Augment Code vs Roo CodeUpdated 2026-03-16

SUMMARY

Augment Code (IDE) uses markdown configuration while Roo Code (IDE) uses markdown. They differ on 3 of 11 compared features. Both tools provide AI-assisted development but take different approaches to project configuration.

FEATURE COMPARISON

FeatureAugment CodeRoo Code
Config formatmarkdownmarkdown
Hierarchy support
Global config
Project config
Subdirectory scoping
File inclusion / imports
Ignore file
IDE integration
Schema / structureFree-form (Markdown)Free-form (Markdown)
Git committed
EncodingUTF-8UTF-8

FILE MAPPING

PurposeAugment CodeRoo Code
Project rules.augment/rules/*.md.roo/rules/*.md

SIDE-BY-SIDE CODE SAMPLES

Augment Code
AGENTS.md
markdown
# Project Rules

## Architecture
- Clean architecture with domain, application, and infrastructure layers
- Domain models must not import from infrastructure
- Use dependency injection for all services

## Code Style
- TypeScript strict mode, no implicit any
- Use Result<T, E> for error handling in domain layer
- Prefer composition over inheritance
- Maximum 3 parameters per function; use options objects for more

## Testing
- Unit tests for domain logic (no mocking frameworks)
- Integration tests for API endpoints
- E2E tests for critical user journeys with Playwright

## Dependencies
- Do not add new dependencies without discussing first
- Prefer standard library over third-party for simple tasks

Roo Code
.roo/rules/*.md
markdown
# Code Standards

## TypeScript
- Enable strict mode in all tsconfig files
- No `any` types — use `unknown` and narrow
- Prefer interfaces over type aliases for object shapes

## React
- Functional components only
- Use custom hooks for shared stateful logic
- Colocate component, styles, and tests

## Git
- Conventional commits (feat:, fix:, chore:, etc.)
- Keep commits atomic and focused
- Squash merge feature branches

KEY DIFFERENCES

1. Hierarchy support

Augment Code: Supported. Roo Code: Not supported.

2. Global config

Augment Code: Supported. Roo Code: Not supported.

3. Subdirectory scoping

Augment Code: Supported. Roo Code: Not supported.

WHICH SHOULD I USE?

Recommendation

Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use Augment Code, configure AGENTS.md. If you use Roo Code, configure .roo/rules/*.md. Many projects include config files for multiple tools so each team member can use their preferred editor.

PORTABILITY TIP

sync-instructions.sh
bash
# Maintain a single source of truth:
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md CLAUDE.md
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md .cursorrules
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md AGENTS.md

SEE ALSO

agentconfig.ing2026-03-16COMPARE(1)