Cline
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Autonomous AI coding agent inside VS Code
Key Features
Multi-Agent
Single Agent
Human-in-the-Loop
Streaming
Async Support
Type Safe
Short-Term Memory
Long-Term Memory
Shared Memory
Plugin System
Custom Tools
MCP Protocol
A2A Protocol
Code Execution
Web Browsing
File System Access
Sandboxing
Guardrails
Structured Output
DAG Workflows
Visual Builder
CLI
API Server
Self-Hosted
Cloud Hosted
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 | @@AGENT_INFO_TABLE@@.50- per session (API costs) |
| Community Size | Very large (59k stars, 5M+ VS Code installs) |
| Community Activity | Very active |
| Sentiment | Positive |
| GPU Required | No |
| Confidence | High |
| 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
Similar Tools
Claude CodeCline is a VS Code extension; Claude Code is a terminal CLI
Continue.devCline is more autonomous; Continue.dev is more configurable
CursorCline is open-source with BYO key; Cursor is proprietary with subscription
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 v20260324