OpenCode 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 | OpenCode | Roo Code |
|---|---|---|
| Deploy effort | ≈5-minute setup | Read-the-docs project |
| Health score | 100 · Excellent | 15 · At risk |
| Status | Actively maintained | Archived |
| Category | Self-Hosted AI | Self-Hosted AI |
| License | free | Apache-2.0 |
| Language | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Setup difficulty | Easy | Easy |
| Min. RAM | 512 MB | 512 MB |
| Deployment | docker, one-click | source |
| GitHub stars | ★ 209,476 | ★ 24,299 |
| First released | 2022 | 2024 |
| Replaces | Claude Code, Cursor | GitHub Copilot, Cursor |
What are OpenCode and Roo Code?
OpenCode
OpenCode is an open source AI coding agent designed to enhance your development workflow across terminal, IDE, and desktop environments. Use it to chat about code, generate changes, and execute sophisticated multi-session workflows across your projects. Key features include support for multiple AI model providers (including Claude, GPT-4, and local models), intelligent context-aware code suggestions via LSP integration, and the ability to perform complex refactoring tasks. OpenCode can help you write new features, debug issues, refactor code, and explain complex codebases in natural language. .
- Terminal-first coding agent
- Provider-agnostic model support
- LSP-aware code context
- Multi-session parallel agents
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
OpenCode vs Roo Code: key differences
The biggest difference is maintenance: Roo Code's repository is archived and no longer developed, while OpenCode is actively maintained. Both projects are written in TypeScript. Licensing differs — free for OpenCode versus Apache-2.0 for Roo Code. OpenCode is the more established project (first released 2022), while Roo Code arrived in 2024. OpenCode has the considerably larger community, at 209,476 GitHub stars versus 24,299. OpenCode lists first-class Docker deployment; Roo Code does not.
Why pick each one
Choose OpenCode if…
- Works with many providers
- LSP-aware code context
- Terminal and IDE support
Watch out for
- API costs add up
- Fast-moving young project
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 OpenCode or Roo Code better?
Neither is universally better. OpenCode has the larger community; both share a easy setup difficulty, so the decision comes down to features and licensing.
Are OpenCode and Roo Code free and open-source?
Yes. OpenCode is licensed under free and Roo Code under Apache-2.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.
Can I run OpenCode and Roo Code with Docker?
OpenCode: yes. Roo Code: check the project docs for container support.