Roo Code vs Cursor after the shutdown: a migration guide
Roo Code vs Cursor after the shutdown: a migration guide
Roo Code and Cursor are no longer two active products to shortlist in the same way. Roo's official announcement ended its Extension, Cloud, and Router on May 15, 2026. The extension repository is archived. For a new deployment, evaluate a maintained replacement. For an existing installation, plan migration and decide what configuration to preserve.
This page was checked against official sources on October 23, 2026. It does not claim to have tested a migration or to rank coding accuracy.
What the shutdown changes
The Roo sunset announcement states that Cloud and Router shut down and the extension repository would be archived. The repository confirms its archive date. The announcement also states that unused balances would be refunded. An individual account's refund status still needs verification in that account.
Source code remains available under the repository's license. That does not establish ongoing maintenance, marketplace support, working hosted endpoints, or compatibility with new model APIs. An old local installation may still start, but that is not evidence of supported operation.
The announcement points users toward Cline for a model-agnostic extension and mentions a separate new product at roomote.dev. Do not treat that new product as continued operation of the old Roo extension, Cloud, or Router.
Historical reference for Roo Code, whose extension, Cloud, and Router were sunset on May 15, 2026.
Coding editor and agent with repository tools, local and cloud workflows, and tiered model access.
Decide whether Cursor fits the replacement job
Cursor is a maintained editor with Agent workflows. Evaluate it when you want to consolidate editing and agent work in that environment. If retaining your existing editor and provider configuration is a requirement, include a maintained extension such as Cline in the shortlist. Roo's recommendation is a migration suggestion, not proof that every mode or rule transfers unchanged.
Cursor supports rules, skills, and MCP, but migration should map the intended behavior rather than copy configuration files blindly. Confirm which instructions apply, what tools become available, and which commands require review. See Cursor Agent and MCP documentation.
Rebuild the cost estimate
Historical Roo balances and hosted plans are not a current operating budget. Cursor now lists Free, Plus at $8, Premium at $30, Super at $100, and Ultra at $200 monthly before tax. Cursor-model usage refreshes weekly and is shared with Grok. Third-party models are unavailable on Plus and billed separately from prepaid credit on Premium and above. Legacy subscriptions have their own rules. Review current billing for the account you will use.
If you choose another extension, distinguish its software license from provider inference charges. Record model, token usage, retries, and any gateway fees during the pilot instead of assuming an old free workflow stays free.
Migrate with observable acceptance criteria
Inventory project instructions, custom modes, MCP servers, provider connections, approved commands, and unfinished changes. Keep a copy of non-secret configuration and use the existing credential store for secrets. Review external tools before connecting them to a replacement.
In a clean checkout, reproduce one previously completed task with explicit expected behavior. Require the replacement to inspect the relevant files, propose a bounded patch, and run the established checks. Compare its diff with the acceptance criteria, not with the style of the old agent's answer.
Keep the migration reversible until a maintainer can diagnose failures and continue the task. Select a supported product with documented model access, acceptable review controls, and a budget verified in its actual usage history.
