Honest pros, cons, and verdict on this ai coding assistant tool
✅ Open Apache 2.0 source is preserved — the interesting ideas (modes, per-mode MCP, Boomerang) live on
Starting Price
Free
Free Tier
Yes
Category
AI Coding Assistant
Skill Level
Developer
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.
Roo Code (formerly Roo Cline) was a community fork of the Cline VS Code extension that grew into its own product line before being shut down by Roo Code, Inc. on May 15, 2026. Its distinctive idea was "modes": you could define specialized agents such as Architect, Code, Ask, and Debug, each with its own system prompt, tool permissions, and preferred model. In practice you might route planning work to a reasoning model like Claude Opus or DeepSeek-R1 and delegate mechanical edits to a cheaper Haiku, Gemini Flash, or a self-hosted Qwen — all from the same task. Roo Code kept the Cline lineage of BYOK across ~20 providers, transparent cost tracking, and per-command approval gates.
Roo Code was an early adopter of MCP and had one of the more aggressive MCP integrations available: an in-editor MCP marketplace, custom MCP server templates, and per-mode tool allow-lists so, for example, Debug mode could call Chrome DevTools MCP while Ask mode could not. It also shipped a "Boomerang Task" feature where sub-agents returned structured results to a parent agent, plus experimental support for computer-use tools.
per month
Roo Code delivers on its promises as a ai coding assistant tool. While it has some limitations, the benefits outweigh the drawbacks for most users in its target market.
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.
Yes, Roo Code is good for ai coding assistant work. Users particularly appreciate open apache 2.0 source is preserved — the interesting ideas (modes, per-mode mcp, boomerang) live on. However, keep in mind no longer maintained — do not adopt for new work in mid-2026 or later.
Yes, Roo Code offers a free tier. However, premium features unlock additional functionality for professional users.
Roo Code is best for Historical reference for anyone designing per-mode agent architectures and Existing users evaluating a migration path to ZooCode or Cline. It's particularly useful for ai coding assistant professionals who need custom "modes": architect, code, ask, debug, and custom roles with per-mode system prompts.
There are several ai coding assistant tools available. Compare features, pricing, and user reviews to find the best option for your needs.
Last verified March 2026