Cline

Cline is a popular open-source (Apache-2.0) AI coding agent that runs inside VS Code, JetBrains, Cursor and Windsurf, plus a CLI. It is fully model-agnostic, supporting Claude, GPT, Gemini, any OpenAI-compatible endpoint, BYOK, or local models via Ollama/LM Studio. With Plan and Act approval modes, it gives developers transparent, controllable agentic coding with no subscription, paying only for the model API usage they choose.

Key features

• Open-source (Apache-2.0), no subscription or vendor lock-in
• Model-agnostic: Claude, GPT, Gemini, OpenAI-compatible, Ollama/LM Studio
• Plan and Act approval modes for controlled agentic edits
• Runs in VS Code, JetBrains, Cursor, Windsurf and as a CLI
• Optional Cline Provider for pay-as-you-go inference without managing keys

Pros & cons

Cline pricing

Cline uses a free pricing model, with paid plans from Free and open-source; you pay only your chosen model's API/token costs (BYOK). A free tier lets you test it before committing. Browse all free AI tools we track.

Who should use Cline?

Cline is best suited for developers who want a transparent, open-source agent with full control over models and costs. It earns its place for free, open-source and fully transparent. The main trade-off: token costs are on you and can add up on large multi-file tasks.

Comparing options? See our best ai coding & dev tools guide, or browse every ai coding & dev tool tracked on Benchquill.

Key concepts behind ai coding & dev tools: AI agent · Function / tool calling · Context window · Open weights · MCP (Model Context Protocol).

Cline FAQ

Is Cline free?

Cline is free. Pricing starts at Free and open-source; you pay only your chosen model's API/token costs (BYOK).

What is Cline best for?

Cline is best for developers who want a transparent, open-source agent with full control over models and costs. Its standout strength: free, open-source and fully transparent.

What are the best Cline alternatives?

The closest alternatives are Claude Code and Cursor. Claude Code is anthropic's terminal-native agentic coding tool, while Cursor is the AI-first code editor built for pair-programming with agents.