Cline
Coding Agents · Free + paid
Autonomous coding agent for VS Code with human-in-the-loop approval gates
At a glance
- Made by
- Cline Bot Inc.
- Korean
- None (English and a few others only)
- API
- Yes
- Available on
- CLI, Mac, Windows, API
- Open source
- Apache 2.0
- GitHub
- 70,289 stars · Apache-2.0
What is Cline?
Cline is an AI coding agent that works in the editor and terminal. It reads and writes files, runs terminal commands, and uses the browser, asking for user approval for every action. It is available as VS Code and JetBrains extensions, a CLI, a desktop app, an SDK, and Kanban, and can also be used in Cursor, Windsurf, Zed, and others. You align on a strategy in Plan mode and then execute in Act mode, and you can connect any model you want, such as Claude, GPT, Gemini, or local models, with your own key. It is free for individual developers, who pay only for AI inference based on usage.
- Multi-file edits across the whole project, checkpoints, and rollback
- Run bash commands in the terminal
- Plan/Act modes with step-by-step approval (auto-approve optional)
- .clinerules rules and Skills
- Any model, BYOK, and local models
- MCP, plugin, and SDK extensions
- Multi-agent teams and scheduled runs
- Slack, Linear, and CI integration
Who uses Cline and for what
- Understanding and asking questions about codebase structure
- Large-scale codebase refactoring
- Automating scripts, cron, and CI pipelines via the CLI
Pricing
What you get for free — Yes (free for individual developers; only AI inference is billed by usage)
| Plan | Price | Main limits |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | $0 | For individuals; AI inference is billed by usage at cost or via BYOK |
| ClinePass | $9.99/mo | Popular open coding models offer 2-5x the usage of the standard API |
| Enterprise | Contact sales | Custom pricing, SSO, SLA, dedicated support, and JetBrains extension |
Checked on the official pages on 2026-10-14. Prices and features can change, so check the official site again before paying. · Official pricing page
AI tools similar to Cline (alternatives)
Cline vs. alternatives at a glance
| AI | Pricing | Combos on the map | Connected tools | Free | Cheapest monthly | Korean |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cline | Free + paid | 0 | 17 | Yes | $9.99/mo | No |
| Aider | Free | 0 | 17 | — | — | No |
| Charm | Free + paid | 0 | 17 | — | — | No |
| Gemini CLI | Free + paid | 0 | 5 | Yes | — | — |
| Kilo Code | Free + paid | 0 | 5 | Yes | $15/mo | No |
3 of these 5 tools have a free plan. Cheapest paid plan: Cline ($9.99/mo).
Combo and connection counts are based on the relationships recorded on AI Galaxy Map (2026-10-26); they are not a quality ranking.
Cline on AI Galaxy Map
- One of 50 AI tools in the Coding Agents field.
- Connected to 17 other tools — #6 in its field.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use Cline for free?
Yes (free for individual developers; only AI inference is billed by usage). Prices can change, so check the official site before paying.
What AI can I use instead of Cline?
Tools that do the same job, such as Aider, Charm, Gemini CLI, Kilo Code, are connected to it on the map.
Can I use Cline in Korean?
None (English and a few others only)
Sources (official pages)
Checked on the official pages on 2026-10-14. Prices and features can change, so check the official site again before paying.