Claude Code
CursorAbout Cline
Cline is an open-source AI coding agent that lives inside VS Code and also runs from the CLI, planning a task and then making multi-file edits and running terminal commands — asking for your approval at each step. That human-in-the-loop design is why so many developers trust it for real work.
You bring your own API key and model, so you're never tied to one vendor and you can see exactly what the agent proposes before it acts. It reads your project, creates and edits files, runs builds and tests, and shows you every diff.
It's Apache-2.0 licensed with an enormous and fast-growing community, and it's become the reference open alternative to Claude Code and Cursor for people who want agentic power without a black box.
What makes it different
Cline proposes a plan and each edit or command, waiting for your approval before it runs.
Creates and edits files, runs builds and tests, and iterates inside VS Code or the CLI.
Use Anthropic, OpenAI, local models and more — you supply the key and pick the model.
Every change and command is shown as a diff you can review before it happens.
TypeScript
VS Code
Node.jsThe honest read
- Human-in-the-loop — approve every edit and command
- Powerful multi-file, agentic workflows in VS Code
- Bring your own key and model — no lock-in
- Apache-2.0 licensed with a massive community
- Fully transparent diffs and actions
- You pay for your own model usage, which can add up
- Approving each step is safer but slower than full autonomy
- Primarily tied to the VS Code ecosystem
- Best results need a strong (often premium) model
Quick answers
Yes — Cline is free and open source under the Apache-2.0 license. You only pay for whichever model provider you connect.
Cline is open source and works as an extension in standard VS Code with your own key, while Cursor is a closed, paid editor fork with bundled model access.
Yes — Cline plans a task, makes multi-file edits and runs terminal commands, asking for your approval at each step.
You can bring your own key for Anthropic, OpenAI, local models and more, choosing the best fit for each task.
Cline shows every diff and command for approval before acting, so you stay in control of what changes.
More open-source picks
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Open-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains.
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