What is the difference between Cline and Roo Code?
Cline and Roo Code are open source AI coding agents for VS Code that share a code history, and the biggest difference in 2026 is that only Cline is still maintained. Roo Code started as a fork of Cline called Roo Cline, built its own identity around custom modes, and was shut down on May 15, 2026. Cline keeps shipping (v4.1.26 came out on October 26, 2026) and now runs in more places than VS Code.
If you are choosing today, Cline is the live option, and Zoo Code, a community fork of Roo Code, is the way to keep Roo's modes. The rest of this page compares how the two designs differ, which helps if you are moving a Roo Code setup.
How are Cline and Roo Code related?
Roo Code's own records tell the story. The Roo Code changelog shows early releases such as "Roo Cline now can run side-by-side with Cline" and "Incorporate MCP changes from Cline 2.2.0." Version 3.2.0 announced the "Name Change From Roo Cline to Roo Code," saying the team had grown "beyond 50,000 installations" and wanted to "chart our own course." The same release added custom modes.
After that the projects grew apart, with later Roo releases still crediting some ideas with "thanks Cline!" When Roo shut down, its README pointed users to Zoo Code and to Cline, "from where Roo Code originated." Its sunset notice adds that Cline has "incorporated much of what we built."
How do Cline and Roo Code compare side by side?
| Cline | Roo Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Status | Active; v4.1.26 on October 26, 2026 | Shut down May 15, 2026; repo archived; last release v3.54.0 |
| License | Apache 2.0 | Apache 2.0 |
| Where it runs | VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium, Antigravity, JetBrains, a CLI and a desktop app | VS Code and compatible editors |
| Modes | Plan and Act | Code, Ask, Architect, Debug, Orchestrator, plus custom modes |
| Per-mode models | Optional: a different model for Plan and for Act | Each mode remembered its last model |
| Project rules | .clinerules/ or .cline/rules/, with paths frontmatter |
.roo/rules/ and .roo/rules-{mode}/, or .roorules |
| Rules from other tools | AGENTS.md, .cursorrules, .windsurfrules |
AGENTS.md, legacy .clinerules |
| Skills folders | .cline/skills/, .clinerules/skills/, .claude/skills/, ~/.cline/skills/ |
.roo/skills/, .agents/skills/, global equivalents |
| MCP config | cline_mcp_settings.json |
Global mcp_settings.json and project .roo/mcp.json |
| Models | Bring your own key, local models, or the Cline provider | Bring your own key or local models; Roo Code Router closed |
| Paid extras | Cline provider credits, optional ClinePass | Roo Code Cloud and Router, both closed |
How do Cline's Plan and Act modes compare with Roo Code's modes?
Cline keeps it to two modes. The Plan and Act docs say "Plan mode is where you and Cline figure out what you're building and how." In Plan mode Cline can read files, search and discuss, but cannot change files or run commands. In Act mode it "can now modify files, run commands, and execute your strategy," keeping the conversation from planning. Turn on "Use different models for Plan and Act" to pair a stronger planning model with a cheaper one for implementation.
Roo Code made modes the center of the product. It shipped five: Code, Ask (read only), Architect (edits markdown only), Debug and Orchestrator, which split work into subtasks and handed them to other modes with new_task. You could define your own in a .roomodes file, with a roleDefinition, whenToUse hints for the Orchestrator, tool groups, and a fileRegex to restrict which files a mode could edit. A "docs writer" mode that can only touch .md files was a typical example.
The practical difference: Cline gives you a simple think-then-do switch, while Roo let you build a team of narrow personas. If you depended on custom modes, Zoo Code is the closest match. In Cline, the nearest substitutes are rules with paths frontmatter and skills.
How do rules and AGENTS.md compare?
Cline's rules docs say "Workspace rules go in .clinerules/ or .cline/rules/ at your project root." Global rules live in ~/Documents/Cline/Rules (Cline also checks ~/.cline/rules), and workspace rules win on conflicts. A rule can carry YAML frontmatter with a paths: list of globs so it only applies when matching files are in play. Cline also picks up .cursorrules, .windsurfrules and AGENTS.md, and every detected rule can be toggled in the Rules panel.
Roo Code read every file in .roo/rules/, falling back to a single .roorules file, plus mode-specific folders such as .roo/rules-code/. Global rules sat in ~/.roo/rules/. It also loaded AGENTS.md from the workspace root by default and, as a last resort, a legacy .clinerules file.
Both read AGENTS.md, so a shared AGENTS.md is the simplest bridge when you switch.
How do MCP and skills compare?
MCP. Cline's MCP docs put servers in cline_mcp_settings.json under mcpServers, at ~/.cline/data/settings/ for the CLI or through Configure MCP Servers in the extension. Each server takes command, args and env for stdio, or url and headers for remote servers with "type": "streamableHttp", plus disabled and autoApprove. Roo Code used a global mcp_settings.json and a committable project .roo/mcp.json, with alwaysAllow, disabled and disabledTools per server. The shape is close, so entries copy over with small key changes.
Skills. Both support SKILL.md folders from the Agent Skills standard. Cline's skills docs recommend .cline/skills/ and also list .clinerules/skills/ and .claude/skills/, with global skills in ~/.cline/skills/. The name must match the folder and the description can be up to 1,024 characters. You can trigger a skill with /skill-name. Roo Code read .roo/skills/ and .agents/skills/ and allowed mode-specific skill folders.
How do Cline and Roo Code pricing compare?
Both extensions are open source and bring-your-own-key at heart: you pay a model provider, or run a local model.
- Cline lists its Open Source plan as free "For individual developers," paying only for inference with your own keys or the Cline provider, per cline.bot/pricing. ClinePass is "$9.99/month" as of October 2026 and gives "2-5x the usage on popular open coding models compared to standard API rate." The docs say "It's completely optional." Enterprise is custom priced.
- Roo Code was free and open source, with paid features in Roo Code Cloud and a key-free Roo Code Router. Both closed on May 15, 2026, with unused balances refunded. An installed copy now works only with your own provider.
Which should you use?
Pick Cline when:
- You want an actively maintained agent with regular model and security updates.
- You like a simple Plan then Act flow, with a different model for each.
- You want the same agent in VS Code, JetBrains, the terminal and a desktop app.
Pick a Roo Code successor (Zoo Code) when:
- Your team built workflows on custom modes, per-mode rules and the Orchestrator.
- You want Roo's interface with continued development. Zoo Code's migration guide imports settings exported from Roo Code.
Keeping the old Roo Code extension is only reasonable as a short bridge, since it gets no fixes. The Roo Code guide covers migration steps in more detail.
How do you keep your rules and skills portable?
Switching agents is easier when your instructions live in plain files: AGENTS.md for rules and .agents/skills/ or the tool's skills folder for skills. Kipt keeps prompts and skills as Markdown in a private GitHub repo you own, so they are not tied to one extension. If a prompt keeps proving useful, the free SKILL.md generator turns it into a skill folder in your browser.