Cline
Open Sourceby Cline
★ 4.7 (304 reviews)
Cline is a free, open-source autonomous coding agent that lives inside VS Code and edits your project with your approval.
Try Cline free
The extension is free; you pay only for the model API you connect.
We may earn a commission from this link, at no extra cost to you. Disclosure.
Last reviewed
Best for
VS Code users who want an approval-gated autonomous agent inside their editor.
What is Cline?
Cline is an open-source VS Code extension that turns the editor into an autonomous coding agent. It plans a change, edits files, runs terminal commands, and asks for your approval at each step. You connect your own model API key, so it is free to use beyond model costs.
Key features
- ▹VS Code native
- ▹Approval at each step
- ▹Runs terminal commands
- ▹Browser testing
- ▹Bring your own model
- ▹MCP tool support
Pros
- +Free and open-source
- +Human-in-the-loop control
- +Great VS Code UX
- +Supports MCP tools
Cons
- −Model costs scale with task size
- −Tied to VS Code
Cline pricing
Free tier: The extension is free; you pay only for the model API you connect.
Open Source
Free
- ▹Unlimited use
- ▹Your own API key
How to get started with Cline
- 1 Install the Cline extension from the VS Code marketplace
- 2 Add your model API key
- 3 Open the Cline panel
- 4 Describe a task and approve each step
Try Cline free
The extension is free; you pay only for the model API you connect.
We may earn a commission from this link, at no extra cost to you. Disclosure.
Cline FAQ
How is Cline different from GitHub Copilot?
Copilot is mainly an autocomplete assistant, while Cline is an autonomous agent that plans, edits multiple files, and runs commands with your approval. Cline is also open-source and model-agnostic.
Cline alternatives
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