Cline pricing
Cline is free to use — there's no paid tier required for its core features.
What you get on the free vs paid plan
Cline is genuinely free for its core features, including plan-and-act mode with step-by-step approval before edits are applied, multi-file editing with diffs, linter awareness and undo, terminal command execution with live output handling. There is no paywall on the essentials, though the team may offer paid add-ons or higher-tier services — always check the official site for the current details.
Is Cline worth the price?
Cline is most praised for fully open source under apache 2.0 — auditable, forkable, no lock-in. The most common caveat is that token spend is on you and can escalate quickly on large repos — budget before you scale it across a team. Whether it is worth paying for comes down to how central coding tools is to your work: use it daily and a paid plan usually pays for itself; reach for it only occasionally and you are better off starting with the free tier and the cheaper alternatives below.
AI Coding Tools pricing compared
Of the 6 comparable coding tools tools below, 5 offer a free or freemium plan and 1 are paid-only. Cline itself is free, so you can start without a credit card. If price is your main constraint, Zed and Cursor are worth a look first.
| Tool | Pricing | Cheapest paid | |
|---|---|---|---|
| GitHub Copilot | Paid | $4 | Pricing → |
| Zed | Freemium | $10 | Pricing → |
| Cursor | Freemium | $16 | Pricing → |
| Replit AI | Freemium | $20 | Pricing → |
| Windsurf | Freemium | $20 | Pricing → |
| Bolt | Freemium | $25 | Pricing → |
Cline pricing: FAQ
Is Cline free?+
Cline has a free, so you can try it without paying. Some advanced features may require a paid plan — check the official site for current limits.
How much does Cline cost?+
Cline is free to use — there's no paid tier required for its core features. Plans and prices change often, so confirm the latest on the official Cline pricing page before purchasing.
Does Cline offer a free trial?+
Cline has a free version, so a separate trial is usually unnecessary — you can start using it at no cost today.
Is Cline cheaper than its alternatives?+
In coding tools, 5 of the comparable tools we list offer a free or freemium plan (including Zed and Cursor). If lowest cost is the priority, start with those; if you specifically need what Cline does best, its free pricing is competitive for the category.
What are cheaper alternatives to Cline?+
Browse the Cline alternatives page for similar tools in AI Coding Tools, including free and freemium options.