Cline vs Roo Code
Cline and Roo Code are both AI coding extensions. Here's how they line up on the things that actually decide it — price, platform, and what they plug into.
| Cline | Roo Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free | Free tier |
| Platform | windows, mac, linux | windows, mac, linux |
| Works with | claude, chatgpt, gemini | claude, chatgpt, gemini, vscode |
| In one line | Open-source VS Code extension that acts as an autonomous AI coding agent — reads files, writes code, runs terminal commands, and uses your own API key. | Open-source VS Code extension forked from Cline that added boomerang task orchestration, custom AI modes, and a model-agnostic BYOK setup — shut down May 15, 2026. |
Which should you pick?
On budget alone, Cline is the lower-cost entry (free), so it's the safer place to start if you're not ready to pay. They both work with claude, chatgpt, gemini, so if that's your setup either one fits. For the full picture, read the reviews below — the verdict is where the real difference shows up.