Roo Code
Roo Code is a VS Code extension and harness framework forked from Cline, with enhanced autonomous coding capabilities and additional agent modes. Roo is open source (Roo / community-maintained), free to use, and operates with the same bring-your-own-key model as Cline. Best paired with frontier Claude or DeepSeek models for autonomous workflows.
Overview
VS Code extension and harness framework forked from Cline with enhanced autonomous coding capabilities and additional agent modes.
Compare Roo Code side-by-side with other CLI, IDE, cloud, and framework agents on pricing, model coverage, and release cadence.
Best LLMs for this agent
Most Roo Code users run Claude Sonnet 4.6 for autonomous coding because it is the default high-accuracy Claude pairing for this Cline-family workflow.
Claude Opus 4.6 is the stronger Claude option for longer autonomous edits and difficult reasoning-heavy tasks.
DeepSeek V4 Pro is the strong open-weights alternative when cost matters but Roo still needs capable autonomous coding behavior.
Pricing and Provider Comparison
Hosted agents expose plan pricing. Bring-your-own-key agents pass the main cost through the model provider route you configure.
Provider routes for recommended models
| Model | Provider | Input / 1M | Output / 1M | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Anthropic | $3.00 | $15.00 | Batch pricing listed; Cache reads listed |
| Claude Opus 4.6 | Anthropic | $5.00 | $25.00 | Batch pricing listed; Cache reads listed |
| DeepSeek V4 Pro | DeepSeek Platform | $0.435 | $0.87 | Cache reads listed |
Featured Model Specs
| Model | Lab | Released | Context | Reasoning | Openness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeepSeek V4 Pro | DeepSeek | 2026-04-24 | 1m | Yes | Open source |
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Anthropic | 2026-02-17 | 1m | Yes | Proprietary |
| Claude Opus 4.6 | Anthropic | 2026-02-05 | 1m | Yes | Proprietary |
Model Compatibility Matrix
| Model | Lab | Default | Access tier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Anthropic | Yes | BYOK | Common default for autonomous coding |
| DeepSeek V4 Pro | DeepSeek | No | BYOK | Open-weights alternative for cost-sensitive workflows |
| Claude Opus 4.6 | Anthropic | No | BYOK | Used for harder autonomous tasks |
Underlying Models
Compare to Similar Harnesses
FAQ
Which LLM does Roo Code use?
Roo Code is bring-your-own-key - it inherits Cline's model-agnostic design. Most users run Claude Sonnet 4.6 or Claude Opus 4.6 for autonomous coding, with DeepSeek V4 Pro as the strong open-weights alternative on cost.
How is Roo Code different from Cline?
Roo Code is a fork of Cline with additional agent modes, refinements to autonomous task execution, and active community-driven feature work that diverges from upstream Cline.
Is Roo Code open source?
Yes. Roo Code is open source and free to install. You pay only for the LLM API tokens it consumes.
Where does Roo Code run?
Roo Code runs as a VS Code extension. There is no CLI or web version.
Does Roo Code support MCP?
Roo Code inherits Cline's tooling architecture; MCP support has tracked Cline's roadmap on this. Check the Roo Code repo for the current state.