Cline

Cline Review 2026 — Features, Pricing & Use Cases

An open-source coding agent that asks before it acts.

Cline is a free, open-source coding agent for VS Code that edits files and runs commands only after you approve. It has about 63,000 GitHub stars and roughly 4.3 million VS Code installs as of June 2026, and it has raised $32 million. You supply your own model key, so you control both quality and cost.

Cline is an open-source AI coding agent built by Cline Bot Inc. It began life as Claude Dev and now runs as a VS Code extension, a command-line tool, and an early-access JetBrains plugin.

You describe a task, and Cline reads your files, edits code, runs terminal commands, and can even drive a browser. It pauses for your approval at each step. The standout fact is its reach: the company claims more than 8 million installs across all platforms.

How to Get Started with Cline

Install the extension. Open VS Code, go to the Extensions panel, and search for “Cline.” Click Install and open the new sidebar icon.
Choose a provider and add a key. Pick Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, or Ollama in the settings. Paste your API key, or point Cline at a local model if you want zero token costs.
Open a small project. Start with a repo you know well, so you can judge the results. Make sure your work is committed in Git first.
Start in Plan mode. Ask for one clear task, such as adding input validation to a form. Read the plan, correct anything off, then switch to Act mode.
Review each diff. Approve edits one by one and watch your token usage. Once you trust the flow, try adding an MCP server or the CLI.

Cline vs Competitors

Cline vs Cursor. Choose Cline if you want open-source auditability, per-token cost control, and the freedom to keep your current VS Code. Choose Cursor if you want polished inline autocomplete and a flat price, listed at $20 a month for the Individual plan. The key difference is packaging. Cline is an agent extension, while Cursor is a separate AI-first editor.

Cline vs GitHub Copilot. Choose Cline for deeper agent control, model choice, and approval at each step. Choose GitHub Copilot if you want a Microsoft-backed tool that fits an existing GitHub workflow. Copilot also offers an agent mode. Cline gives you more model freedom, and Copilot gives you a simpler setup.

Final Verdict

Cline suits VS Code developers who want a capable coding agent they can audit and control. Its standout feature is step-by-step approval, paired with any model you like. The caveat is cost, since heavy agent sessions can run up large token bills and the free tier has no support guarantee. If you want agent power without lock-in, install it today. Start free at github.com/cline/cline.

Plan and Act Modes Cline separates thinking from doing. In Plan mode, it reads your project and proposes an approach without touching anything. You review the plan, then switch to Act mode to run it. This keeps big changes from surprising you.

Approval for Every Action Every file edit and terminal command waits for your approval. You see a diff before anything is saved. Reviewers call this human-in-the-loop design Cline’s main difference from more autonomous tools. It costs you a few clicks, and it saves you from runaway edits.

MCP Marketplace Cline supports the Model Context Protocol, which lets the agent use outside tools. You can add servers for databases, issue trackers, or documentation from a built-in marketplace. The agent then calls them as needed. This turns Cline from a code editor helper into a wider workflow tool.

Browser Use Cline can open a browser, click through your running app, and read what appears. That helps it test a change instead of guessing. You can ask it to fix a layout bug and confirm the result on screen. It closes the loop between code and output.

Bring-Your-Own-Key Model Support Cline works with providers such as Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, OpenRouter, AWS Bedrock, Azure OpenAI, Groq, DeepSeek, and local models through Ollama. You pick the model per task. If a vendor raises prices, you switch. Cline adds no markup on tokens.

CLI and SDK A headless command-line version lets you run Cline in CI/CD pipelines. In May 2026, the team also launched an SDK that lets you embed the Cline agent runtime in your own apps. That opens the door to custom agents. It also makes Cline more than a single editor extension.

VS Code developers who want an agent without switching editors. Cline installs as a normal extension and keeps your keybindings and plugins.

Engineering leads who want auditable tooling. The code is open source under Apache 2.0, so your security team can inspect what it sends and where.

Privacy-focused teams running local models. Pair Cline with Ollama and your code never leaves your machine.

DevOps engineers automating routine fixes. The headless CLI lets you script repeat tasks inside CI jobs.

Pricing & Plans

Plan	Price	What’s Included	Best For
Open source (extension and CLI)	$0	Full agent, MCP marketplace, multi-root workspaces	Everyone
Bring your own key	Pay your provider per token	No markup from Cline	Cost control
Cline provider	Usage-based	Optional hosted model access	Quick setup
Enterprise	Custom	Commercial support and SLA	Large teams

Trackers checked between June and August 2026 agree that the software itself is free. Your real cost depends on the model you choose and how much you run it, and one tracker warns that heavy days can top $100. There is no subscription, so no monthly versus annual savings apply. Check provider rates and Cline’s own site, since they may have changed since this research.

Pros:

The extension is free and open source under Apache 2.0.
Cline adds no markup, so you pay your model provider directly.
You approve every file change and command before it runs.
It supports major providers plus local models through Ollama.
A community of about 63,000 GitHub stars means fast fixes and plenty of guides.

Cons:

Token bills are unpredictable, and heavy agent runs can get expensive.
It has no inline autocomplete, which tools like Cursor include.
The open-source tier has no commercial support or SLA, only GitHub Issues and Discord.

Cline has no hosted API, because it runs locally against the model provider you pick. Developers can use the headless CLI for automation, and the SDK launched in May 2026 lets you embed the Cline agent runtime in custom tools. You could build internal code-review bots, migration helpers, or chat-based dev assistants.

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