Roo Code
4.8Free335
Editorial matchup · June 2026
Roo Code vs Windsurf: Which AI Tool Is Better in 2026?
Side-by-side comparison of Roo Code and Windsurf — pricing, features, and use cases. Reviewed by our editorial team in Jun 2026.
Use-case score 3–0Updated Jun 2026
Developer Tools
Windsurf
4.7Freemium336
As of May 15, 2026, Roo Code has been officially discontinued by its original team, who archived the extension and cloud infrastructure to focus on their new Roomote project. The community has since launched Zoo Code as a successor, but Roo Code itself is no longer actively maintained.
This fundamentally changes the comparison landscape. Windsurf, by contrast, has become more entrenched since its December 2025 acquisition by Cognition AI, shipping proprietary models (SWE-1.5) and integrating with Devin, the autonomous coding agent.
For developers evaluating tools today in June 2026, the choice is not really between Roo Code and Windsurf—it is between Windsurf (a funded, commercially backed IDE) and the community-maintained forks that picked up after Roo's shutdown (Zoo Code, Kilo Code, Cline).
Windsurf ranks number 1 in LogRocket's February 2026 AI Dev Tool Power Rankings and commands enterprise adoption with over 350 enterprise customers and 1 million active users.
Its Cascade agent can execute multi-file edits, terminal commands, and test runs with context-aware suggestions powered by SWE-1.5, a proprietary model optimized specifically for software engineering tasks. Windsurf's Tab autocomplete provides multi-line suggestions and even predictive navigation with Tab to Jump.
For teams that need a commercial IDE with enterprise security, SSO, RBAC, SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, and continuity of support, Windsurf offers no direct open-source equivalent now that Roo Code has ceased operations.
Zoo Code and Kilo Code inherit much of what made Roo Code powerful—custom modes, diff-based editing, BYOK flexibility, and MCP support—but they lack the commercial backing and proprietary model optimization that Windsurf provides.
The trade-off is clear: pay for a funded, commercial agentic IDE (Windsurf), or adopt a community-maintained extension (Zoo Code or Cline) and manage your own model provider relationships and API costs. Neither path is objectively better; they serve different organizational risk tolerances and budget models.
Commercial, enterprise-ready agentic IDE
Windsurf
Windsurf is the only option here now that Roo Code is archived. It offers SSO, RBAC, SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, FedRAMP/HIPAA paths, and a revenue base of 82 million ARR as of December 2025, with 350+ enterprise customers.
Cost-free local coding agent
Roo Code
Though Roo Code itself is discontinued, Zoo Code (its community fork launched May 16, 2026) is completely free and open-source under Apache 2.0. Windsurf's free tier provides only 25 monthly credits.
Custom AI workflows without switching IDEs
Tie
Zoo Code offers custom modes and Boomerang Tasks for multi-agent orchestration within VS Code. Windsurf offers Cascade and the new Agent Command Center, but requires switching to the Windsurf IDE itself rather than extending VS Code.
Section 01
Best for what
4 use cases scored. Roo Code wins 3, Windsurf wins 0.
- Roo CodePricing value
Roo Code starts at $0 vs $15 on the other.
- EvenFree tier
Both tools offer a free tier you can use indefinitely.
- Roo CodeUser ratings
Roo Code averages 4.8 / 5 vs 4.7 / 5 on the other side.
- Roo CodeReview volume
Roo Code has 157 ratings vs 98 on the other.
Section 02
Pros & cons
Where each tool earns its rating — and where it falls short.
Roo Code
Developer ToolsPros
- Open-source and community-maintained: Zoo Code (Roo Code's successor, launched May 16, 2026) is built on the original Roo codebase, maintaining custom modes, diff-based editing, and settings compatibility. Existing Roo configurations import directly with no loss of functionality.
- Zero subscription cost: Zoo Code is completely free. You pay only for your underlying LLM API usage if using external providers, or nothing if using free models like Grok Code Fast.
- Multi-agent orchestration without platform lock-in: Boomerang Tasks allow parent agents to spawn isolated sub-agents and aggregate results, matching Windsurf's parallel session model but without requiring a subscription.
- Bring-your-own-key model flexibility: Full support for Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, DeepSeek, local models via Ollama, and OpenRouter. No vendor lock-in to a single model or provider.
- Familiar VS Code environment: Roo Code was an extension, not a full IDE fork, preserving all existing VS Code keybindings, extensions, and themes rather than forcing a platform switch.
Cons
- Original Roo Code product discontinued: The official team archived the extension, Roo Code Cloud, and Roo Code Router on May 15, 2026. The original team no longer maintains the project and has moved to Roomote, a Slack-first cloud agent.
- Community fork lacks commercial backing: Zoo Code has no funded company, no SLA, and no guaranteed long-term support, unlike Windsurf, which is backed by Cognition AI and has raised significant venture funding.
- No proprietary model optimization: Zoo Code relies entirely on public models, which tend to be slower and less task-specific for coding than Windsurf's SWE-1.5, which runs 13x faster than Claude Sonnet 4.5 according to benchmarks.
- Limited IDE plugin support: Zoo Code is a VS Code extension only. No plugins for JetBrains, Neovim, or other popular IDEs.
- Approval workflow lacks middle ground: Roo Code offered only two autonomy modes: Go Fast (fully autonomous) or Crawl (approve each micro-step), with no intermediate 'walk' mode for real-world development workflows requiring selective oversight.
Roo Code
Developer ToolsPros
- Open-source and community-maintained: Zoo Code (Roo Code's successor, launched May 16, 2026) is built on the original Roo codebase, maintaining custom modes, diff-based editing, and settings compatibility. Existing Roo configurations import directly with no loss of functionality.
- Zero subscription cost: Zoo Code is completely free. You pay only for your underlying LLM API usage if using external providers, or nothing if using free models like Grok Code Fast.
- Multi-agent orchestration without platform lock-in: Boomerang Tasks allow parent agents to spawn isolated sub-agents and aggregate results, matching Windsurf's parallel session model but without requiring a subscription.
- Bring-your-own-key model flexibility: Full support for Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, DeepSeek, local models via Ollama, and OpenRouter. No vendor lock-in to a single model or provider.
- Familiar VS Code environment: Roo Code was an extension, not a full IDE fork, preserving all existing VS Code keybindings, extensions, and themes rather than forcing a platform switch.
Cons
- Original Roo Code product discontinued: The official team archived the extension, Roo Code Cloud, and Roo Code Router on May 15, 2026. The original team no longer maintains the project and has moved to Roomote, a Slack-first cloud agent.
- Community fork lacks commercial backing: Zoo Code has no funded company, no SLA, and no guaranteed long-term support, unlike Windsurf, which is backed by Cognition AI and has raised significant venture funding.
- No proprietary model optimization: Zoo Code relies entirely on public models, which tend to be slower and less task-specific for coding than Windsurf's SWE-1.5, which runs 13x faster than Claude Sonnet 4.5 according to benchmarks.
- Limited IDE plugin support: Zoo Code is a VS Code extension only. No plugins for JetBrains, Neovim, or other popular IDEs.
- Approval workflow lacks middle ground: Roo Code offered only two autonomy modes: Go Fast (fully autonomous) or Crawl (approve each micro-step), with no intermediate 'walk' mode for real-world development workflows requiring selective oversight.
Windsurf
ProductivityPros
- Proprietary SWE-1.5 model runs 13x faster than Claude Sonnet 4.5: Windsurf's in-house model is optimized specifically for software engineering tasks, making Cascade workflows significantly faster than competing open-source agents using public models.
- Codemaps visual code navigation: AI-annotated visual representation of code architecture—a unique feature no competitor offers. Retrieves code 10x faster via SWE-grep, enabling better multi-file reasoning.
- Enterprise-grade security and compliance: SSO, RBAC, SOC 2 Type 2 certified, FedRAMP and HIPAA paths available. Suitable for regulated industries and large organizations with strict security policies.
- Agent Command Center Kanban-style dashboard: Unified view for managing local Cascade sessions and cloud Devin agent runs in one interface, addressing the visibility problem that plagued earlier agent tools.
- Deep integration with Devin autonomous agents: Cognition AI plans to merge Windsurf IDE capabilities with Devin for fully autonomous development workflows, creating a path to multi-hour background agent execution.
Cons
- Paid subscription required for Cascade agent: Free tier limited to 25 monthly credits. Pro tier and higher tiers require subscription commitment for meaningful agent usage.
- Credit-based pricing creates unpredictable costs: Windsurf's credit system makes budgeting difficult for teams doing heavy multi-file refactors or long Cascade runs, unlike Zoo Code's pure API pass-through model.
- Proprietary IDE, not an extension: Windsurf is a standalone IDE (VS Code fork), forcing developers to switch their entire development environment rather than augmenting their existing setup with an extension.
- Autocomplete reliability and session stability: Multiple 2026 reviews noted that Windsurf's Tab autocomplete still lags Cursor's in reliability, and long Cascade sessions sometimes become unstable, requiring session restarts.
- Uncertain long-term direction after Cognition acquisition: Windsurf was originally Codeium's product, then pursued by OpenAI (deal collapsed), then Google DeepMind staff, and finally acquired by Cognition AI in December 2025. Each ownership change shifted product direction, creating uncertainty about future priorities versus Devin integration.
Section 03
At a glance
Every spec on one page. Live-pulled from each tool's detail page.
- PricingFree (open source)Free tier with unlimited Tab autocomplete and 25 prompt credits; Pro $15/month (500 credits); Teams ~$30/user/month; Enterprise from ~$60/user/month custom
- Pricing modelFreeFreemium
- Free tierYesYes
- Free trialNoNo
- Rating4.8 / 5 (157 ratings)4.7 / 5 (98 ratings)
- Saves335336
- CategoriesDeveloper Tools, AI AgentsProductivity, Developer Tools
- VerifiedNoYes
- Top 100 tier——
- Last updatedJun 2026Jun 2026
Frequently asked
Roo Code vs Windsurf FAQs
Quick answers to the questions readers ask before picking between these two.
Is Roo Code still available?
No. Roo Code was discontinued on May 15, 2026. The original team archived the extension, Roo Code Cloud, and Roo Code Router to focus on Roomote, a Slack-first cloud agent. However, Zoo Code, a community fork launched on May 16, 2026, continues development of the original Roo codebase under Apache 2.0 license with full feature compatibility.
Which is cheaper, Windsurf or Zoo Code?
Zoo Code is completely free, requiring only API costs from your chosen LLM provider (or free if using models like Grok Code Fast). Windsurf charges per credit: free tier has 25 monthly credits, and Pro and higher tiers require subscription. For heavy use, Zoo Code typically costs less when you manage API keys directly with providers.
Can I use Roo Code's custom modes with Windsurf?
No. Roo's custom modes (Architect, Code, Debug, Test) are specific to the extension and do not port to Windsurf, which uses Cascade flows instead. Zoo Code, the Roo community fork, preserves custom mode compatibility, so if you switch to Windsurf, you would need to rewrite workflows in terms of Cascade prompts.
Does Windsurf run inside VS Code like Roo did?
No. Windsurf is a standalone IDE (a fork of VS Code itself), not an extension that runs inside VS Code. You must switch your entire development environment to Windsurf. Zoo Code and Cline remain VS Code extensions with full compatibility.
Is Zoo Code stable enough for production use?
Zoo Code inherits the entire codebase from Roo Code and launched with v3.54.0, maintaining version continuity and full settings compatibility. It is being actively maintained by community developers who contributed to Roo Code. However, it lacks the commercial backing and SLA guarantees that Windsurf provides.
What is the difference between Zoo Code and Cline?
Zoo Code is a fork of Roo Code (itself a fork of Cline) and maintains Roo's advanced features like Boomerang Tasks (multi-agent orchestration) and custom modes. Cline is the original upstream project with a more conservative, stability-focused roadmap. Both are free, open-source, and run in VS Code.
Why did Roo Code shut down?
The Roo team announced in April 2026 that they were archiving the extension, cloud infrastructure, and cloud router to focus entirely on Roomote, a new Slack-first cloud agent. The team's stated reasoning was philosophical: they no longer believe IDEs are the future of coding and wanted to pursue a different interaction model.
Bottom line
As of June 2026, Roo Code no longer exists as an active product. The original tool was discontinued on May 15, 2026, but the community immediately forked it into Zoo Code (launched May 16, 2026), which maintains full feature parity and backward compatibility.
Windsurf, by contrast, has consolidated its position as a commercially backed agentic IDE with 350+ enterprise customers and significant annual recurring revenue.
The real decision today is not Roo Code vs Windsurf—it is whether to use a community-maintained VS Code extension (Zoo Code or Cline) or switch to a commercial agentic IDE (Windsurf).
For individual developers and small teams prioritizing cost and flexibility, Zoo Code offers everything that made Roo Code valuable: free, open-source, multi-model support, and custom modes, all within VS Code. The risk is lack of commercial support and reliance on community volunteers.
For established teams and enterprises that can afford a subscription and require compliance certifications, guaranteed uptime, and proprietary model optimization, Windsurf is the clear choice.
It ranks number 1 in developer preference surveys (LogRocket, February 2026) and offers features like Codemaps and Agent Command Center that no open-source extension currently matches.
Teams should evaluate Windsurf not as an iteration on Roo Code but as a fundamentally different product category: an AI-native IDE rather than an augmented VS Code extension.
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