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Kilo Code vs Roomote

Kilo Code is available today with 3M+ installs and an automated Roo migration path. Roomote is the early-stage pivot from the former Roo Code team.

Roo Code shut down on May 15, 2026 — the team is now building Roomote

If you're a former Roo Code user evaluating Roomote, Kilo Code is available today with an automated migration from your Roo config.

What happened to Roo Code? Read the full story

Quick Comparison

Status
Kilo Code
Active — rebuilt April 2, 2026
188 PRs shipped week one post-GA
Roomote
Early development
Pivoted after Roo Code archived May 15, 2026
Track Record
Kilo Code
3M+ VS Code installs
Proven at scale across millions of developers
Roomote
No public release yet
Open Source
Kilo Code
Apache 2.0 + MIT CLI core
Full source at github.com/Kilo-Org/kilocode
Roomote
Not yet announced
IDE Support
Kilo Code
VS Code, JetBrains, CLI
JetBrains native since 2025
Roomote
TBD
Model Access
Kilo Code
500+ models, 60+ providers
BYOK free, no markup on model costs
Roomote
TBD
Pricing
Kilo Code
BYOK free. Kilo Pass from $19/mo.
Teams $15/user/mo.
Roomote
TBD

Established and proven — Roomote is just starting

Kilo Code has 3M+ VS Code installs and shipped 188 PRs in the first week after its April 2026 rebuild. Roomote is a brand-new product from the former Roo Code team, with no public release history yet.

Migrate from Roo Code in minutes — don't wait

Kilo reads your existing .roomodes and .roo/rules/ automatically on startup. You don't need to wait for Roomote to be ready — your Roo config works in Kilo today.

Fully open source (Apache-2.0)

Inspect every prompt, audit context windows, self-host if you want to. Nothing about how Kilo drives the model is hidden — the prompts, the context policy, and the tool layer are all readable in GitHub.

Roomote alternative: why developers switch to Kilo Code

Roomote is the new product from the team behind Roo Code after its May 2026 shutdown. Compare it with Kilo Code — the proven, actively maintained open-source AI coding agent.

Established and proven — Roomote is just starting

Kilo Code has 3M+ VS Code installs and shipped 188 PRs in the first week after its April 2026 rebuild. Roomote is a brand-new product from the former Roo Code team, with no public release history yet.

Migrate from Roo Code in minutes — don't wait

Kilo reads your existing .roomodes and .roo/rules/ automatically on startup. You don't need to wait for Roomote to be ready — your Roo config works in Kilo today.

Fully open source (Apache-2.0)

Inspect every prompt, audit context windows, self-host if you want to. Nothing about how Kilo drives the model is hidden — the prompts, the context policy, and the tool layer are all readable in GitHub.

Multi-surface: VS Code, JetBrains, CLI, Cloud Agents

Kilo works across VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, and a CLI — all on the same OpenCode engine. Start a task in the CLI and resume it in the editor.

Trusted by developers at the world's most innovative companies

Complete Feature Comparison

An honest look at where Kilo wins, where Roomote wins, and where they're comparable

Product Maturity

Public release
Kilo Code
Available since 2025
Roomote
In development
VS Code installs
Kilo Code
3M+
Roomote
Not yet available
Active maintenance
Kilo Code
Roomote
In development
Open source
Kilo Code
Apache 2.0 extension + MIT CLI
Roomote
Not yet announced

Architecture & IDE Coverage

VS Code extension
Kilo Code
Roomote
Planned
JetBrains IDEs
Kilo Code
Roomote
Unknown
CLI
Kilo Code
Roomote
Unknown
Cloud Agents
Kilo Code
Roomote
Unknown
Shared engine across surfaces
Kilo Code
OpenCode server: extension, CLI, Cloud Agents
Roomote
Unknown

Agents & Capabilities

Built-in agent modes
Kilo Code
Code, Plan, Debug, Ask
Roomote
TBD
Built-in subagents
Kilo Code
Explore, General
Roomote
Unknown
Agent Manager (parallel agents)
Kilo Code
Roomote
Unknown
MCP marketplace
Kilo Code
Roomote
Unknown

Model Access & Pricing

Unified gateway
Kilo Code
Kilo Gateway, 500+ models
Roomote
TBD
BYOK (bring your own key)
Kilo Code
Roomote
Unknown
Zero markup on model costs
Kilo Code
Roomote
Unknown
Teams plan
Kilo Code
$15/user/mo
Roomote
TBD
Free BYOK tier
Kilo Code
Roomote
Unknown

Roo Code Migration

Reads .roomodes automatically
Kilo Code
Roomote
Unknown
Reads .roo/rules/ automatically
Kilo Code
Roomote
Unknown
Auto migration on startup
Kilo Code
Roomote
Unknown

Specialized agent modes Roomote doesn't have

Orchestrator, Architect, Debug, Code, and Ask — each mode purpose-built for a different part of your workflow. Plus 500+ models and inline autocomplete.

Agentic Engineering

Glide through your workflow with a mode for every step

Ask mode

A knowledgeable technical assistant focused on answering questions without changing your codebase

Switch from Roomote in under 5 minutes

No complicated setup. No vendor lock-in. No risk.

1

Install Kilo Code today

Don't wait for Roomote to ship. Install kilocode.Kilo-Code from the VS Code Marketplace. Also available for JetBrains and via the CLI.

2 min
2

Rename your Roo config

Run mv .roo .kilocode at the project root. Kilo reads .roomodes and .roo/rules/ on first run and migrates them automatically.

3 min
3

Paste your API keys and start

Paste your provider API keys or sign in for Kilo Pass. Open the Agent Manager, pick Code or Plan, and start a task.

5 min

Common Questions About Switching from Roomote

Everything you need to know about moving to Kilo Code.

Ready to upgrade your AI coding experience?

Keep Roomote running side-by-side if you want to switch at your own pace.

No credit card required Free forever for individuals 500+ models, zero markup