📦
DevelopmentFree

Cline

Open-source, client-side AI coding agent that plans, executes and audits multi-step coding tasks.
8.1
Rating
Free
Price
8
Key Features

Overview

Summary of findings (sources: cline.bot, docs.cline.bot, GitHub). Note: direct access to https://cline.sh failed due to an SSL certificate verification error (hostname mismatch), so information below was collected from the project's public sites (cline.bot, docs.cline.bot) and the GitHub repository. Short description: Cline is an open-source, client-side AI coding agent that plans, executes, and audits multi-step coding tasks. It is model-agnostic (bring your own API keys or providers) and emphasizes transparency, security, and auditability. Architecture & core features: Cline runs client-side so code and project state remain on the user's machine. It provides two main workflows: Plan (deep planning and multi-step task breakdown) and Act (execute changes with visible diffs). Observability features show actions, diffs, and token/context usage and provide an auditable history of steps. Tooling includes a VS Code extension, a CLI, and a JetBrains extension (teams). It supports multi-root workspaces, a Marketplace of tools/providers (MCP), and integrations such as CI parity and OpenTelemetry exports. Model/provider support referenced includes OpenAI, Anthropic (Claude), Google/Vertex, AWS Bedrock, OpenRouter, and self-hosted endpoints. The project also references a Model Context Protocol for connecting to DBs/APIs/docs and provider configuration guides. Pricing & plans (as presented on cline.bot/pricing and related docs): Open Source (individual) is free; users pay only for AI inference (bring-your-own API keys or chosen providers). Teams are noted as free through 2025; after that the site/docs/news reference a transition and an example price of $20/mo/user. Team features include centralized billing, RBAC, a team dashboard, JetBrains extension, and priority support. Enterprise is offered as a custom plan with SSO, SLA, dedicated support, audit logs, advanced configuration and fine-grained permissioning; some enterprise features are marked as "coming soon." The project emphasizes that Cline does not mark up model inference — users pay providers directly or use Cline Teams billing options. Docs & onboarding: docs.cline.bot contains quick start, configuration and model selection guides, MCP developer docs, best practices, model selection guidance, plan-and-act feature docs, and provider configuration pages (examples referenced: Claude, Z AI). Model comparison and pricing pages are also highlighted in documentation. Project repo / open source: GitHub repository at https://github.com/cline/cline containing source, issue tracking, and contributor guidance. Recent news cited from project blog/coverage: company announced funding (reported as $32M seed + A) and launched "Cline Teams" as an enterprise offering; coverage and blog posts live on cline.bot. Notes on data provenance and next steps: cline.sh could not be fetched directly due to an SSL certificate hostname mismatch (CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED). The information above is derived from cline.bot, docs.cline.bot, and the GitHub repo. Next-step options provided: attempt a relaxed-certificate fetch of cline.sh (not recommended for security reasons) or proceed using cline.bot/docs.cline.bot sources to pull additional requested details (full pricing text, install commands, exact Team pricing table, MCP marketplace items, or copies of specific doc pages).

Details

Developer
cline.sh
Launch Year
Free Trial
No
Updated
2025-12-07

Features

Client-side execution

Runs locally so code and project state remain on the user's machine (data sovereignty).

Plan and Act workflows

Two primary workflows: Plan for deep multi-step planning; Act to execute changes with visible diffs.

Observability and auditability

Shows actions, diffs, token/context usage, and provides an auditable history of steps.

Tooling ecosystem

Provides a VS Code extension, CLI, and JetBrains extension (teams); supports multi-root workspaces.

Model/provider agnostic

Supports multiple providers (OpenAI, Anthropic/Claude, Google/Vertex, AWS Bedrock, OpenRouter and self-hosted endpoints) and BYO API keys.

Model Context Protocol

Mechanism referenced for connecting models to databases, APIs, and documentation contexts.

Screenshots

Cline Screenshot

Pricing

Open Source (Individual)
Free

Free open-source usage; users pay only for AI inference via their chosen providers or BYO API keys.

  • Open-source codebase
  • Client-side operation (local project state)
  • Bring-your-own API keys or provider usage
  • Access to VS Code extension and CLI
Teams
Free

Teams plan noted as free through 2025; documentation/news references a transition with an example of $20/mo/user. Includes centralized billing and team features.

  • Centralized billing
  • Role-based access control (RBAC)
  • Team dashboard
  • JetBrains extension for teams
  • Priority support
Enterprise
Free

Custom enterprise plans with SSO, SLA, dedicated support, audit logs, and advanced configuration; some features marked as coming soon.

  • Single Sign-On (SSO)
  • Service Level Agreement (SLA)
  • Dedicated support and audit logs
  • Advanced configuration and fine-grained permissioning

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Open-source and transparent
  • Client-side execution preserves data sovereignty
  • Model-agnostic: supports multiple providers and BYO API keys
  • Strong observability and auditable history of actions
  • Multiple tooling options (VS Code, CLI, JetBrains) and MCP marketplace

Cons

  • Direct fetch of cline.sh failed due to an SSL certificate hostname mismatch (CERTIFICATE_VERIFY_FAILED) — indicates site accessibility issue
  • Team pricing transitions are referenced but not finalized (free through 2025 then a transition referenced)
  • Some enterprise features are marked as "coming soon" and may not be immediately available

Compare with Alternatives

FeatureClineCursorAgentOps
PricingN/A$20/month$40/month
Rating8.1/109.5/108.2/10
Client-side ExecutionYesNoNo
Agent AutonomyYesYesYes
Execution ObservabilityYesNoYes
Model PortabilityYesYesPartial
Integration EcosystemYesYesYes
Developer WorkflowAgent first CLI and editor integrationsEditor native autocomplete and agent workflowsObservability first SDK and replayable workflows
Enterprise GovernanceYesYesYes

Audience

Individual developersLocal, client-side AI-assisted coding with BYO API keys and extensions (VS Code/CLI).
Engineering teamsCentralized billing, RBAC, team dashboards and collaboration via Cline Teams (noted free through 2025 with a later transition).
EnterprisesCustom enterprise deployments with SSO, SLA, audit logs, dedicated support and advanced configuration.

Tags

open-sourceclient-sideai-agentcoding-assistantplan-and-actobservabilitymodel-agnosticintegrations