Cline (cline.bot) is the world's most popular open-source AI coding agent, built for developers who want a transparent, model-agnostic alternative to subscription-based coding tools. Cline integrates directly into VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, and the terminal, operating as a true agentic co-developer that reads your codebase, plans complex changes, and executes multi-step tasks — all with your explicit approval at every step. Cline itself is free; you pay only for the AI models you choose to use at provider cost, with no markup.
How Cline Works
You give Cline a task in plain language. Cline analyzes your file structure and source code, drafts a plan, and waits for your approval before executing. In Act mode, Cline creates and edits files, runs terminal commands, uses a browser, and handles package installs and deployments — all within your IDE. Every file read and every diff is visible before it's applied. Cline supports API providers including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, AWS Bedrock, Azure, DeepSeek, Groq, and local models via LM Studio or Ollama.
Key Features
- Plan/Act dual modes — Plan mode for designing and reviewing solutions before execution; Act mode for direct implementation with persistent model preferences
- Full codebase understanding — reads file structure, source code ASTs, and dependencies to understand entire projects before making changes
- Terminal command execution — runs scripts, installs packages, deploys applications, and manages databases directly in your terminal
- Browser interaction — launches and interacts with browsers to verify that changes render correctly in real applications
- MCP support — uses Model Context Protocol to create new tools and extend its own capabilities
- Model-agnostic BYOK — bring your own API key for any supported provider; no rate limits, no markup on inference costs
- Checkpoint system — automatically captures workspace state after each operation for rollback without polluting git history
- Cline Teams — centralized billing and management for enterprise teams; trusted by Fortune 500 companies
Cline Pricing
- Free / Open Source — $0 — Cline itself is completely free and open source under Apache 2.0. You only pay for the AI model API calls you make at provider rates.
- Cline Teams — Custom pricing — centralized billing, team management, and organization-level features for enterprises.
Always check the latest rates on the official website. For more AI tool reviews, visit aitoolscoop.com.
Who Should Use Cline?
Cline is built for developers who want full transparency and control over their AI coding agent — including what models are used and exactly what costs are incurred. It is the preferred choice for teams with security and compliance requirements, developers who want to use the latest frontier models immediately upon release, and engineers who want an open-source agent they can inspect, fork, and extend. Enterprise teams use Cline Teams for centralized management without vendor lock-in.
