesForAI](/tools/codex).

## Moving your Roo Code setup

| Tool | Project skills folders | MCP config |
|---|---|---|
| Roo Code (archived) | .roo/skills, .agents/skills | .roo/mcp.json, mcpServers key |
| Cline | .cline/skills, .clinerules/skills, .claude/skills | JSON with mcpServers key, from the MCP Servers panel |
| Kilo Code | .kilo/skills, .agents/skills | kilo.jsonc, mcp key, type local or remote |
| OpenCode | .opencode/skills, .claude/skills, .agents/skills | opencode.json, mcp key |
| GitHub Copilot | .github/skills, .claude/skills, .agents/skills | .vscode/mcp.json, servers key |
| OpenAI Codex | .agents/skills | .codex/config.toml, [mcp_servers.name] tables |

Skills kept in .agents/skills carry over to four of the five tools without moving; for Cline, copy each skill folder to .cline/skills. Plan to recreate Roo Code custom modes by hand, as Kilo Code custom modes or as skills; we did not test any import. For more folders, see [where every agent looks for skills](/guides/where-agents-look-for-skills).

## How we chose

We listed agents that do what Roo Code did, read and edit code and run commands from inside VS Code, and that were maintained on 2026-10-01. We read each maker's pricing page and docs on 2026-10-01, the GitHub repositories of the open source tools that day, and Roo Code's archived README and the ZooCode repository. The criteria were license, free tier, model choice, editors covered, agent skills and MCP. We did not test agent results or migrate a real Roo Code project. Continue, another open source VS Code extension, is not listed: Cursor acquired its maker and the repository is read-only and no longer maintained; see [Continue on CookiesForAI](/tools/continue).

## How to choose

- If you want the nearest thing to Roo Code with no new habits, choose Cline, or try ZooCode if you want the fork itself.
- If you used Roo Code's Architect, Code, Ask and Debug modes daily, choose Kilo Code.
- If you are comfortable in a terminal and want any model, choose OpenCode.
- If your team wants one invoice and code on GitHub, choose GitHub Copilot.
- If you already pay for ChatGPT, choose Codex.

## Questions people ask

### Is Roo Code still working?

Roo Code's extension was shut down on 2026-05-15 and its GitHub repository is archived, so it gets no fixes or support. Version 3.54.0 is still listed on the VS Code Marketplace and Open VSX, last updated 2026-05-15; we did not confirm whether it still works with current models.

### What does Roo Code recommend instead?

The archived README, read on 2026-10-01, names two options: ZooCode, a fork started by the Roo Code community, and Cline, the extension Roo Code was originally forked from. Former paying customers are pointed to billing@roocode.com.

### Can I keep my Roo Code skills and MCP servers?

Skills, yes: a skill is a folder with a SKILL.md, so it can be copied as is. Roo Code read .roo/skills and .agents/skills; Kilo Code, OpenCode, GitHub Copilot and Codex all read .agents/skills, and Cline reads .cline/skills or .claude/skills. MCP servers need re-entering in each tool's own config; Cline uses the same mcpServers JSON shape Roo Code used.


## Sources

- [Roo Code repository and shutdown notice (archived)](https://github.com/RooCodeInc/Roo-Code)
- [ZooCode repository, github.com/Zoo-Code-Org/Zoo-Code](https://github.com/Zoo-Code-Org/Zoo-Code)
- [Cline pricing](https://cline.bot/pricing)
- [Kilo Code pricing](https://kilo.ai/pricing)
- [OpenCode Go and Zen pricing](https://opencode.ai/go)
- [GitHub Copilot plans](https://github.com/features/copilot/plans)
- [Codex pricing](https://learn.chatgpt.com/docs/pricing)