Why Robota?
The only AI coding CLI that lets you bring your own key for any provider, run offline with a local model, and embed the same engine into your own app — all under the MIT license.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Robota | Claude Code | Cursor | Aider | Cline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Multi-provider (one config) | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| BYOK — no subscription required | ✓ | ✓ | subscription | ✓ | ✓ |
| Local model support (Ollama/LM Studio) | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Embeddable SDK | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Open source (MIT) | ✓ | proprietary | proprietary | ✓ | ✓ |
| TypeScript-first, strict types | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | Python | ✓ |
| Terminal CLI | ✓ | ✓ | IDE only | ✓ | ✓ |
| Session persistence & resume | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Background agents | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Self-hostable | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Cost Comparison
Estimated monthly cost at 4 h/day active usage.
| Tool | Pricing model | Monthly estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Robota | BYOK — pay your provider | ~$5–30 depending on model |
| Claude Code | BYOK (Anthropic API) | ~$20–80 with Claude Sonnet |
| Cursor | Subscription | $20/mo (Pro) + API overages |
| Aider | BYOK | ~$5–30 depending on model |
| Cline | BYOK (VSCode extension) | ~$5–30 depending on model |
Robota + Gemini Flash — Google's free tier covers casual use at zero cost. Robota + local Ollama — pay nothing, fully offline.
What Makes Robota Different
1. Any Provider — One Config
Switch between Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, Gemini, or Ollama by changing one line in ~/.robota/settings.json. No code changes, no new subscriptions.
2. Embeddable SDK
Ship the same agent runtime to your users via @robota-sdk/agent-framework. No other AI coding assistant exposes this — Claude Code, Cursor, and Cline are closed products.
3. Fully Open Source (MIT)
Every line is publicly auditable. Fork it, modify it, self-host it, build commercial products — no CLA required.
4. Local Model First-Class
Point any Ollama or LM Studio model as your provider. Your code and prompts never leave your machine.
When to Choose Something Else
- Choose Claude Code if you want the tightest Claude integration and are happy with Anthropic-only.
- Choose Cursor if you want an IDE-first experience with inline diff editing and tab completion.
- Choose Aider if you prefer a Python ecosystem and work primarily with git-based batch commits.
- Choose Cline if you want a VSCode sidebar agent and don't need embedding or SDK usage.