Cline Review 2026: An Open-Source VS Code Agent With Zero Vendor Lock-In

What Is Cline?

Cline is a free, open-source AI coding agent that runs inside VS Code. It operates as an autonomous agent — reading your codebase, planning changes, editing files, running terminal commands, and even interacting with a browser — all from within the editor. With over four million developers using it, Cline has become one of the most popular open-source alternatives to proprietary AI coding tools.

What sets Cline apart is its bring-your-own-key (BYOK) model. You connect it to whichever LLM provider you prefer — Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, or any of 50+ providers via OpenRouter — and Cline handles the rest. You can also run fully local models through Ollama or LM Studio for air-gapped development.

What It Does

Agentic Multi-File Editing

Cline works as a full coding agent within VS Code. Describe a task in natural language and it reads relevant files, plans the changes, creates and edits files across your project, and verifies the result. It handles refactoring, feature implementation, bug fixes, and test generation across multiple files in a single workflow.

The quality of output depends heavily on which model you connect. Claude and GPT produce the most reliable multi-file edits, while smaller or local models handle simpler tasks but struggle with complex cross-file reasoning.

Browser Automation

One of Cline’s distinctive features is browser use. It can launch a browser, interact with your running application, take screenshots, and use visual feedback to debug issues. This is particularly useful for front-end development — Cline can verify that UI changes render correctly without you manually switching between the editor and browser.

Terminal Command Execution

Cline runs terminal commands directly — installing dependencies, running tests, starting dev servers, executing build scripts. It asks for approval before running commands, so you maintain control over what executes on your machine.

Model Flexibility

You can switch between models mid-session. Use a capable model like Claude for complex architectural work, then switch to a cheaper model for straightforward edits. Cline supports commercial APIs, OpenRouter, and local models, giving you complete control over cost and capability.

Pricing

Cline itself is free and open source. Your cost is the API usage for your chosen model:

Plan	Price	Details
Open Source	Free	BYOK — bring your own API key
Teams	$20/user/mo	First 10 seats free through Q1 2026, shared config
Enterprise	Custom	Custom deployment and support

For individual developers using commercial APIs, typical monthly costs range from $5—40 depending on model choice and usage intensity. Running local models eliminates API costs entirely.

Pricing verified February 2026. Check cline.bot for current pricing.

Strengths

True open source with full transparency. Cline is licensed under Apache 2.0. You can audit every line of code, verify what data is sent to APIs, fork it, and self-host it. For developers and organizations that need to understand exactly what their tools do, this is a genuine differentiator over proprietary agents.

Model provider freedom eliminates vendor lock-in. No other VS Code agent offers this level of backend flexibility. You can use Claude today, switch to GPT tomorrow, and run a local model on Friday — all without changing your workflow. This also means you can adopt new models the day they launch.

Browser automation bridges the editor-browser gap. Being able to have your coding agent visually verify changes in a running application is something most competitors lack entirely. For front-end work, this shortens the feedback loop meaningfully.

Weaknesses

VS Code only limits your audience. If your team uses JetBrains, Neovim, or Emacs, Cline is not an option. There is no multi-IDE support on the roadmap as of early 2026.

API costs require active management. Unlike flat-rate subscriptions, BYOK means you need to monitor your own API spending. A long agentic session with a capable model can consume more tokens than expected, especially on large codebases.

No inline code completions. Cline is an agent, not an autocomplete tool. It does not suggest code as you type. For tab completions, you need a separate tool like Copilot or Supermaven running alongside it.

Who It’s For

Cline fits well for:

• Developers who value open-source tools and want full control over their AI stack
• Teams that need to use specific model providers for compliance or cost reasons
• Front-end developers who benefit from browser-based verification
• VS Code users who want an agentic workflow without leaving their editor

Cline is a harder sell for:

• Developers using JetBrains, Vim, or other non-VS Code editors
• Beginners who want a simple install-and-go experience with built-in model access
• Developers who prefer predictable monthly pricing over per-token API costs

Sources

• Cline
• Cline GitHub Repository
• Cline VS Code Marketplace