roo code - open-source multi-model ai coding agent
About Roo Code
Open-source VS Code extension that gives you a full AI dev team in your editor. Supports any model (Claude, GPT, Gemini, local LLMs), custom modes for specialized tasks, and agentic multi-file editing with permission-based control.
Key Capabilities
Fully open-source (Apache 2.0) with 22k+ GitHub stars
Model-agnostic: use any LLM provider or local models
Custom Modes for specialized AI personas (security reviewer, test engineer, etc.)
Agentic multi-file editing with permission-based control
SOC 2 Type 2 compliant with no code used for training
Roo Cloud for team collaboration and remote task management
Standout Features
Custom Modes
Define specialized AI personas, security reviewer, test engineer, docs writer, each with tailored instructions and tool permissions.
Any Model, Any Provider
Bring your own API keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Mistral, or run fully local models via Ollama.
Multi-File Agentic Editing
Reads, refactors, and updates multiple files at once with full codebase context awareness.
Permission-Based Control
Nothing runs without your approval unless you explicitly enable auto-approval rules.
Roo Cloud & Roomote
Sync sessions across devices, share tasks with teammates, and manage agents remotely.
Perfect for
Compare Roo Code
Community Buzz
Remember GitHub Copilot? aider? Cline? Roo Code? They were all popular at one point, but slowly died out as new AI coding products with better UX took over. Cursor and Windsurf will probably follow the same path.
AI engineers meetup in NYC. Among 79 attendees, favorite coding agents: Claude Code (54.4%), Codex (11.4%), Cursor (8.9%), Antigravity (3.8%), Other: Gemini CLI, Amp, Roo Code (19%)
Time for a love letter from legal? (quoting Claude Code's Remote Control announcement)
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