Open-source coding agent for VS Code that uses whatever model you point it at.
Pricing
Verified 14 Jul 2026· sourceOverview
Cline is an Apache-2.0 coding agent that lives in your editor and does the full loop: reads the repo, proposes a plan, edits files, runs terminal commands and reacts to the output. Its defining choice is that it does not sell you a model. You bring an API key — Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Bedrock, Azure, or a local runtime like Ollama — and Cline is the harness around it. For anyone who has been burned by an assistant quietly downgrading to a cheaper model to protect its margin, that transparency is the whole pitch. Plan-and-Act mode lets you approve the strategy before it touches anything, and .clinerules files let a team codify conventions the agent must follow. The cost model cuts both ways. There is no subscription hiding your token spend, which means there is also nothing hiding it: an agent that re-reads context on every step can run up a bill fast, and you feel every token.
Features
Pros & cons
Pros
- Fully open source under Apache 2.0 — auditable, forkable, no lock-in
- Model-agnostic, so you can send cheap tasks to a cheap model and hard ones to a frontier model
- Plan mode is a genuine safety valve on destructive changes
- Runs local models via Ollama, which matters if your code cannot leave the building
Cons
- Token spend is on you and can escalate quickly on large repos — budget before you scale it across a team
- Output quality is entirely a function of the model you attach; a weak model makes Cline look weak
- Constant approval prompts are the price of safety, and they slow you down
- No native team governance or spend controls unless you adopt its cloud offering
Who Cline is for
Cline is built for people working with coding tools. Being free, it is an easy first choice when you want to get going without a budget. Users most often highlight fully open source under apache 2.0 — auditable, forkable, no lock-in.
How Cline compares in AI Coding Tools
Within coding tools, the closest alternatives to Cline are GitHub Copilot, Zed, Cursor — it is worth comparing them side by side on price and the specific features you need before deciding.
Cline pricing
Cline is free to use — there is no paid tier required for its core features. See the full Cline pricing breakdown →
Cline FAQ
Is Cline worth it?
Cline is most often praised for fully open source under apache 2.0 — auditable, forkable, no lock-in. The main trade-off is that token spend is on you and can escalate quickly on large repos — budget before you scale it across a team. For most coding tools needs it is a credible choice — trial it against one or two alternatives before you commit. ToolsPantry does not yet carry user reviews for this tool.
Is Cline free?
Cline is free to use — there is no paid tier required for its core features.
What are the downsides of Cline?
The most commonly noted drawbacks are: Token spend is on you and can escalate quickly on large repos — budget before you scale it across a team; Output quality is entirely a function of the model you attach; a weak model makes Cline look weak; Constant approval prompts are the price of safety, and they slow you down; No native team governance or spend controls unless you adopt its cloud offering. None are dealbreakers for everyone, but weigh them against your specific workflow.
What are the best alternatives to Cline?
Strong alternatives in coding tools include GitHub Copilot, Zed, Cursor, Replit AI. See the full ranked list on the Cline alternatives page.
The verdict
Cline is a coding tools option, best known for fully open source under apache 2.0 — auditable, forkable, no lock-in. The main trade-off is that token spend is on you and can escalate quickly on large repos — budget before you scale it across a team. Start on the free plan and compare it against the alternatives below before committing.
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