#6 in Coding & IDE agentsOpen source
Cline
Open-source coding agent that asks before it acts.
Cline is an open-source coding agent with an IDE extension, a CLI, a desktop app, and cloud agents. You can bring your own API keys, use Cline's usage billing, or point it at a local model. Tool calls can wait for your approval.
Why this rank
It is the open client in this list: you choose the model, you can see the spend, and you can require approval before a command runs.
Best for
Builders who want model choice and a per-token bill.
Pricing
The client is free and open source. Model use is pay-as-you-go through Cline credits, your own provider keys, or a local model. There is an optional ClinePass subscription for selected open coding models.
Pricing checked November 7, 2026. Confirm it on the official site.
Before you commit
- The free client does not include frontier-model usage.
- You are the one who has to pick a provider and watch the bill.
Also look at
- Aider — Open-source pair programmer in the terminal.
- GitHub Copilot — Completions, chat, and a coding agent inside GitHub and your IDE.
- Devin Desktop — The Windsurf IDE, renamed, plus a command center for many agents.