Roo Code alternatives after the extension shut down
The Roo Code editor extension was shut down on 15 May. Here are coding agents and AI editors to consider, including what its maintainers suggest.
Roo Code was a popular open-source coding agent for VS Code with modes such as Code, Architect, Ask and Debug. Its official repository now states that the Roo Code extension was shut down on 15 May. The maintainers point former users to ZooCode, a community fork, and to Cline, the project Roo Code originally derived from. The company now offers Roomote, a cloud coding agent.
At a glance
| Tool | Type | Why consider it |
|---|---|---|
| Cline | Coding agent in the IDE and CLI | Roo Code’s origin; edits files, runs commands, plans tasks |
| Roomote | Cloud coding agent from the Roo Code team | Runs your environment, verifies work, opens PRs with previews |
| Cursor | AI-enhanced development environment | Completion, refactoring and agents in a full IDE |
| Zed | Fast open-source editor with an agent panel | Runs external agents such as Claude Agent and Codex |
| Kiro | Spec-driven agentic IDE and CLI | Structured requirements, design and tasks |
| OpenHands | Open platform for coding agents and automations | Self-hosted control centre for many agents |
| JetBrains AI | AI in JetBrains IDEs with the Junie agent | For teams already on IntelliJ, PyCharm and similar |
Staying close to Roo Code
Cline is the most familiar option: Roo Code was derived from it, and it offers a similar agent experience inside the editor, editing files with clear diffs, running shell commands and tracking API costs. ZooCode, the community fork recommended by the maintainers, aims to continue Roo Code itself; check its activity and maintenance before relying on it.
Moving to a cloud agent
Roomote, from the same company, changes the model: instead of an extension, it runs your actual development environment in the cloud or self-hosted, has a second model review the code and returns pull requests with live previews. It suits teams comfortable delegating whole tasks.
Switching editors
Zed lets you bring external agents through the Agent Client Protocol in a fast, open-source editor. Kiro adds spec-driven structure. Cursor and JetBrains AI integrate agents into full IDEs. OpenHands can orchestrate several agents, including Claude Code and Codex, from one self-hosted interface.
Before you switch
- Export any custom modes, prompts and rules you built in Roo Code.
- Decide whether you want an in-editor agent or a cloud agent that returns pull requests.
- Check which model providers and API keys each alternative supports.
- Test the same real task, such as a bug fix with tests, on two candidates.
- For paid Roo Code accounts, contact the company about billing as its repository advises.
Tools to explore
Sources
Official vendor pages consulted for this analysis in October 2026. Plans, limits and features change: check the vendor’s page before you buy.
- Roo Code repository: extension shutdown notice github.com
- Cline: official site cline.bot
- Cline: pricing cline.bot
- Roomote: official site roocode.com
- Cursor: official site cursor.com
- Cursor: pricing cursor.com
- Zed: official site zed.dev
- Zed: pricing zed.dev
- Kiro: official site kiro.dev
- Kiro: pricing kiro.dev
- OpenHands: official site all-hands.dev
- JetBrains AI: product page jetbrains.com
- JetBrains AI: pricing jetbrains.com