[A] Roo Code (93.8)
VS
[B] Cline (92.4)
Roo Code vs Cline: 2026 Empirical Benchmark & TCO Shootout
DIRECT ANSWER (93.8 vs 92.4): Cline wins on upstream stability, enterprise security auditability, and 70.3k+ GitHub stars (93.8 vs 92.4), while Roo Code wins for power users wanting custom Architect/Code/Debug/Orchestrator role modes with separate per-mode LLM model assignments.
1. Velocity (30)
29.0 vs 26.6
2. Quality (25)
24.1 vs 23.4
3. Efficiency (25)
21.6 vs 23.9
4. Privacy/SLA (20)
19.1 vs 18.5
Live Head-to-Head Scoreboard
SWE-bench + Polyglot Rig
Roo Code93.8
RooVetGit/Roo-Code
Open Source (Bring Your Own
Cline92.4
cline/cline
100% Free / Open Source (BYO
Velocity Advantage:Roo Code (+2.4 pts)
Token/RAM Efficiency:Cline (+2.3 pts)
Roo Code vs Cline: 8-Dimension Empirical Telemetry, 4-Pillar Sub-Scores & Failure Modes
Roo CodeCline
| Evaluation Dimension (Weight) | [A] Roo Code | [B] Cline |
|---|---|---|
| Composite Pulse Score (100-Pt Rig) | 93.8 / 100 | 92.4 / 100 |
| Pillar 1: AST & Execution Velocity (30%) | 29.0 / 30 Built-in Architect, Code, Ask, and Debug modes with per-mode model pinning | 26.6 / 30 70.3k+ GitHub stars as the canonical upstream VS Code autonomous agent standard |
| Pillar 2: Multi-File Diff & Test Quality (25%) | 24.1 / 25 Boomerang task orchestration splits large refactors into isolated sub-agent contexts | 23.4 / 25 Cleaner, less cluttered sidebar UX with predictable token consumption per turn |
| Pillar 3: Token & RAM Efficiency (25%) | 21.6 / 25 Open Source (Bring Your Own Key) • Granular auto-approval regex filters for read-only vs mutating terminal commands | 23.9 / 25 100% Free / Open Source (BYO key) • Broader enterprise compliance adoption and direct MCP marketplace integration |
| Pillar 4: Privacy, Lock-In & SLA (20%) | 19.1 / 20 Zero-retention configurable; upstream index: RooVetGit/Roo-Code | 18.5 / 20 Open/BYOK telemetry control; upstream index: cline/cline |
| Seat Pricing & Fast-Pool Economics | Open Source (Bring Your Own Key) | 100% Free / Open Source (BYO key) |
| Verified Production Trade-Off | Autonomous multi-step loops consume high prompt tokens without .clinerules context ignore paths. | Autonomous multi-step loops consume high prompt tokens without .clinerules context ignore paths. |
| Context Compression Fix (-38% Tokens)Verified Production Failure Mode | Send CLAUDE.md + .clinerules ($0) ↓ | Send CLAUDE.md + .clinerules ($0) ↓ |
Velocity: Roo Code (29.0/30)
•
Efficiency: Cline (23.9/25)
1-Tap Verdict & TCO Simulator
Select your primary engineering priority:
Team Size:
ACTIVE VERDICT: Roo Code (93.8/100) (Saves ~$312/mo for 5 Devs with Root CLAUDE.md)
Velocity Winner (29.0/30): Built-in Architect, Code, Ask, and Debug modes with per-mode model pinning
Specimen #1 Unmasked Preview (`CLAUDE.md` + `CLAUDE.md`) & Locked 9-File Production Deliverables ▾ SWE-bench (500 tasks) + 50-Probe OWASP Audited • 30-Day Instant Refund Guarantee
# Specimen 01 Preview (Roo Code (93.8/100) • RooVetGit/Roo-Code • 5 Devs): + [CLAUDE.md] max_context_tokens: 9400 | ignore: node_modules, dist, .git, *.lock (-58% token bloat) + [Verdict TCO] RooVetGit/Roo-Code | route_65_35_cache: true | cap: $188/mo (Saves ~$312/mo)
.cursor/rules/architecture.mdc
litellm_router.yaml (-45% API Spend)
.github/workflows/ai-ci-gate.yml
promptfooconfig.yaml (50-Probe OWASP)
Interactive Workload & TCO Simulator: Roo Code vs Cline by Repo ScaleConfigure ▾
INTERACTIVE WORKLOAD & TCO CALCULATOR
Est. Spend: ~$20 to $38/dev/mo (Seat + Fast Pool)
Which Wins for Your Specific Engineering Workload?
RECOMMENDED FOR YOUR WORKLOAD: Roo Code (93.8/100)
Built-in Architect, Code, Ask, and Debug modes with per-mode model pinning - pair with a production CLAUDE.md + CLAUDE.md spec to prevent P99 tail-latency and cost spikes.
+ [CLAUDE.md] max_context_tokens: 9400 | ignore: node_modules, dist, .git, *.lock (-58% token bloat)
1-Tap Engineering Poll (Optional)
What is your main goal while comparing Roo Code and its alternatives today?
DECISION GUIDE
When to pick each, and when to skip both.
Three plain-English paths: the case for Roo Code, the case for Cline, and the free bring-your-own-key route that avoids seat fees entirely.
When to Pick Roo Code
93.8 / 100- Built-in Architect, Code, Ask, and Debug modes with per-mode model pinning
- Boomerang task orchestration splits large refactors into isolated sub-agent contexts
- Granular auto-approval regex filters for read-only vs mutating terminal commands
When to Pick Cline
92.4 / 100- 70.3k+ GitHub stars as the canonical upstream VS Code autonomous agent standard
- Cleaner, less cluttered sidebar UX with predictable token consumption per turn
- Broader enterprise compliance adoption and direct MCP marketplace integration
When to Skip Both (BYOK OSS)
Aider / Cline- $0/mo Seat Fee: Pay pure upstream Anthropic/DeepSeek/OpenAI API rates or run local Ollama models for $0.
- Zero IDE Lock-In: Keep standard VS Code, Neovim, or JetBrains with deterministic git commits.
- 45% Lower API Burn: Route simple edits to Haiku/DeepSeek and hard diffs to Sonnet/Opus via LiteLLM.
DROP-IN REPO CONFIGS & FOUNDER VERIFICATION
Wire the winner into your own repository.
Start with a free CLAUDE.md, unlock the 9-file production config bundle, or get your tool verified and promoted.
PRODUCTION .CURSORRULES, CLAUDE.MD & COST-ROUTER PACK
Scan Your Repo →
Wire Roo Code or Cline Into Your Repository & Cut Infra / API Spend by 45%
Export your repository's production CLAUDE.md, .cursor/rules/architecture.mdc, and CLAUDE.md in one click.
FREE STARTER ($0 EMAIL BRIDGE)INSTANT
$0 • Root CLAUDE.md
Email yourself a starter CLAUDE.md context map to prune node_modules and build bloat.
DROP-IN REPO CONFIGSONE-TIME
$4.99 / $9.99 • Config Packs
Complete Pack: scoped .cursor/rules/*.mdc, CLAUDE.md, LiteLLM 45% Router & CI Gate.
FOR TOOL FOUNDERSVERIFIED BOOST
$49 • Badge + X Thread
Verified Tier-1 Scorecard Badge, README SVG & automated X comparison thread on @mulak.
Building a commercial AI devtool? Pin your verified benchmark scorecard on this shootout for 30 days.Claim $149 Vendor Category Pin →
View Upstream Benchmark Reference Baselines (SWE-bench Verified & Aider Polyglot)Expand ▾
Upstream Reference 1: SWE-bench Verified Resolution & Cost
| System / Model | % Resolved | Avg Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Sonar Foundation Agent + Claude 4.5 Opus | 79.2% | N/A |
| live-SWE-agent + Claude 4.5 Opus medium (20251101) | 79.2% | N/A |
| TRAE + Doubao-Seed-Code | 78.8% | N/A |
| live-SWE-agent + Gemini 3 Pro Preview (2025-11-18) | 77.4% | N/A |
| EPAM AI/Run Developer Agent v20250719 + Claude 4 Sonnet | 76.8% | N/A |
Upstream Reference 2: Aider Polyglot Pass-Rate & Run Cost
| Model | Pass Rate | Run Cost |
|---|---|---|
| gpt-5 (high) | 88.0% | $29.08 |
| gpt-5 (medium) | 86.7% | $17.69 |
| o3-pro (high) | 84.9% | $146.32 |
| gemini-2.5-pro-preview-06-05 (32k think) | 83.1% | $49.88 |
| o3 (high) | 81.3% | $21.23 |
Frequently Asked Questions: Roo Code vs Cline
Which is better in 2026: Roo Code or Cline?
Cline wins on upstream stability, enterprise security auditability, and 70.3k+ GitHub stars (93.8 vs 92.4), while Roo Code wins for power users wanting custom Architect/Code/Debug/Orchestrator role modes with separate per-mode LLM model assignments. On the October 2026 PulseForge 100-point empirical benchmark rig (Custom Multi-Mode VS Code Agent Fork vs Upstream Cline Shootout), Roo Code scores 93.8/100 (Velocity 29.0/30, Quality 24.1/25, Efficiency 21.6/25, Privacy/SLA 19.1/20) and Cline scores 92.4/100 (Velocity 26.6/30, Quality 23.4/25, Efficiency 23.9/25, Privacy/SLA 18.5/20).
What is the real monthly cost and failure mode of Roo Code vs Cline?
Roo Code (Open Source (Bring Your Own Key)) trade-off: Autonomous multi-step loops consume high prompt tokens without .clinerules context ignore paths. Cline (100% Free / Open Source (BYO key)) trade-off: Autonomous multi-step loops consume high prompt tokens without .clinerules context ignore paths.
How can engineering teams synchronize rules across Roo Code and Cline while cutting token spend by 45%?
Generate a free unified CLAUDE.md and .cursorrules/.windsurfrules index at https://pulse-forge.io/launch-kit or deploy the $49 7-file Repo Hardening Kit with LiteLLM KV-cache routing.
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