Cline is an Apache-2.0 open-source AI coding agent runtime that works in editors, the terminal, and SDK-based integrations. It can read and edit files, execute terminal commands, use a browser, refactor large codebases, and automate recurring development workflows while keeping the developer in control through approval checkpoints. Current Cline sources show 8M+ installs across platforms and about 63.6k GitHub stars at write-prep time.
Cline's practical strength is control and portability. It supports Plan and Act workflows, checkpoints and undo, MCP servers, plugins, hooks, rules, skills, multi-agent teams, scheduling, and provider choice across Claude, GPT, Gemini, local Ollama or LM Studio, and OpenAI-compatible endpoints. That makes it a better fit for teams that want BYOK economics, local or client-side workflow ownership, and model/provider flexibility rather than a single managed agent platform.
Pricing is not a seat-fee subscription for individual open-source use. Cline is free for individual developers, and users pay only for model inference through Cline provider, BYOK cloud credentials, or local models. Enterprise is a custom plan for organizations that need centralized billing, team management, SSO/OIDC/SCIM, RBAC, audit logs, provider controls, SLA, OpenTelemetry, and dedicated support.
