Open Source Direct
Free source (opens in a new tab)
Month, annual commitment
For: Individual developers
Limits
- Inference billed at cost or via your own API keys
Includes
- VS Code extension and CLI
- MCP Marketplace
1 more
- Community support
CodingDocumented overviewLast checked Oct 2, 2026
Cline: Pricing, Features & Best Use Cases
Open-source coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains, terminal and desktop, with bring-your-own-model support.
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Our take: Cline suits developers who want an open-source coding agent in VS Code, JetBrains, the terminal or a desktop app and prefer to bring their own model keys.
Main limitation: Model inference is billed separately by the provider you choose, and JetBrains, SSO and team features need Enterprise.
Who should use Cline
Cline suits developers who want an open-source coding agent in VS Code, JetBrains, the terminal or a desktop app and prefer to bring their own model keys. Based on the vendor's documentation, not on a hands-on test.
Best for: Individual developers
Also a good fit for
- Teams wanting model choice
- Enterprises needing SSO and audit logs
Consider another tool if you pay for model inference separately
Or if
- Desktop app version listed as 0.0.41
- JetBrains extension, SSO and team features need Enterprise
Cline in the news
Headlines from US outlets, selected automatically — not endorsements. Updated Oct 2, 2026
Cline pricing and usage limits
Prices checked Oct 2, 2026 on the official US pricing page. Official pricing ↗ Prices and limits change often.
Free access and trial conditions
The open-source extension is free for individual developers
Not stated on the fetched pages
Paid plans: what changes as you upgrade
ClinePass Direct
$9.99/mo source (opens in a new tab)
Month, annual commitment
For: Developers wanting predictable open-model usage
Limits
- 2-5x the usage on popular open coding models compared to standard API rates
Includes
- Flat monthly subscription
Enterprise Direct
Custom pricing source (opens in a new tab)
Month, annual commitment
For: Organizations needing governance
Limits
- Contact sales
Includes
- JetBrains extension
- SSO, RBAC and audit logs
1 more
- SLA and dedicated support
Usage caps, credits and extra costs
Model inference is billed per use by the provider or the Cline provider
Not stated on the fetched pages
What is Cline, and how does it work?
Cline is an open-source (Apache 2.0) coding agent available as a desktop app, CLI, IDE extension and SDK. It edits files across a project, runs terminal commands and uses a Plan and Act workflow. It works with many model providers or your own API keys, so you pay for model inference rather than a subscription.
What you provide and what you get back
You provide
- Natural-language task descriptions
- Project files and rules
- Your own model API keys
You get back
- Multi-file edits with diffs
- Terminal command results
- Checkpoints you can undo
Where you can use it
- Platforms
- Desktop
- Account
- Required
- Models / versions
- BYO provider: Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Bedrock, Azure, Vertex, Ollama, DeepSeek, xAI
- Surfaces
- Desktop app, CLI, VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin, SDK source (opens in a new tab)
- Other editors
- Cursor, Windsurf, Zed, Neovim via ACP source (opens in a new tab)
- Workflow
- Plan and Act modes with per-step approval source (opens in a new tab)
- Customization
- Rules via .clinerules, skills, MCP servers source (opens in a new tab)
What people use Cline for
Scenarios are worked out by our editors from the documentation; the actual result depends on your input and plan.
Understand and explain codebases
- Who
- Developers new to a repo
- You provide
- A question about files and dependencies
- Expected result
- An explanation of how the codebase is structured
- Plan needed
- Open Source
- Limitation
- Quality depends on the model you connect source (opens in a new tab)
Refactor across many files
- Who
- Engineers doing large changes
- You provide
- A refactoring request across many files
- Expected result
- Coordinated edits that keep imports and types consistent
- Plan needed
- Open Source
- Limitation
- Every action needs approval unless auto-approve is on source (opens in a new tab)
Automate tasks via CLI in scripts and CI
- Who
- DevOps and platform engineers
- You provide
- CLI commands run from scripts, cron or CI
- Expected result
- Recurring checks and updates run headlessly
- Plan needed
- Open Source
- Limitation
- Inference costs apply for every run source (opens in a new tab)
What Cline does, and where it stops
Multi-file edits with diffs and checkpoints
Edits several files at once and shows diffs with checkpoints and one-click undo. Lets you review and reverse each step.
Terminal command execution
Runs bash commands and reacts to the output as it appears. Handles tests, dev servers and deploys from the chat.
Plan and Act modes
Lets you agree on a strategy in Plan mode and then execute it in Act mode. Reduces wrong-direction edits.
Rules via .clinerules and Skills
Reads .clinerules files and skills to follow your coding standards. Keeps output consistent with repo conventions.
Cline pros and cons
Where Cline is strong
- Open source under Apache 2.0 Developers avoid paying a flat seat fee. documented source (opens in a new tab)
- Free for individual developers Teams can inspect and modify the source. documented source (opens in a new tab)
- Bring your own API keys You control and can cap spending. documented source (opens in a new tab)
- Desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux Works outside an editor. documented source (opens in a new tab)
Limitations to check before paying
- You pay for model inference separately Costs vary with token usage. documented source (opens in a new tab)
- Desktop app version listed as 0.0.41 Teams on JetBrains or needing governance must go through sales. documented source (opens in a new tab)
- JetBrains extension, SSO and team features need Enterprise Early-stage desktop software can change quickly. documented source (opens in a new tab)
- Enterprise pricing is contact-sales only Larger companies cannot see a rate before contacting sales. documented source (opens in a new tab)
How to use Cline for refactoring a function across a repo
Set up Cline
- Install the Cline extension in VS Code or run npm i -g cline
- Sign in or add your own API key
- Pick a model
- Open your project folder
Example: refactoring a function across a repo
- Switch to Plan mode and describe the refactor
- Review the plan and switch to Act mode
- Approve each file edit and command
- Run the test command
Review and export the result
- Read each diff before approving
- Run your test suite
- Use a checkpoint to restore if a step went wrong
Rename the fetchUser helper to getUser across the repo, update imports, and run the tests.
Cline API
API access and separate billing
An API is available, billed separately from the app subscription. An SDK (@cline/sdk) is documented; inference is billed by the model provider API documentation ↗
Privacy, data use and commercial rights
Summarized from the vendor's current policies; this is not legal advice and a vendor's badge is not an independent audit.
How your inputs and outputs are handled
Prompts and files go to the model provider you select; with your own API keys, content goes to that provider rather than Cline
Not stated on the fetched pages
Not stated on the fetched pages
Commercial use and plan restrictions
Apache 2.0 open source
Enterprise adds SSO, audit logs and provider limits
Controls for business users
- Client-side architecture
- Limit inference providers (Enterprise)
- Authentication logs (Enterprise)
Policies: cline.bot/privacy
Other tools to consider instead of Cline
"Better suited" is based on documented features and pricing, not on a head-to-head test.
Cursor: better suited to
GitHub Copilot: better suited to
Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): better suited to
Claude: better suited to
| Alternative | When to choose it | Pricing | Limitation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cursor | — | — | Compare | |
| GitHub Copilot | — | — | Compare | |
| Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | — | — | Compare | |
| Claude | — | — |
Explore Cline further
Tools and guides near Cline
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Cline FAQ
Is Cline open source?
Yes, Cline is released under the Apache 2.0 license. source (opens in a new tab)
What does Cline Enterprise add?
Enterprise adds the JetBrains extension, SSO, role-based access control, centralized billing, audit logs and dedicated support. source (opens in a new tab)
What is ClinePass?
ClinePass is a flat $9.99 per month subscription giving 2-5x the usage on popular open coding models compared to standard API rates. source (opens in a new tab)
Which models does Cline work with?
Anthropic, Gemini, OpenAI, OpenRouter, AWS Bedrock, GCP Vertex, DeepSeek and local runtimes such as Ollama and LM Studio. source (opens in a new tab)
Sources and review methodology
Official sources and verification dates
- Cline homepage homepage · checked Oct 2, 2026
- Cline pricing pricing · checked Oct 2, 2026
- https://cline.bot/privacy policy · checked Oct 2, 2026
- https://docs.cline.bot/cline-overview docs · checked Oct 2, 2026
- Models / engine, vendor page docs · checked Oct 11, 2026 · what_it_is.models_versions
Not verified: Data retention and training use not stated in fetched text; Desktop app is version 0.0.41.
How we documented and maintain this page
Every fact about Cline above comes from the 5 official pages listed here, last compared on Oct 2, 2026; we have not run Cline ourselves, so it has no editorial score. How we check and re-check pages.
Article updated Oct 2, 2026; prices checked Oct 2, 2026. Outbound links to vendors are plain links; we do not earn commissions. How we review · Report an error