Cline is an open-source AI coding agent that
works inside your editor and terminal. It can
read and write files, run commands, use a browser,
connect external tools through MCP, and complete
multi-step development tasks while keeping the
developer in control through approval-based actions.
Cline is an AI-powered coding agent designed
to work directly inside developer environments.
Instead of only generating individual code
snippets, Cline can inspect a project, edit files,
run terminal commands, use a browser and interact
with external tools.
Cline is open source and designed around a
human-in-the-loop workflow. Actions such as
file changes and terminal commands can require
developer approval before they are applied.
Who Can Use Cline?
💻 Software developers
🧑💻 Freelancers
🎓 Students
🚀 Startup teams
🛠 Open-source developers
🏢 Engineering organizations
⚡ Developers building with AI agents
Key Features
Cline AI Features
Cline combines AI reasoning with real developer
tools so it can perform multi-step software
development tasks rather than only suggesting
text.
🤖
Agentic Coding
Cline can plan and execute multi-step
development tasks with AI assistance.
📂
Read Files
Inspect project files and understand
existing implementation details.
✏️
Write & Edit Files
Create new files and make targeted
changes to existing project files.
💻
Terminal Commands
Run shell commands, install packages,
run scripts and execute tests.
🌐
Browser Control
Use a browser to test web applications,
capture screenshots and investigate issues.
🔌
MCP Integration
Connect external tools, APIs, databases
and services through Model Context Protocol.
🔄
Checkpoints
Track changes and roll back unwanted
modifications during an AI task.
📋
@ Mentions
Reference files, folders, problems and
Git diffs directly in conversations.
🧠
Multiple Models
Connect different AI providers and switch
between supported models.
🖼️
Image Input
Use screenshots and visual references
for development tasks.
⌨️
CLI
Use the same coding agent from the
terminal for interactive or automated work.
⚙️
Skills & Hooks
Extend workflows with reusable skills
and hooks that can influence tool calls.
How It Works
Cline Development Workflow
1
Describe Task
Tell Cline what you want to
build, fix or change.
2
Plan
Cline analyzes the project and
creates a development approach.
3
Act
Cline reads files, edits code,
runs commands and uses tools.
4
Review
Review diffs, test results and
approve or reject actions.
Plan & Act
Separate Thinking From Doing
Plan Mode
Cline can separate planning from execution.
This is useful when a task is complex and
you want to understand the proposed approach
before allowing changes.
Understand project structure
Analyze requirements
Identify relevant files
Design implementation steps
Review the plan before execution
Act Mode
After the plan is understood, Cline can
perform development actions such as editing
files, running commands and interacting
with browser tools.
Keeping planning and execution separate can
give developers additional control over
larger AI coding tasks.
File Editing
Read, Create & Modify Code
📖
Read Existing Code
Cline can inspect relevant project
files before making changes.
➕
Create Files
Generate new components, modules,
configuration files and more.
✏️
Edit Files
Make targeted changes to existing
source code.
🔍
Review Diffs
Inspect changes before they are
accepted into the project.
↩️
Rollback
Use checkpoints to return to an
earlier project state.
📁
Project Context
Reference specific files and folders
when asking for changes.
Terminal
Run Commands With Cline
Cline can operate as a development agent
that uses terminal commands as part of
a larger task.
1
Install
Install dependencies required
by your project.
2
Build
Run build commands and inspect
the generated output.
3
Test
Run automated tests and examine
test failures.
4
Fix
Use test output to guide
additional code changes.
Browser
Test Web Applications With Browser Tools
Browser Capabilities
🌐 Open web applications
🖱 Click interface elements
⌨️ Interact with pages
📸 Capture screenshots
🐛 Investigate runtime problems
🧪 Test application behavior
Example Web Task
Build a login page.
Then:
1. Start the application.
2. Open it in the browser.
3. Test the login form.
4. Capture any errors.
5. Fix the issue.
6. Run the test again.
This workflow allows Cline to connect
code changes with actual browser behavior.
MCP
Extend Cline With External Tools
Cline supports Model Context Protocol,
allowing developers to connect additional
tools and services.
🗄️
Databases
Connect tools that allow AI workflows
to interact with data systems.
🔌
APIs
Connect external APIs and services
through MCP tools.
📚
Documentation
Give the agent access to external
documentation sources.
🐙
Developer Platforms
Integrate development-related
services and workflows.
☁️
Cloud Tools
Extend coding workflows with
compatible infrastructure tools.
🛠️
Custom Tools
Build or connect your own MCP
servers for specialized workflows.
Models
Use Different AI Providers
Model Flexibility
Cline is designed to avoid locking developers
into one AI model. Supported providers can
include major commercial and compatible
model services as well as local models.
Anthropic
OpenAI
Google Gemini
DeepSeek
OpenRouter
Ollama / local models
Other supported providers
Bring Your Own Key
Developers can connect supported providers
using their own credentials. This allows
developers to select models based on coding
quality, cost, speed, context and privacy.
Provider availability and supported model
names can change. Always check Cline's
current documentation before configuring
a specific model.
IDE Support
Use Cline Where You Code
💙 VS Code
Cline's original and widely used
editor integration.
🧠 Cursor
Cline can be installed into the
Cursor editor environment.
🌊 Windsurf
Cline supports the Windsurf
editor environment.
🧩 JetBrains
Support includes JetBrains IDEs
such as IntelliJ IDEA and PyCharm.
⚡ Terminal
Use Cline directly from the command
line through its CLI.
Cline CLI provides an interactive terminal
experience where developers can work with
the same agent capabilities available
through the editor workflow.
💬 Interactive coding tasks
📂 Read and edit files
💻 Run commands
🌐 Use browser tools
🔌 Use MCP tools
Headless Mode
Cline CLI also supports headless workflows
for automation, scripts and CI/CD scenarios.
CLI commands and flags can change. Check
the current Cline CLI documentation for
the exact command syntax.
Checkpoints
Review & Roll Back AI Changes
1
AI Action
Cline performs a file or
tool operation.
2
Checkpoint
The workflow records a point
you can return to.
3
Review
Inspect visual diffs and
tool results.
4
Undo
Roll back changes when
the result is not desired.
Human Control
Approval-Based AI Actions
Developer In The Loop
Cline's workflow emphasizes human approval.
File changes and terminal commands can be
shown to the developer before they are applied
or executed.
Why This Matters
🔎 See what the AI wants to change
🛑 Reject unwanted actions
🔐 Reduce accidental tool usage
🧪 Review before execution
👨💻 Keep developer authority
AI Does The Work, You Decide
Cline can perform complex actions, but the
developer remains responsible for deciding
whether generated code and tool operations
are appropriate.
Never automatically approve sensitive
commands, dependency changes, database
operations or production deployments
without reviewing them.
Pricing
Cline Pricing
Cline's current individual offering is free,
with users paying for AI inference according
to their chosen usage arrangement rather
than a traditional Cline subscription.
Plan
Price
Key Features
Best For
Open Source
Free
VS Code extension, CLI,
client-side architecture,
MCP marketplace and
bring-your-own-key/model inference
Individual developers
Enterprise
Custom
SSO, SLA, dedicated support,
centralized billing, role-based
access control, team management
and administration
Organizations
Cline's software is free for individual
developers, but AI model inference can
still have a separate cost depending on
the provider and usage method.
Describe a feature and let Cline
work through implementation steps.
🐛 Debug Applications
Investigate errors using code,
terminal output and browser behavior.
🧪 Write Tests
Generate and run tests as part
of development workflows.
♻️ Refactor Code
Improve existing implementations
across multiple project files.
🌐 Build Websites
Create and test frontend applications
using browser interaction.
📱 Build Applications
Work on web, backend, desktop and
other software projects.
🔌 API Integration
Connect external services and
development tools through MCP.
📚 Understand Codebases
Explore unfamiliar repositories
using AI assistance.
⚙️ Automation
Use CLI and headless workflows
for scripts and CI/CD.
Pros & Considerations
Cline Advantages & Things To Consider
✓ Advantages
Open-source AI coding agent
Works inside the IDE
CLI available
Multiple AI providers
Browser automation
Terminal command execution
MCP integrations
Checkpoints and rollback
Visual diffs
Human approval workflow
JetBrains support
Enterprise controls available
! Things To Consider
AI inference may have separate costs
Complex tasks require review
Model quality affects results
Terminal commands can be powerful
MCP tools require careful permissions
Large projects can consume significant context
Autonomous workflows need safeguards
Production changes require testing
Comparison
Cline vs Other AI Coding Tools
Tool
IDE
CLI
Browser
MCP
Multi-Model
Open Source
Cline
✓✓
✓✓
✓✓
✓✓
✓✓
✓
Aider
—
✓✓
—
✓
✓✓
✓
Claude Code
✓
✓✓
✓
✓✓
Primarily Claude
—
Codeium
✓✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
—
Replit
Cloud
✓
✓
✓
✓
—
Tabnine
✓✓
✓
—
✓
✓
—
Security
Using Cline Safely
🔐
Protect Secrets
Keep API keys, passwords and sensitive
credentials out of prompts and code.
🛑
Approve Carefully
Review terminal commands and file changes
before allowing sensitive actions.
🔎
Inspect Diffs
Review generated code instead of blindly
accepting every modification.
🧪
Run Tests
Validate AI-generated changes with
automated and manual testing.
🔌
Audit MCP Tools
Only connect external tools that you
trust and understand.
🌿
Use Version Control
Keep projects under Git or another
version-control system.
Best For
Who Should Use Cline?
Great Choice For
💻 Developers who want agentic coding
🧠 Users who want model flexibility
🛠 Open-source developers
🚀 Startup developers
🌐 Web developers
🔌 Developers using MCP tools
⌨️ Terminal-focused developers
🏢 Engineering teams
Consider Alternatives If
📝 You only need simple autocomplete
☁️ You want a complete browser IDE
🎨 You prefer a visual no-code builder
🤖 You want zero human approval
🔒 Your environment cannot permit external model APIs
Example
Build A Full Web Feature With Cline
Build a user profile page.
Requirements:
1. Inspect the existing application.
2. Find the current authentication system.
3. Create the profile component.
4. Add profile editing.
5. Connect the API.
6. Add validation.
7. Add tests.
8. Run the application.
9. Test the page in the browser.
10. Fix any errors.
11. Show me all changed files.
This type of task demonstrates the difference
between a simple AI autocomplete tool and an
agent capable of working through a sequence of
development operations.
Build, Test & Debug With Cline
Bring an AI coding agent directly into your
development environment. Read files, edit code,
run commands, use browser tools and connect
external services through MCP.
Cline is an open-source AI coding agent
that can read and write files, run terminal
commands, use browser tools and connect
external tools.
Yes. Cline is an AI coding agent designed
to perform multi-step software development
tasks rather than only provide code suggestions.
Cline currently offers its open-source
individual software for free. AI inference
may have a separate cost depending on the
provider or usage method.
Yes. Cline has an IDE integration for
Visual Studio Code and other supported
developer environments.
Yes. Current Cline documentation lists
JetBrains support including IntelliJ IDEA,
PyCharm, WebStorm, GoLand and other
JetBrains IDEs.
Yes. Cline provides a CLI with interactive
and headless modes for terminal development,
automation and CI/CD workflows.
Yes. Cline can create new files and make
targeted edits to existing project files.
Yes. Cline can run shell commands,
install packages, run scripts and execute
tests when the developer approves the action.
Yes. Cline can use browser capabilities
to test web applications, interact with
pages and capture screenshots.
MCP stands for Model Context Protocol.
Cline can use MCP servers to connect
external tools, services, APIs, databases
and other capabilities.
Yes. Cline supports compatible Anthropic
models as one of its available AI provider
options.
Yes. Cline supports compatible OpenAI
models through its provider configuration.
Yes. Google Gemini models are among the
AI providers supported by Cline.
Yes. Cline supports compatible DeepSeek
models through supported providers.
Yes. Cline can connect to compatible local
models, including models served through
local AI tooling such as Ollama.
Yes. Multi-provider support is one of
Cline's major advantages and allows
developers to choose among supported models.
Cline can assist with multi-step application
development, including creating files,
installing dependencies, running commands
and testing the result. Developers should
still review the generated application.
Yes. Cline can inspect code, run commands,
use browser tools and investigate errors
to help diagnose and fix bugs.
Yes. Cline can generate test code and
run the project's test commands as part
of a development task.
Yes. Cline can modify multiple files and
assist with restructuring or improving
existing code.
Yes. Screenshots and other images can be
provided as context for suitable AI coding
tasks and web debugging workflows.
Checkpoints provide rollback points around
tool actions and changes, allowing developers
to return to an earlier state when necessary.
Cline is designed around human approval
of tool actions. File changes and terminal
commands can be presented for developer
approval before execution.
Yes. Cline is an open-source project
released under the Apache 2.0 license.
Cline can work with Git-based projects
and can reference Git diffs as part of
its development workflow.
Yes. Cline provides an installation path
for Cursor as part of its supported editor
ecosystem.
Yes. Current Cline documentation lists
Windsurf among supported editor environments.
Yes. Cline's CLI includes headless workflows
that can be used for automation and CI/CD
scenarios.
Yes. Current enterprise offerings include
capabilities such as SSO, centralized billing,
role-based access control, team management,
configuration management and dedicated support.
No. Cline can automate substantial parts
of software development, but developers
remain responsible for architecture,
security, correctness, testing and production
decisions.
Cline is especially useful for developers
who want an open-source, multi-model,
agentic coding workflow with direct access
to files, terminals, browsers and MCP tools.
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