Cline
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Autonomous AI coding agent inside VS Code
Key Features
Single Agent Human-in-the-Loop Streaming Short-Term Memory Plugin System Custom Tools MCP Protocol Code Execution Web Browsing File System Access CLI
Community Feedback
Strengths
- Open-source (Apache-2.0)
- Model-flexible with BYO API key (no subscription)
- Excellent MCP ecosystem (100+ pre-built servers)
- Transparent cost tracking
- Human oversight with approval gates for every action
Weaknesses
- Can get stuck in loops
- Token costs add up with heavy use
- Rough UX edges
- VS Code-only
- 746+ open issues
Cline Details
| Organization | Cline |
| Organization Type | Company |
| Category | Ready-to-Use |
| Subcategory | Code generation |
| Deployment | Self-Hosted |
| Primary Language | TypeScript |
| Runtime | VS Code extension |
| License | Apache-2.0 |
| Commercial Use | Permissive |
| Install Command | VS Code marketplace install |
| GitHub Stars | 59,300 |
| GitHub Forks | 6,000 |
| Open Issues | 746 |
| Release Cadence | Weekly |
| Maturity | Stable |
| Pricing Model | Free |
| Free Tier | Free extension, BYO API key |
| Cost Model | $0.50-$3 per session (API costs) |
| Community Size | Very large (59k stars, 5M+ VS Code installs) |
| Community Activity | Very active |
| Sentiment | Positive |
| GPU Required | No |
| Research Date | 2026-03-24 |
| LLM Providers | Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT-4, Local models (BYO API key) |
| API Keys Required | LLM provider API key (BYO) |
Use Cases
- Autonomous code generation and editing
- Multi-file code changes with human approval
- Browser automation and testing
- MCP server integration for extended capabilities
When to Use
Best for: Autonomous AI coding in VS Code with model flexibility and human oversight
Avoid when: Need CLI-based tool or non-VS Code IDE
Original data from HuggingFace, OpenCompass and various public git repos.
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Release v20260328a