Cline vs Roo Code: What to Use in 2026

TL;DR

• Roo Code was discontinued on 15 May 2026. Its GitHub repo (RooCodeInc/Roo-Code) is archived, final release v3.54.0, and the VS Code listing states: "The Roo Code Extension was shut down on May 15th."
• Cline is actively developed — latest release v4.1.26 (26 Oct 2026), repo not archived, ~71,100 GitHub stars.
• Choosing today? Pick Cline. Already on Roo Code? Migrate to Cline, or to a maintained fork (ZooCode) or Kilo Code.
• Both were free, open-source (Apache-2.0), bring-your-own-API-key extensions. You pay only for the model tokens you supply — neither is a subscription.

If you are choosing between Cline and Roo Code today, choose Cline. Roo Code was shut down on 15 May 2026 — its code is archived and its extension is discontinued. Cline is still actively developed, with release v4.1.26 landing on 26 October 2026. Already running Roo Code? Migrate to Cline or a maintained fork.

Here is the part every other comparison misses: as of late October 2026, every page-one result still treats Cline and Roo Code as two live rivals and runs a feature-by-feature bake-off. That framing is out of date. One of the two stopped shipping in May. A vendor selling a competing tool won't tell you that cleanly. We will.

What happened to Roo Code?

Roo Code was discontinued on 15 May 2026. Three primary sources confirm it:

1. GitHub. The RooCodeInc/Roo-Code repository is marked "Public archive." The banner reads: "This repository was archived by the owner on May 15, 2026. It is now read-only." Its final release is v3.54.0 (15 May 2026). It holds about 24,250 stars and is Apache-2.0 licensed.
2. VS Code Marketplace. The listing (publisher RooVeterinaryInc, extension ID roo-cline, ~2.12M installs) carries a disclaimer: "The Roo Code Extension was shut down on May 15th." It points users to ZooCode, a community fork, and to Cline, where Roo Code originated.
3. The website. roocode.com now 302-redirects to roomote.dev. The company behind Roo Code pivoted to a new product, Roomote, billed as "the cloud coding agent you actually own," and described on the page as "by the creators of Roo Code."

So Roo Code the VS Code extension is finished. The team moved on to a different, cloud-based product.

Is Roo Code a fork of Cline?

Yes. Roo Code began as "Roo Cline" — a fork of Cline — which is why its extension ID is still roo-cline and why its own archive page names Cline as where "Roo Code originated." The lineage runs: Cline → Roo Cline / Roo Code (fork) → Roo Code shut down (May 2026). The ecosystem now continues through community forks — the Roo Code listing points users to ZooCode — and through Kilo Code, which grew out of the same Roo/Cline lineage and is actively maintained. Our Kilo Code vs Cline comparison goes deeper on where that project now sits.

Cline vs Roo Code vs Kilo Code: the differences that matter

Beyond status, the two had genuinely different designs, which is why people still compare them:

• Cline centers on a Plan / Act workflow — you review a plan, then let the agent execute, with explicit human approval of file edits and commands.
• Roo Code leaned into multiple modes and custom modes (Code, Architect, Ask, Debug, and user-defined roles), giving each mode its own prompt and permissions.

Both read and edit your files, run terminal commands, and work with the model of your choice. If you want the live equivalents, see Cline vs Continue and Aider vs Claude Code.

Which should you use in 2026?

Use Cline. It is the only one of the original pair still shipping, and it is shipping fast — v4.1.26 arrived on 26 October 2026, and the repo is not archived. It is now described as an "autonomous coding agent as an SDK, IDE extension, or CLI assistant," so it reaches beyond the editor. Cline's own Marketplace page shows ~5.8M installs, more than double Roo Code's frozen total.

Roo Code is a dead end for new work: no updates, no fixes, no security patches. If you want an actively maintained tool from the same Roo/Cline lineage, Kilo Code is the one still being developed.

Is Roo Code still safe to use?

The extension still runs, but it is frozen and unmaintained. Since 15 May 2026 it has received no updates, which means no security patches if a vulnerability surfaces in the extension or its dependencies. For a tool that reads your code and executes shell commands, running unmaintained software is a real risk. Treat continued use as temporary and plan a migration.

What this means for you

• Solo dev / new project: Install Cline. It is free, open-source, actively developed, and uses your own API key — no subscription. Nothing to weigh here.
• Existing Roo Code user: Export your settings and move. The easiest path is Cline (shared heritage, familiar flow). If you depend on Roo's custom modes, evaluate Kilo Code or the ZooCode community fork.
• Team / organization: Standardize on Cline and retire Roo Code from your approved-tools list. An unmaintained extension with file and shell access is a supply-chain and security liability your security team will flag. For the wider field, see our 7 best AI coding assistants in 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened to Roo Code?

Roo Code was shut down on 15 May 2026. Its GitHub repository is archived (final release v3.54.0) and the VS Code Marketplace listing confirms the discontinuation. The company behind it pivoted to a cloud product called Roomote; roocode.com now redirects to roomote.dev. The extension still installs but receives no updates.

Is Roo Code a fork of Cline?

Yes. Roo Code started as "Roo Cline," a fork of Cline — its VS Code extension ID is still roo-cline, and Roo Code's own archived GitHub page names Cline as where it originated. Kilo Code later forked from Roo Code, so all three share the same underlying lineage that began with Cline.

Is Cline or Roo Code better in 2026?

Cline, decisively — because Roo Code is no longer maintained. Roo Code stopped shipping on 15 May 2026, while Cline released v4.1.26 on 26 October 2026 and remains actively developed. Even if you preferred Roo Code's multi-mode design, an unmaintained tool that runs code is not the better choice.

What should I use instead of Roo Code?

Use Cline first — it shares Roo Code's heritage and is the most active. If you want an actively maintained tool from the same lineage, Kilo Code grew out of the Roo/Cline family and still ships. The Roo Code listing also points users toward ZooCode, a community fork of the discontinued extension.

Are Cline and Roo Code free?

Yes, both are free, open-source VS Code extensions under the Apache-2.0 license. Neither is a subscription. You bring your own API key, so your only cost is the model tokens you consume with your chosen provider. That makes the "which is cheaper" question identical for both — it depends on the model you pick, not the extension.

Editor's note — sources: Roo Code GitHub repository (archived 15 May 2026, final release v3.54.0, Apache-2.0); Cline GitHub repository and releases (not archived, latest v4.1.26, 26 Oct 2026, Apache-2.0); VS Code Marketplace listings for Roo Code (RooVeterinaryInc.roo-cline — shutdown disclaimer, ~2.12M installs) and Cline (saoudrizwan.claude-dev — ~5.8M installs); roocode.com 302 redirect to roomote.dev; Kilo Code GitHub repository (Kilo-Org/kilocode, actively maintained, ~27,800 stars). Star and install counts are the values those pages displayed in late October 2026 and will drift over time.