Open-source coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains, terminal and desktop, with bring-your-own-model support.
Free stops at: Inference billed at cost or via your own API keys
Listed Not yet reviewed
Free no paid plan listed
Head-to-head · profiles checked Oct 2, 2026
Cline vs Claude Code in 2026: bring your own model or a Claude plan
Pick Cline for an open-source agent that uses your own model keys, and Claude Code for an agent bundled with a Claude plan. Cline's Open Source plan is free and ClinePass is $9.99/month, but inference is billed separately. Claude Code has no free tier: Pro is $20/month, Max starts at $100/month, Team at $25/seat/month. Both read code, edit files and run commands.
Starting priceFree (Open Source); ClinePass $9.99/mo · Pro $20/moCline · Claude Code
Free tierYes · NoCline · Claude Code
Plans documented3 · 5Cline · Claude Code
PlatformsDesktop, CLI, VS Code, JetBrains, SDK · CLI, IDE, desktop, web, mobileCline · Claude Code
We based this comparison on our Cline profile verified 2026-10-02 and our Claude Code profile verified 2026-09-29, both built from official vendor pages; it uses no third-party benchmarks and no vendor paid for placement.
Is Cline better than Claude Code? The short answer
Cline is the pick if you want an open-source agent that works with the model provider of your choice and costs nothing beyond inference. Claude Code is the pick if you already pay for a Claude plan or want terminal, IDE, desktop, web and mobile access from one vendor. Cline has no free-plan gate but bills inference separately, while Claude Code is not included in Claude Free. Teams needing SSO should note that Cline reserves it for Enterprise, whereas Claude Code lists SSO from the Team plan.
Based on our Cline profile verified 2026-10-02 and Claude Code profile verified 2026-09-29, both built from official vendor pages; no benchmark was run.
Cline and Claude Code, as their sites look today
Our own captures of each vendor's public pages. Click a frame for the full-size image.
Cline or Claude Code: which to use, by task
If you only want the answer, this is the table. Everything below is the evidence from the two documented profiles.
| You want to | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Try an AI coding agent for free | Cline | Cline's Open Source plan is free; Claude Code is not in Claude Free |
| Use your own API keys with many providers | Cline | Cline works with Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Bedrock, Azure, Vertex, Ollama, DeepSeek and xAI |
| Refactor across many files | Either | Both document multi-file edits with diffs |
| Run terminal commands during development | Either | Cline executes terminal commands with per-command approval; Claude Code runs commands such as tests and lint |
| Plan before changing code | Cline | Cline documents Plan and Act modes; Claude Code's profile lists plan review in the VS Code extension |
| Start a coding job from your phone or browser | Claude Code | Claude Code lists web access plus iOS and Android apps; Cline lists no web or mobile surface |
| Work inside JetBrains | Either | Both list JetBrains; Cline's JetBrains extension needs Enterprise |
| Run a recurring scheduled task | Claude Code | Claude Code's desktop app lists scheduled tasks; Cline's profile lists none |
| Automate checks from scripts and CI | Cline | Cline documents CLI use in scripts, cron and CI; inference costs apply per run |
| Set up SSO for a team | Claude Code | Claude Code's Team plan lists SSO; Cline requires Enterprise |
Who should pick which
Pick Cline if
- You want an open-source (Apache 2.0) coding agent you can inspect and modify
- You want to bring your own API keys and choose among Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Ollama and others
- You want a free tool for individual developers and pay only for inference
- You want Plan and Act modes with per-step approval and checkpoints
Pick Claude Code if
- You already have, or will buy, a Claude Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise plan
- You want one agent across terminal, VS Code, JetBrains, desktop, web and mobile
- You want a fixed monthly subscription instead of metered inference
- Your team needs SSO, central billing and no training on content by default
What Cline does better, and what Claude Code does better
Cline
- Open source under Apache 2.0
- Bring your own keys with any listed provider, including local runtimes such as Ollama and LM Studio
- Free for individual developers
- MCP marketplace and Rules via .clinerules
Claude Code
- Web, iOS and Android access in addition to terminal and IDEs
- Desktop app with visual diff review and scheduled tasks
- SSO, central billing and no training by default from the Team plan
- Integrations with GitHub and Slack
Cline vs Claude Code pricing: plans and free tiers
| Plan | Tool | Price | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cline Open Source | Cline | Free | Inference billed at cost or via your own API keys |
| ClinePass | Cline | $9.99/mo | 2-5x the usage on popular open coding models compared to standard API rates |
| Cline Enterprise | Cline | Custom (contact sales) | Contact sales |
| Claude Pro | Claude Code | $20/mo ($17/mo annual) | Five-hour session limit plus a weekly limit, shared across claude.ai, Claude Code and the desktop app |
| Claude Max 5x | Claude Code | $100/mo | 5x the usage of Pro; usage limits apply |
| Claude Max 20x | Claude Code | $200/mo | 20x the usage of Pro; usage limits apply |
| Claude Team (standard seat) | Claude Code | $25/seat/mo ($20 annual) | Teams of 2 to 150; more usage than Pro |
| Claude Enterprise | Claude Code | Seat plus usage at API rates | Spend limits set by admins |
USD as published on each vendor's pricing page, checked Oct 2, 2026. Cline pricing in full · Claude Code pricing in full
Usage limits: what the vendors state
| Cline | Claude Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Messages / rate limits | No plan limit stated; inference usage depends on your provider | Pro and Max: five-hour session limit plus a weekly limit; Team and Enterprise: Not stated |
| Context / file size | Not stated | Up to 1M tokens, varies by model |
| Seats / team | Team features need Enterprise (contact sales) | Team plan for 2 to 150 seats; Enterprise via sales |
Feature comparison
| Feature | Cline | Claude Code |
|---|---|---|
| Multi-file edits with diffs | Yes, with checkpoints and one-click undo | Yes |
| Terminal command execution | Yes, approval per command | Yes |
| Plan before acting | Yes (Plan and Act modes) | Plan review in the VS Code extension |
| Rules and skills | Yes (.clinerules and Skills) | Not stated |
| MCP | Yes (MCP marketplace) | Not stated |
| Choose any model | Yes, bring your own keys | Opus 5.5 default; Fable 5.1, Sonnet 5.5, Haiku 5.5 selectable |
| Web access | Not stated | Yes (claude.ai/code) |
| Mobile apps | Not stated | Yes (iOS and Android) |
| Open source | Yes (Apache 2.0) | Not stated |
Privacy and data training
| Cline | Claude Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Training on your data | Not stated on the fetched pages | Opt-out on Free, Pro and Max; none by default on Team and Enterprise |
| Retention | Not stated on the fetched pages | Not stated; custom retention controls on Enterprise only |
| Business controls | Client-side architecture; Enterprise adds SSO, RBAC, audit logs and provider limits | SSO and SCIM, audit logs and Compliance API, IP allowlisting, HIPAA-ready offering |
Taken from each vendor's published policy pages at the time of our check. Policies change; the source links are at the bottom.
Switching between Cline and Claude Code: what carries over
Cline → Claude CodeCarries over
- Plain-language task prompts
- Project files, since both work on your local folder
- Terminal and VS Code or JetBrains workflows
- Free use without a Claude plan or Console account
- Choice of model provider
- Plan and Act modes and .clinerules files
Claude Code → ClineCarries over
- Plain-language task prompts
- Project files, since both work on your local folder
- Terminal and VS Code or JetBrains workflows
- Web, iOS and Android access
- Scheduled tasks and cloud sessions
- Flat plan pricing included with a Claude subscription
Pros and cons
Cline
- Open source under Apache 2.0
- Free for individual developers
- Bring your own API keys
- You pay for model inference separately
- JetBrains extension, SSO and team features need Enterprise
- Enterprise pricing is contact-sales only
Claude Code
- Available on terminal, IDE, desktop and web
- Included in Pro and Max subscription plans
- Native installs update automatically in the background
- Not included in the Free Claude plan
- Console use is billed by API token consumption
- Subscription usage limits apply
The two tools
Anthropic's agentic coding tool that reads your codebase, edits files and runs commands from the terminal, IDEs, desktop app or browser.
Watch out: Not included in the Free Claude plan, and usage on subscriptions is capped by plan limits.
Listed Not yet reviewed
Verified code.claude.com (opens Claude Code website in a new tab)
From $20/mo US · checked Sep 29
Cline or Claude Code: how to choose
- Want a free, open-source agent you can inspect: choose Cline
- Want to use your own keys with a provider of your choice: choose Cline
- Already pay for a Claude plan: choose Claude Code
- Need web or mobile access to your coding agent: choose Claude Code
- Need SSO on a small team without an Enterprise contract: choose Claude Code, since Cline reserves SSO for Enterprise
- Unsure about cost: estimate your monthly token use first, because Cline and Claude Code Console use are both billed by inference
Frequently asked questions
Is Cline cheaper than Claude Code?
Cline's extension is free for individual developers, but you pay your model provider for inference, so total cost varies with token use. Claude Code has no free tier and starts with Pro at $20/month ($17 with annual billing). ClinePass is a flat $9.99/month. Total cost depends on usage, so we cannot name a winner.
Is Cline free?
Yes. The Open Source plan is free for individual developers and Cline is released under Apache 2.0. Model inference is billed separately, either by the provider whose keys you bring or by the Cline provider. Enterprise pricing is contact sales only.
Can I use Claude Code without a subscription?
Yes, with an Anthropic Console account billed by API token consumption. Claude Code is not included in the Free Claude plan. Most surfaces need a Claude subscription or a Console account.
Does Cline or Claude Code use my code for training?
Cline's profile does not state training use or retention; with your own API keys, prompts go to the provider you choose rather than Cline. For Claude Code, the pricing page lists training as opt-out on Free, Pro and Max and none by default on Team and Enterprise. Retention periods were not stated for either tool.
Sources
- https://cline.bot/
- https://cline.bot/pricing
- https://cline.bot/privacy
- https://docs.cline.bot/cline-overview
- https://code.claude.com/docs/en/overview
- https://code.claude.com/docs/en/costs
- https://www.anthropic.com/pricing
- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anthropics/claude-code/main/README.md
- https://claude.com/pricing
- https://claude.com/product/claude-code
- https://code.claude.com/docs
- https://code.claude.com/docs/en/model-config
Only official vendor pages. No third-party benchmarks, forum threads or press were used. How we review.