1,973 stars · Apache-2.0, read from /blob/main/LICENSE, plain, 'Copyright 2026 Zoo Code.' in the appendix slot · v3.88.0 (2026-10-10), read from /releases/latest and settled against ungh's releases endpoint, which dates it 2026-10-10T00:52:52Z; releases are cut by a GitHub Actions bot · Track this in Scout
An editor assistant with several agent modes, continuing a much larger project that was shut down in May 2026.
▶Repo detailsthe review · specs · pros & cons · install
What it does
You install it as an extension in VS Code. It reads the files in the folder you have open, and can search the codebase by meaning rather than by exact text. It writes edits into your files, runs terminal commands, drives a browser and talks to MCP servers, which are small helper programs that give an assistant extra abilities. It supports 25 model providers, listed by name in its own documentation, so you can point it at a paid service or at a model running on your own machine. It has several named modes for different jobs, such as asking questions, planning and debugging. What it does not do is think for itself: its own documentation says "Zoo isn't an LLM model, it needs an LLM provider to work", and the same documentation states that it "costs more to run than the alternatives", which the project presents as a deliberate trade.
Why it matters
Who it suits. Anyone who was using the project that shut down in May and wants their settings and habits to carry over, since the file layout and settings structure are deliberately the same. It also suits anyone who wants an editor assistant that can be pointed at a local model instead of a paid one. Skip it if you want the biggest community behind your tools, because at 1,973 stars this is a fraction of the size of its alternatives, and skip it if you are not comfortable with telemetry being on until you turn it off.
Verdict. Worth an evening if you were a user of the shut-down project, and worth knowing about either way, because the story is the useful part. The repository is under six months old, created on 23 April 2026, but it carries 7,436 commits — nearly all of them inherited from the codebase it continues, not six months of new work. That is both the reassurance and the warning: it is mature code with a small new team around it, 391 issues open and no company named as a backer. Two specifics to weigh. Telemetry is on by default, which the project states in its own privacy file, along with what it collects and that it does not include your code or prompts. And a paid credit service runs under the project's name, so "community-maintained" and "nobody is taking money" are not the same claim. If you want the larger live alternatives, cline/cline is at 70,074 stars and Kilo-Org/kilocode at 27,497.
- It asks before acting: the documentation says that out of the box it "will ask for your permission to everything", and automatic approval is opt-in.
- 25 named model providers, including models you run on your own machine, so it need not cost anything at a provider.
- Apache-2.0 licence, read from the file, plain, copyright 2026 Zoo Code, and a release cut yesterday.
- Telemetry is on by default, collecting a machine identifier, feature usage and error reports, kept for twelve months.
- Very small and very young for the size of the codebase it carries: 1,973 stars, 391 open issues, no company named.
- Its own documentation says it costs more to run than the alternatives, and VS Code is the only editor its documentation covers.
cline/clineThe same job in the same editor, at 70,074 stars and named by the shut-down project's own front page as an alternative.
Track this in Scout- Kilo-Org/kilocode
Another editor assistant in the same family, at 27,497 stars, positioned as a whole platform rather than one extension.
Track this in Scout - RooCodeInc/Roo-Code
The project this one continues, archived by its owner on 15 May 2026 and read-only; the archiving is the useful fact about it.
Track this in Scout
1. Open the Extensions view: Ctrl+Shift+X, or Cmd+Shift+X on a Mac. 2. Search for "Zoo Code" and install the one published by ZooCodeOrg. 3. Reload VS Code if it asks you to. 4. Open the extension's settings and connect a model provider.