Roo Code vs Amazon Q Developer

Detailed side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right tool

Roo Code

🔴Developer

AI Coding Assistant

Discontinued VS Code coding agent (shut down May 15, 2026). Known for custom "modes," per-mode MCP allow-lists, and Boomerang sub-agent tasks. Migrate to ZooCode or Cline.

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Starting Price

Free
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Amazon Q Developer

🔴Developer

AI Coding Assistant

Amazon Q Developer is AWS's coding assistant for IDE, terminal, code-review, cloud troubleshooting, and application-modernization work.

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Starting Price

Free
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Feature Comparison

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FeatureRoo CodeAmazon Q Developer
CategoryAI Coding AssistantAI Coding Assistant
Pricing Plans2 listed plans3 listed plans
Starting PriceFreeFree
Key Features
  • • Custom "modes": Architect, Code, Ask, Debug, and custom roles with per-mode system prompts
  • • Per-mode MCP server allow-lists (Debug can call DevTools, Ask cannot)
  • • In-editor MCP marketplace and server templates
  • • IDE plugins for JetBrains, VS Code, Visual Studio, and Eclipse plus command-line support
  • • Agentic coding for implementing features, documenting, testing, reviewing, and refactoring code
  • • AWS-aware guidance in console, Microsoft Teams, and Slack for cloud costs, architecture, resources, and networking issues

Roo Code - Pros & Cons

Pros

  • ✓Open Apache 2.0 source is preserved — the interesting ideas (modes, per-mode MCP, Boomerang) live on
  • ✓Historical proof point for per-mode agent design that successor tools are now adopting
  • ✓BYOK meant no vendor lock-in for anyone who used it
  • ✓Aggressive MCP support led the industry in the 2025–2026 window
  • ✓Migration path is clear: ZooCode is a near drop-in replacement

Cons

  • ✗No longer maintained — do not adopt for new work in mid-2026 or later
  • ✗No official support channel beyond billing questions
  • ✗Any bugs, security issues, or breaking VS Code API changes will not be fixed by Roo Code, Inc.
  • ✗Community forks (ZooCode) inherit a large codebase that has to be understood before it can be extended
  • ✗Anyone with an active Enterprise contract needs a migration plan immediately

Amazon Q Developer - Pros & Cons

Pros

  • ✓Combines code changes, security review, AWS troubleshooting, and Java modernization.
  • ✓The $0 Free Tier provides an evaluation path before buying seats.
  • ✓AWS context is useful when application behavior depends on resources, permissions, logs, or configuration.
  • ✓The recorded $19 per-user Pro price is simpler than custom-only enterprise licensing.

Cons

  • ✗Its strongest differentiation is AWS-specific, so non-AWS teams may receive less value.
  • ✗Generated IAM or infrastructure suggestions require careful review because errors create security and availability risk.
  • ✗Large Java transformations can incur line-based charges needing project-level estimation.
  • ✗Native MCP support was not verified, and current prices require manual reconfirmation.

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🔒 Security & Compliance Comparison

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Security FeatureRoo CodeAmazon Q Developer
SOC2—✅ Yes
GDPR—✅ Yes
HIPAA—✅ Yes
SSO—✅ Yes
Self-Hosted—❌ No
On-Prem—❌ No
RBAC—✅ Yes
Audit Log—✅ Yes
Open Source—❌ No
API Key Auth—✅ Yes
Encryption at Rest—✅ Yes
Encryption in Transit—✅ Yes
Data Residency—AWS regions
Data Retention——
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Review Roo CodeReview Amazon Q Developer