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Cline

Paid

Free, open-source AI coding agent for VS Code, CLI, and JetBrains. Writes code, edits files, and runs commands autonomously with your approval at every step.

4.7
1 5,442
Coding AssistantsContact
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Inputs: text, code, fileOutputs: code, text
Type
Saas
Company
Cline
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About Cline

Cline is a free, open-source AI coding agent designed for developers, integrating seamlessly with VS Code, CLI, and JetBrains IDEs such as IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, and WebStorm. It autonomously writes code, edits files, and runs commands, but requires user approval at every step to ensure secure operation. Powered by advanced models like Claude, Cline enables developers to understand codebase structures, query files, dependencies, and behaviors, refactor large codebases with consistent imports and types, and automate workflows via CLI in scripts, cron jobs, or CI pipelines. With over 5 million installs and 61.7k stars across platforms, it offers a powerful, uncompromised AI coding experience without apparent usage limits on the tool itself.

Developers benefit from Cline's multi-platform availability, allowing terminal-first users to leverage CLI flexibility, VS Code enthusiasts to access full AI capabilities in the world's most popular editor, and JetBrains users to integrate into professional IDEs. Installation is straightforward via VS Code Marketplace, npm for CLI and SDK, or direct repo access. The agent handles complex tasks like coordinated multi-file changes and recurring automation, making it suitable for individual coders, teams, and production environments.

As an open-source project, Cline emphasizes transparency and customization, with recent insights on its blog covering AI inference speeds, infrastructure dependencies, and prompt engineering for autonomous coding. While the core tool appears free, costs may arise from underlying AI model APIs, which should be verified based on usage.

Key Features

VS Code extension with full AI coding capabilities
CLI for terminal-based automation and scripting
JetBrains integration for IDEs like IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm
Codebase understanding and querying (files, dependencies, behavior)
Refactoring across large codebases with consistency checks
Autonomous code writing, file editing, and command execution with user approval
SDK for custom integrations via npm
Open-source with high install and star counts

Pros & Cons

Pros
  • Appears free and fully open-source with no tool-level usage limits mentioned
  • Broad platform support including VS Code, CLI, and JetBrains
  • High adoption with 5M+ installs and 61.7k stars indicating reliability
  • User approval at every step enhances security
  • Supports powerful models like Claude for advanced coding tasks
  • Easy installation via npm, marketplace, or repo
Cons
  • Requires user approval at each step, which may slow workflows
  • Depends on external AI models (e.g., Claude), potentially incurring API costs that should be verified
  • Setup involves installations like npm, not fully plug-and-play
  • Output quality likely varies by model, prompt, and codebase complexity
  • Requires internet access for AI inference

Best For

Understanding and querying complex codebasesRefactoring large-scale code changes while maintaining consistencyAutomating code checks, updates, and workflows in CI/CD pipelinesWriting and editing code directly in VS Code or JetBrains IDEsRunning terminal-based AI-assisted coding tasks via CLICreating custom scripts and cron jobs for recurring development tasks

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FAQ

Is Cline completely free to use?
Appears to be free and open-source based on website claims; however, underlying AI model APIs may involve costs that should be verified.
What platforms does Cline support?
Supports VS Code, CLI, and JetBrains IDEs like IntelliJ, PyCharm, and WebStorm, based on available information.
Does Cline run autonomously?
Performs tasks autonomously but requires user approval at every step for safety, as described.
How do I install Cline?
Via VS Code Marketplace extension, npm i -g cline for CLI, npm i @cline/sdk for SDK, or from the repo; exact instructions should be checked on the site.
What AI models does it use?
Ships securely with Claude and mentions compatibility with others like OpenAI's gpt-oss; specific backends should be verified in docs.
Are there usage limits?
Website advertises 'AI coding without limits'; free tier or model limits should be confirmed on current docs or pricing.