Cline

What it does

Writes code

YesCline authors new code from a plain-language request, creating and editing files across a project rather than completing lines in one buffer.It can read and write files, run terminal commands, use a browser, and help you build features through natural conversation.docs.cline.bot/cline-overview ↗

Debugs and fixes

YesDiagnosis and repair are advertised as one loop: it reads stack traces or failing tests, then edits the files and re-runs commands to confirm the fix.Analyze stack traces and fix bugs from error logs instantly.cline.bot/enterprise ↗

Writes tests

YesTest authoring is a named use case, covering unit and integration tests for existing large codebases rather than only tests for code it just wrote.Generate comprehensive unit and integration tests for large enterprise codebases.cline.bot/enterprise ↗

Reviews code

YesIt reviews diffs someone else wrote, either interactively on files and pull requests or unattended in GitHub Actions posting a review comment.Cline can be a valuable code review assistant. Ask it to review specific files or pull requests, and it can identify potential bugs, suggest…cline.bot/faq ↗

Whole-codebase work

YesRepository-wide migrations are a stated use case, though the vendor is explicit that it never indexes a repo and instead uses partial-file analysis and summarisation.Make coordinated changes across large codebases while Cline keeps imports, types, and behavior consistent.cline.bot ↗

Ships it

PartlyIt goes past the diff by running your own commands and by committing or opening a PR from the Kanban board, but Cline ships no deployment service of its own.Long-running dev servers, tests, deploys, all handled live.cline.bot ↗

Done-for-you service

NoThis is software you install and operate yourself in your editor or terminal; Enterprise buys support, SLA and governance, not a team that builds for you.Cline is an AI coding agent that lives in your editor and your terminal.docs.cline.bot/cline-overview ↗

How much it does unattended

Runs autonomously

YesAuto-approval and headless mode let a task run start to finish with nobody watching, including scheduled cron runs and CI jobs; the vendor warns to use a clean branch.Autonomous execution can modify files and run commands without further prompts. Use a clean branch and review results.docs.cline.bot/usage/cli-overview ↗

Multi-agent

YesTwo mechanisms coordinate several agents: read-only subagents that research in parallel, and SDK agent teams where a coordinator delegates to specialists and merges results.One agent acts as the coordinator, delegating subtasks to specialist agents and merging their results.docs.cline.bot/sdk/guides/multi-agent-t… ↗

Agent permissions

YesApproval is per tool call across eight named categories - reading, editing, safe commands, all commands, browser, MCP - each toggled separately, with outside-workspace access gated behind the base toggle.Auto Approve lets you decide which actions Cline can take without prompting you each time.docs.cline.bot/features/auto-approve ↗

Which models it runs on

Claude

YesClaude is supported and is the vendor's recommended coding model, reachable through Cline's own billing, through Anthropic directly, or via Bedrock and Vertex.Claude, GPT, Gemini, local Ollama / LM Studio, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Bring your own key or your own weights.cline.bot ↗

GPT

YesGPT models are supported on the same footing as Claude, through the Cline provider, an OpenAI key of your own, or Azure OpenAI on the enterprise path.Claude, GPT, Gemini, local Ollama / LM Studio, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Bring your own key or your own weights.cline.bot ↗

Open models

YesOpen-weight models are a first-class path: a curated set ships inside the ClinePass subscription, and Ollama, LM Studio or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint runs weights you host.ClinePass is a low-cost subscription that includes open weight models in Cline.cline.bot/cline-pass ↗

Model choice

YesYou choose the model and the provider, and the vendor frames that as its differentiator; the same client talks to more than thirty providers plus local runtimes.Cline is open source and supports providers like Anthropic, Gemini, OpenAI, OpenRouter, AWS Bedrock, GCP Vertex, Groq, Cerebras, Vercel AI Gateway,…cline.bot/pricing ↗

Where you use it

In your editor

YesIt runs as an editor extension in VS Code and forks of it and as a JetBrains plugin, and ACP-capable editors such as Zed, Neovim and Emacs can drive the CLI instead.AI coding assistant in your editor. Create files, run commands, browse the web, and use tools with human-in-the-loop approval.docs.cline.bot/cline-overview ↗

On the command line

YesA terminal client installed from npm gives both an interactive session and a headless mode triggered by piping, redirection or the JSON flag.Run Cline in your terminal with interactive chat or fully headless automation for CI/CD and scripting.docs.cline.bot/cline-overview ↗

In your pipeline

YesThe CLI is documented as a GitHub Actions step that reviews pull requests unattended and posts inline comments; the vendor also names GitLab and other pipelines.Detailed analysis, security checks, and code suggestions provided by Cline running autonomously in GitHub Actions.docs.cline.bot/cli/samples/github-pr-re… ↗

In a browser

PartlyThe browser UI is Kanban, a board you start yourself on localhost and label a research preview; the vendor's hosted web app is the account and admin console, not a place to run tasks.This starts a local server and opens the board in your browser.docs.cline.bot/usage/kanban ↗

Whose machine it runs on

Self-hosted

YesThe client executes on your own machine by default, and Enterprise is documented for VPC, on-premises and air-gapped deployment with inference going straight to your providers.VPC, on-prem, air-gapped. You control where it runs and how it's configured for maximum security and data sovereignty.cline.bot/enterprise ↗

Open source

YesThe agent client and its SDK harness are published under the Apache 2.0 licence, and the paid layers are model access and organisation governance rather than the code.Apache 2.0 open sourcecline.bot ↗

What it costs to run

How it meters

YesThree shapes coexist: metered credits per model call, one flat monthly subscription for curated open-weight models, or your own provider bill under BYOK - and no seat fee on the open-source client.You only pay for AI inference credits when you use AI models. This is usage-based pricing - you pay for what you use, nothing more.cline.bot/pricing ↗

Free tier

YesNo sales call: the extension and CLI are free indefinitely, you supply a key or credits, and rotating promotional free models let you run tasks at no cost up to a quota.The Cline open source extension is completely free for individual developers.cline.bot/pricing ↗

API access

YesTwo documented APIs plus an SDK: an OpenAI-compatible chat completions endpoint for inference, a REST admin API for orgs and keys, and npm packages that embed the agent loop itself.You authenticate once with a Cline API key and get access to models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and more through a single base URL.docs.cline.bot/api/overview ↗

MCP server

PartlyCline is an MCP client - you attach local or remote servers to it, and a marketplace lists them - but the vendor documents no MCP server exposing Cline itself to another agent.MCP (Model Context Protocol) lets Cline use external tools and data sources through MCP servers.docs.cline.bot/mcp/mcp-overview ↗

Bring your own key

YesBring-your-own-key is the default path and extends to your own cloud accounts (Bedrock, Vertex, Azure OpenAI) and your own weights on Ollama or LM Studio.You can bring your own API keys from providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others.cline.bot/pricing ↗

Buying it for a team

A company can buy it

YesAn organisation can buy Enterprise, which adds org accounts with roles, centralised billing and governance over the same client; its price is quoted rather than published.Cline Enterprise brings centralized governance to the same open-source architecture that millions of developers already use.docs.cline.bot/enterprise-solutions/ove… ↗

Seat model

PartlySeats are counted against an organisation licence - every owner, admin, member and even a pending invite holds one - but no seat price, floor or ceiling is published, and Enterprise claims unlimited seats.Includes unlimited seats with no per-user restrictions.docs.cline.bot/enterprise-solutions/tea… ↗

Pooled budget

PartlyOrganisation members draw on providers and billing configured centrally by an admin, and spend is reported per team and per member, but no per-seat budget cap is documented.Configure providers once for the entire organization through the web-based admin console.docs.cline.bot/enterprise-solutions/con… ↗

Admin controls

YesAdmins push remote configuration that constrains the agent itself: which providers and models are allowed, whether YOLO mode runs, and which MCP servers may be installed or added.Enterprise administrators have four configuration options to govern MCP server usage across their organizationdocs.cline.bot/enterprise-solutions/con… ↗

Audit log

PartlyEnterprise records authentication events and administrative operations selectively, and member activity logs survive offboarding; full conversation history is captured only if you enable prompt storage to your own bucket.OpenTelemetry integration for monitoring usage, costs, and performance with selective audit logging for administrative operationsdocs.cline.bot/enterprise-solutions/ove… ↗

Single sign-on

PartlySAML and OIDC single sign-on, with SCIM provisioning, are Enterprise-only and brokered through WorkOS AuthKit; Okta, Entra ID, Google Workspace and generic SAML or OIDC connections are documented.This includes JetBrains extension, centralized billing, team management dashboard, role-based access control, SSO, OIDC, SCIM provisioning, audit…cline.bot/pricing ↗

What happens to your code

Opt out of training

PartlyCline states it never trains on your code, and BYOK keeps requests out of its infrastructure entirely, but its privacy notice puts training on whichever model provider you choose and their opt-out.your code and prompts pass through our infrastructure to reach the model — and we never use them to train modelscline.bot/faq ↗

Data residency

PartlyYou control where processing happens - VPC, on-premises or air-gapped, with inference to your own regional endpoints - but no jurisdiction is named for Cline's hosted account, billing and config service.VPC, on-prem, air-gapped. You control where it runs and how it's configured for maximum security and data sovereignty.cline.bot/enterprise ↗

Getting out

PartlyTask history is plain JSON on your own disk and can be mirrored to your S3 or R2 bucket, but the terms make fees non-refundable and give nothing back for unused credits on cancellation.you will not be entitled to receive any refund for any such cancellation, suspension, or termination, nor for any unused credits or unused time on…cline.bot/tos ↗

Not established: Certifications