What is Cline?
Cline is an open-source AI coding agent for VS Code, supports Claude, OpenAI and local models, plans tasks, edits files, runs terminal commands, operates locally.
Cline: A local-first AI that actually builds things
What it does
Cline is an autonomous coding agent that works on your machine. It reads and edits files, runs terminals, browses docs, scaffolds projects, fixes tests, and can even open PRs—more doer than chat window.
How it works
Using the Model Context Protocol, Cline plugs into your filesystem, shell, and browser. You bring your own API keys (Claude, GPT, Gemini), so code and credentials stay local. Plans and actions are visible, interruptible, and auditable—no black-box vibes.
Why it matters
If you’re tired of hand-holding copilots, Cline is the next rung: it coordinates tasks end-to-end. Great for greenfield prototypes, migrations, or glue code you don’t want to babysit.
Reality check
It’s not a senior engineer. You’ll review diffs, manage permissions, and clean up when the model drifts. Setup can be fiddly, and results hinge on model quality and rate limits. Treat it like a capable junior dev with fast hands—not a silver bullet.
What features and use cases does Cline offer?
- Autonomous AI coding agent in your editor that turns high‑level goals into step‑by‑step plans
- Safe codebase editing: reads context, proposes diffs, applies changes, and creates commits/PRs with your approval
- Executes shell commands and dev workflows (build, test, lint, run servers) from within the tool
- Integrated web browsing to research documentation and unblock implementation details
- Bring-your-own model: supports Anthropic/OpenAI APIs and local LLMs via Ollama; open‑source and privacy‑friendly
- Ideal for scaffolding features, fixing bugs, refactoring, writing tests, and setting up projects
- Transparent, controllable automation with logs, checkpoints, and permission gating
Prices
| Category | Price | Description |
|---|---|---|
| VS Code extension (self-hosted) | free | Open-source extension; use your own API keys for models; any model usage is billed by your provider, not by Cline. |
Prices may vary by region. We do not guarantee the accuracy of prices. For current information see: https://cline.bot
Video
Reviews
What do other users say about Cline?
No reviews yet
Be the first to review this service!