# Cline: reviews and analysis > The open source agent for VS Code that runs on whatever model you give it. - Canonical: https://serchai.com/en/reviews/cline/ - Site: Serchai (https://serchai.com) — AI tools comparator - Language: en - Updated: 2026-07-25 --- ## Verdict Cline puts a complete agent inside VS Code without asking you to switch editors or subscribe: an open source extension, your API key and a flow that shows each step before applying it. That transparency is its signature against the more autonomous agents. Cost depends on the model you connect, and with frontier ones the API bill grows fast if unwatched. **Best for:** VS Code users who want a transparent agent without a subscription. **Rating:** 4.2/5 ## Pros - Free, open source and inside VS Code - Shows and asks approval step by step - Model of your choice, cheap ones included ## Cons - The API bill with frontier models grows fast - Less polished than commercial tools ## Key facts - Price: Free - Free trial: No - Platforms: macOS, Windows - Categories: [Code](https://serchai.com/en/best-ai/code/) - Official website: https://cline.bot ## What the internet says (agentic sweep) It is the reference option for anyone who wants an agent inside the editor with no subscription, using their own provider key and seeing every tool it runs. In exchange, cost comes from token consumption, and the approach of reading the repo without indexing it makes long sessions on large codebases pricier. - Sweep date: 2026-07-25 - Derived score: 4.2/5 ### Axes - Results: 4.1/5 - Control: 4.5/5 - Real price: 4.2/5 - Integration: 4.2/5 - Support: 3.8/5 ### Recurring themes in favor - A free Apache-2.0 extension: you bring your key and pay the model provider, with no middleman (strong theme) - Every agent action is visible and approvable, with planning and acting kept as separate modes (strong theme) - It switches providers without friction, including local models served from your own machine (present theme) ### Recurring themes against - By not indexing the repo it reads more context each turn, which on large codebases means more tokens and more spend (strong theme) - Cost is variable by definition: with no subscription there is no cap, and the bill depends on the model you pick (strong theme) - It lives inside the editor, so it fits worse than a terminal agent for headless work or continuous integration (present theme) ### Sweep sources - [GitHub] https://github.com/cline/cline — Repositorio oficial con licencia Apache-2.0 y modelo de clave propia - [Communities] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44106944 — Hilo de 124 comentarios sobre por qué no indexa el repositorio - [Communities] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45083582 — Uso con modelos locales servidos desde la propia máquina - [Review sites] https://www.morphllm.com/comparisons/cline-vs-claude-code — Comparativa de coste real por tokens frente a una suscripción > **TLDR:** Cline puts a complete agent inside VS Code without asking you to switch editors or subscribe: an open source extension, your API key and a flow that shows every step before applying it. That transparency is its signature against the autonomous agents. Cost depends on the model you connect, and with frontier ones the API bill grows fast unwatched. ## What Cline is and how it works Cline was born as the open answer to a specific question: why switch editors or pay a subscription to have an agent, when VS Code takes extensions and API keys exist. The extension installs a complete agent in the usual editor: it takes tasks, reads the project, proposes edits, runs commands and uses the browser when the task calls for it. Its philosophy distinguishes it as much as its price: every action is presented before executing. You see each edit's diff, each command before it runs, and you approve or correct step by step. For anyone distrustful of agents that do twenty things and show the result, that supervised rhythm is exactly what they want. It works with the key of whichever provider you choose (frontier, cheap, local models), and its ecosystem of extensions and tool servers connects it to whatever your flow needs. ## What it is like day to day Daily life is that of a disciplined copilot: you describe the task, the agent proposes its plan and advances asking approval at each relevant step. That rhythm has two faces: maximum visibility and control, in exchange for more clicks than the autonomous agents. With trust earned, the auto-approval modes speed up the routine. Cost is the variable you manage: with an economical model, tasks cost cents. With frontier ones, a long agent session (which reads plenty of context and iterates) produces API bills that surprise the careless. The community has developed a whole optimization culture (models per task, contained context) that is part of the craft of using it. Against [Cursor](https://serchai.com/en/reviews/cursor/), the comparison is package versus parts: Cursor sells the integrated experience by subscription, Cline gives the agent free and you supply model and configuration. ## Pricing and plans The extension is free and open source, with no plans. You pay the API consumption of whichever model you connect, with total control: switching models is a dropdown, and tuning cost per task is part of the flow. For directed use with economical models, it is among the cheapest routes to a real agent. For intensive use with frontier ones, the bill can exceed subscriptions, and there it pays to compare against plan-included agents like [Claude Code](https://serchai.com/en/reviews/claude-code/). ## Who it is for (and who it is not for) Cline is for VS Code users who want an agent without switching editors or subscribing: control of the model, the cost and every step. Also for anyone needing local models or specific providers by data policy. It is not for anyone wanting the polished zero-configuration experience, nor for anyone preferring to delegate without step-by-step supervision, which is the autonomous agents' ground. ## Cline alternatives [Aider](https://serchai.com/en/reviews/aider/) is the veteran equivalent in the terminal. Cursor is the paid integrated package. They are in [Cline alternatives](https://serchai.com/en/alternatives/cline/) and the ranking in the [best AI coding tools](https://serchai.com/en/best-ai/code/). ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How much does it cost to use? The extension, nothing. The API consumption of the model you pick: cents per task with economical models, serious bills with frontier ones on long sessions. That dial is yours to control, and it is the product's point. ### What happened to Roo Code? The fork that shared Cline's base shut down in May 2026 and its repository sits archived. Cline is now the open reference in VS Code, and much of that community has come back here. ### Does it approve every step always? By default it shows and asks approval on every relevant action, and the auto-approval modes relax that rhythm once trust is earned. The supervision dial is yours to set. ### Does it work with local models? Yes, and it is one of its cards: connecting a model running on your machine gives an agent with no per-token cost and no data leaving home, in exchange for the capacity of whatever model you can run. ## Alternatives - [Aider](https://serchai.com/en/reviews/aider/) — The veteran free terminal coding agent: you bring the API key. (3.9/5) - [Cursor](https://serchai.com/en/reviews/cursor/) — The code editor built around AI, with agents inside the IDE. (4.2/5)