Open source autonomous coding agent that runs inside your IDE
Cline is an open source AI coding agent that runs inside VS Code and compatible editors. It plans tasks, creates and edits files, runs terminal commands and can drive a browser to test web apps, asking for approval at each step unless you grant more autonomy. You bring your own API key for providers like Anthropic, OpenAI and Google or use local models, and MCP servers extend what it can do.
- features
- 4
- alternatives
- 9
- platforms
- 3
- Updated
- Oct 12, 2026
Features
Our take
Pros
- Open source agent that runs inside VS Code
- Bring your own API key or use local models
- Asks for approval at each step, keeping you in control
Cons
- API costs can climb quickly on long agent tasks
- Step-by-step approvals can slow down routine work
Editorial assessment by the Alternatives.tools team, based on what the product is known for. Not a user review.
Best Cline alternatives
See all 9 alternatives
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CursorFreemiumAI code editor built on VS Code, with agents and multi-line autocomplete
WindsurfFreemiumAgentic AI code editor, formerly Codeium, built around the Cascade agent
GitHub CopilotFreemiumAI pair programmer in your editor, your terminal and on GitHub
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