Continue vs Roo Code
Two of the most-asked-about agents in the coding space. Here's how they actually stack up.
Continue
Open-source AI code assistant that lets you bring any model and configure everything
Free
Read full review →Roo Code
Open-source VS Code coding agent with custom modes and multi-agent orchestration, forked from Cline
Free
Read full review →Side-by-side comparison
| Continue | Roo Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | Open-source AI code assistant that lets you bring any model and configure everything | Open-source VS Code coding agent with custom modes and multi-agent orchestration, forked from Cline |
| Pricing | Free | Free |
| Categories | coding, vscode-extension, jetbrains, open-source | coding, ide-extension, open-source |
| Made by | Continue | Roo Code Inc |
| Launched | 2023-08 | 2024-09 |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Status | active | active |
Continue highlights
- + Bring your own model from any provider or run locally via Ollama
- + Chat, edit, autocomplete, and agent modes in VS Code and JetBrains
- + JSON and YAML config files for full control over every behavior
- + Continue Hub for sharing and discovering assistant configurations
- + Custom slash commands and context providers for any workflow
Roo Code highlights
- + Custom modes to define specialized agent personas for different task types
- + Multi-agent orchestration with a boomerang pattern for parallel workloads
- + Bring-your-own-key support for all major AI providers
- + Full VS Code extension with inline diffs and terminal access
- + MCP (Model Context Protocol) client for tool integrations
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better, Continue or Roo Code?
Neither is universally better. Continue (Free) leans into coding, while Roo Code (Free) is closer to coding. Pick based on which workflow you actually do every day.
What is the price difference between Continue and Roo Code?
Continue is free. Roo Code is free. See the pricing row in the comparison table.
Can I use Continue and Roo Code together?
In most cases, yes. They serve overlapping but distinct needs, so running them side by side is common until you decide which fits your workflow.