Cline is the open-source agent that enterprises can inspect. It runs in the editor developers already use, asks before it acts by default, and lets the company pick the model provider. That combination is why it shows up on governance shortlists.
Key Takeaways
- Open source, any model. — Cline is free for individuals. You pay for inference, either with your own API keys or through Cline's provider at cost.
- Plan, then Act. — Plan mode agrees a strategy before Act mode edits files and runs commands. Approve each step, or switch on auto-approve.
- One runtime, many surfaces. — VS Code, JetBrains, Cursor and Windsurf extensions, a CLI, an SDK, and a desktop app. Enterprise adds SSO, RBAC, audit logs and VPC deployment.
What does Cline do?
Cline is an agent runtime with several front ends. In the editor, it reads the codebase, proposes multi-file changes with diffs and checkpoints, runs terminal commands and reacts to their output. Plan mode is for agreeing an approach; Act mode executes. Every step can require approval, or you can turn on auto-approve. Rules files (.clinerules) carry team conventions, and MCP servers add tools (Cline).
Beyond the editor, the CLI runs Cline headless in GitHub Actions or GitLab pipelines, it can take tasks from Slack or Linear, and coordinator agents can delegate to specialists on a schedule. Cline Bot Inc. announced $32M in seed and Series A funding led by Emergence Capital on July 31, 2025 (press release).
How does Cline score?
WTF Radar scores four criteria from 1 to 5, using published vendor documentation rather than benchmarks or hands-on tests: how far the agent runs without a person (autonomy), what reviewers and admins can constrain (control), how many places it works (integration), and whether the price of real usage is published (pricing clarity). Total: 17/20.
| Criterion | Score | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Autonomy | 3/5 | Step approval is the default; auto-approve, headless CI runs and scheduled multi-agent teams are opt-in. |
| Control | 5/5 | Per-step approval and diffs; Enterprise adds RBAC, provider limits, audit logs, SCIM and VPC deployment. |
| Integration | 5/5 | Extension for VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf, JetBrains on Enterprise, plus CLI, SDK and desktop app. |
| Pricing clarity | 4/5 | Free extension; inference at cost or bring your own key. Enterprise is quote-only. |
How much does Cline cost?
As published in November 2026 (Cline), there are two tiers. Open Source is free for individuals: VS Code extension, CLI, MCP marketplace, and inference at cost or bring your own key. Enterprise is priced through sales and adds the JetBrains extension, SSO, RBAC, provider restrictions, centralised billing, audit logs and dedicated support.
The real cost is inference. Because Cline sends work to the model you choose, the bill depends on model, context size and how much you let it run. Set provider limits and budgets before rollout.
Who is Cline for?
- Fits: teams that need model choice, self-hosting or VPC deployment, and a step-by-step approval trail; companies that want one agent across VS Code, JetBrains, terminal and CI.
- Look elsewhere: if you want a fixed monthly price per developer (Kiro and Factory publish tiers), or a managed cloud machine per agent (Amp, Devin Cloud).
What are the Cline alternatives?
- OpenCode: terminal-first open-source agent; see the comparison.
- Kiro: spec-first, AWS-billed.
- Amp: also lets you bring your own model subscription.
- Kilo Code, OpenHands and Aider: see the open-source agents guide.
Related questions
- OpenCode or Cline after the Roo Code shutdown?
- Which open-source coding agents are worth running?
- How should a CTO compare AI coding agents? (partner site CTAIO)
- Where do humans stay in the loop in an agentic software lifecycle? (partner site CTAIO)
Sources
- Cline, Product overview and Pricing (fetched Nov 3, 2026).
- GlobeNewswire via National Law Review, Cline raises $32M in seed and Series A funding (Jul 31, 2025).
Is Cline free?
The open-source Cline extension and CLI are free for individual developers. You pay only for AI inference, either through your own API keys from providers such as Anthropic, OpenAI or Google, or by buying inference from Cline at cost. Enterprise features are sold separately.
What does Cline Enterprise add?
According to Cline's pricing page in November 2026: the JetBrains extension, SSO, OIDC and SCIM provisioning, role-based access control, limits on which inference providers can be used, centralised billing, a team dashboard, audit logs, VPC deployment, OpenTelemetry, an SLA and dedicated support.
Which editors does Cline work in?
Cline installs in Visual Studio Code, Cursor and Windsurf, and in JetBrains IDEs. It also ships as a CLI (npm i -g cline), an SDK for embedding the agent in your own apps, and a native desktop app for macOS, Windows and Linux.
How is Cline funded?
Cline announced $32M in total seed and Series A funding on July 31, 2025, with the Series A led by Emergence Capital, alongside the launch of its team offering.
Ready to Find the Right AI Tools?
Browse our data-driven rankings to find the best AI tools for your team.