Directory / Cline
Cline
Verified
Open VS Code agent that drives the editor like a human.
Cline is an open-source coding agent for VS Code (and forks). It plans, edits, runs terminal commands, and can use the browser, with the human approving tool calls. Models are brought by the user. It is one of the two widely forked “agent in the editor” codebases, alongside Roo Code.
- Model independence
- Multi-model
- Deployment
- Self-hosted
- Open source
- Yes
- License
- Apache-2.0
- Pricing model
- Mixed
- Added / updated
- 19 Aug 2026 / 19 Aug 2026
Editorial take
Cline is what people install when they want Cursor-shaped agency without Cursor’s closed runtime. The human-in-the-loop tool approvals are the product, and also the reason it is a poor unattended factory worker unless you turn them off on purpose. Compare it to Roo Code before you pick a fork to standardize on.
Strengths
- Visible tool calls and diffs inside VS Code, with model choice you control.
- Apache-2.0 source that spawned a family of forks.
- Can drive terminal and browser, not just a chat sidebar.
Limitations
- Editor-bound. Not a headless worker without extra glue.
- Default approval UX fights unattended CI.
- You pay inference separately; marketplace add-ons are not the core license.
Compare
- vs roo-code — Sibling VS Code agent forks that diverged on product and governance.
- vs kilo-code — Two open VS Code agents that compete on model routing and markup.