Cline review

★ 4.3/5

Open-source AI coding agent

Cline is an open-source (Apache 2.0) autonomous coding agent that runs as a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin, and a CLI. The extension itself is free with no subscription or seat fee; you pay only for AI model usage, either by bringing your own provider API keys or by buying credits through the optional Cline provider. It emphasizes no vendor lock-in, a Plan/Act workflow with human approval, and an MCP marketplace for connecting tools.

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Visit Cline → last verified 2026-06-01

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Best for Developers who want a free, transparent BYOK coding agent. Cline starts Free (open source) on a Free open-source tool; cost is usage-based AI inference (bring-your-own API key paid to providers, or pay-as-you-go credits via the Cline provider). Enterprise is custom-quoted. model. The tool is $0; your real bill is whatever the underlying model costs, e.g. Cline cites roughly $0.06 per request on its enterprise dashboard, so a moderate user typically spends tens of dollars a month in API/credit usage.

Spec

pricing modelFree open-source tool; cost is usage-based AI inference (bring-your-own API key paid to providers, or pay-as-you-go credits via the Cline provider). Enterprise is custom-quoted.
entry priceFree (open source)verify livedecode →
free tierYes. The Open Source plan is free forever for individual developers: VS Code extension, CLI, MCP marketplace, BYOK or Cline provider, multi-root workspaces, community support. You only pay for AI inference when you use models, and some models in the Cline provider are tagged FREE.source →
self-hostYes
MCPClient
integrationsVS Code, JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, GoLand), CLI/SDK; model providers Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, AWS Bedrock, Azure/GCP Vertex, Ollama and any OpenAI-compatible API; MCP servers via the MCP marketplace.source →
API accessYes
affiliateNo public affiliate program

The gotcha

the pricing catch

"Free" only covers the extension, not the AI. Real spend comes entirely from model inference, which is usage-based and unbounded, so heavy use of frontier models can run high. The vendor pricing page lists only Open Source (Free) and Enterprise (Custom); a $20/user/month Teams tier appears in third-party write-ups but is not published on the live pricing page, so treat it as unconfirmed.

Decode the real cost →

Best for

  • You want a fully open-source coding agent in your IDE and would rather pay model providers directly than a fixed monthly subscription.

source: cline.bot/pricing →

Cline pricing tiers

Prices move. Cells flagged verify link to the live vendor page.

Decode Cline pricing →
tiermonthlyannualincludedunit
Open Source Free n/a VS Code extension, CLI, secure client-side architecture, BYOK or Cline provider inference, MCP marketplace, multi-root workspaces, community support; pay only for AI inference usage per user
Cline provider (inference credits) Usage-basedverify n/a Optional managed access to multiple models via one sign-in; add credits from the Cline dashboard, some models tagged FREE; pay-as-you-go for what you use per usage / credits
Enterprise Customverify n/a All Open Source features plus JetBrains plugin, SSO/OIDC, SLA, dedicated support, centralized billing, team dashboard, role-based access control, inference provider limits, auth logs custom quote

// pools and per-unit rates are volatile · cells flagged verify link to the live vendor page

Compare Cline with…

cline pricing decoded→ cline alternatives→ best ai coding agents→

Questions

How much does Cline cost?

Cline starts Free (open source). The tool is $0; your real bill is whatever the underlying model costs, e.g. Cline cites roughly $0.06 per request on its enterprise dashboard, so a moderate user typically spends tens of dollars a month in API/credit usage.

Can you self-host Cline?

Yes, Cline can be self-hosted.

Does Cline support MCP?

Cline supports MCP as Client, so it works with assistants like Claude and ChatGPT.

What's the catch with Cline's pricing?

"Free" only covers the extension, not the AI. Real spend comes entirely from model inference, which is usage-based and unbounded, so heavy use of frontier models can run high. The vendor pricing page lists only Open Source (Free) and Enterprise (Custom); a $20/user/month Teams tier appears in third-party write-ups but is not published on the live pricing page, so treat it as unconfirmed.