#7 in Code AssistantsUpdated 2026-08

Cline

by Cline · Open-source coding agent for the editor, terminal and SDK

66.4 — BenchRank score out of 100

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Pricing page

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Overview

Cline is an Apache 2.0 coding agent that runs as a VS Code extension, a CLI, or an embedded SDK. It makes coordinated multi-file edits with diffs, checkpoints and undo, runs bash commands and reacts to their output, and has a Plan mode for agreeing a strategy before Act mode executes it. It works with Claude, GPT, Gemini, local Ollama or LM Studio, or any OpenAI-compatible API.

Best for: Developers wanting an open-source coding agent they can point at their own model API keys.
Pricing: The open-source tier is free with no subscription or seat fees — you pay usage-based for model inference at cost or bring your own API keys — and Enterprise is contact-sales with no figures published.
Runs on: WebCLI

Strengths and trade-offs

Strengths

Apache 2.0 open source, 250+ contributors
Works with any OpenAI-compatible endpoint or local models
Plan mode settles an approach before Act mode executes
One agent across IDE, terminal, SDK and CI pipelines

Trade-offs

No published prices; model inference is billed separately by usage
JetBrains extension is listed as an Enterprise-only feature
Enterprise terms only available by contacting sales
VS Code Marketplace rating is 4.1/5 from 305 ratings

Pricing

Published plans from Cline’s own pricing page, in USD. Usage charges and add-ons may apply on top.

Cline pricing tiers, monthly rates in USD
Plan	Monthly	Includes
Free	—	VS Code extension and CLI Model inference at cost or bring your own key MCP Marketplace and multi-root workspaces Community support
Enterprise	Contact sales	All open source features plus JetBrains extension SSO, SLA and dedicated support Centralised billing and team management dashboard Role-based access control and authentication logs

How this score is made up

Each dimension is scored out of 100 and combined into the headline score using fixed weights.

MCP support: 60 out of 100
API quality: 50 out of 100
Documentation: 100 out of 100
Agent friendliness: 83 out of 100
Pricing transparency: 45 out of 100
Changelog: 100 out of 100
Marketing site structure: 50 out of 100
Operational trust: 35 out of 100

Measured, but not part of the score

Useful to know, but not a mark for or against the product — so these do not affect the ranking.

Openness: 60 out of 100
Maintenance: 100 out of 100

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