Cline vs Roo Code
A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted self-hosted ai options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.
| Feature | Cline | Roo Code |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | Read-the-docs project | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Self-Hosted AI | Self-Hosted AI |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | source, binary | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 69,094 | ★ 24,299 |
| First released | 2024 | 2024 |
| Replaces | GitHub Copilot, Cursor | GitHub Copilot, Cursor |
What are Cline and Roo Code?
Cline
Cline is an open-source AI coding agent that runs inside VS Code and can read, edit, and execute code with your approval. It can be pointed at self-hosted or local model endpoints so no code leaves your infrastructure.
- Agentic edits with approval
- Works with local LLM endpoints
- Terminal command execution
- Model Context Protocol support
Roo Code
Roo Code is an open-source autonomous coding agent for VS Code that supports multiple custom modes and personas. It connects to any OpenAI-compatible endpoint, including locally hosted models, for fully private AI-assisted development.
- Multiple customizable agent modes
- Any OpenAI-compatible provider
- Diff-based code editing
- MCP tool integration
Cline vs Roo Code: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Roo Code's repository is archived and no longer developed, while Cline is actively maintained. Both projects are written in TypeScript. Cline has the considerably larger community, at 69,094 GitHub stars versus 24,299.
Why pick each one
Choose Cline if…
- Human-approved edits
- Works with local models
- Free and open source
Watch out for
- VS Code only
- API costs add up
Choose Roo Code if…
- Custom modes and personas
- Works with local models
- Deep VS Code integration
Watch out for
- Upstream development stopped
- Token costs add up
Frequently asked questions
Is Cline or Roo Code better?
Neither is universally better. Cline has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are Cline and Roo Code free and open-source?
Yes. Cline is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Roo Code under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run Cline and Roo Code with Docker?
Cline: check the project docs for container support. Roo Code: check the project docs for container support.