Roo Code

Open Source

Open-source, model-agnostic AI coding agent for VS Code with role-specific modes (Architect, Code, Debug, Test) and permissioned execution.

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Our take

A powerful, open-source VS Code coding agent that orchestrates multiple role-based modes and works with any model you bring.

Best for

Developers who want a free, customizable, multi-mode agent inside VS Code with full control over models and permissions.

Pros

Open-source with 20k+ GitHub stars
Model-agnostic — OpenAI, Anthropic, or local models
Role-specific modes keep agents focused
Permission-based execution for file and terminal control

Cons

Requires your own model API keys and setup
Output quality depends on the chosen model
Less polished onboarding than commercial IDEs

How it compares

Versus Cline (from which it forked), Roo Code adds multi-mode orchestration and heavier customization; versus Cursor, it is free and BYO-model but less integrated.

Full review

Roo Code is an open-source AI coding agent that runs as a VS Code extension, giving an AI real file-system access, terminal control, and multi-step workflows under a permission model you control.

Its defining feature is role-specific modes — Architect, Code, Debug, and Test — that keep each agent focused, and it is fully model-agnostic so you can use frontier APIs or local models.

Because it is BYO-model and open-source, costs scale with your own API usage, making it attractive for developers who want flexibility and transparency over a managed editor.