Cline

Trending

Open-source autonomous coding agent for VS Code.

AI Coding Tools·

4.3

editorial rating

·FreeLow risk

Last updated May 29, 2026

Quick verdict — is Cline worth it?

A low-risk, well-regarded option for faster coding. Start on the free tier. Our editorial rating is 4.3/5, with a 83/100 trust score and low scam-risk. Pricing starts at Free (bring your own key).

Overview

Cline is open-source autonomous coding agent for vs code. It targets coding use cases with a free tier plus paid plans. The rating, trust score and scam-risk signal below are informational estimates compiled from public information, product documentation and user-submitted reviews — not factual claims about the company.

How to read this: Scores are informational estimates from public information, product docs and user-submitted reviews — not factual claims about any company. A higher scam-risk signal reflects user-reported concerns or unverified marketing, not proven wrongdoing. Always confirm current pricing and terms with the provider.

The verdict

A low-risk, well-regarded option for faster coding. Start on the free tier.

Pros

Open-source agent
Powerful in VS Code
Model-agnostic

Cons

You pay model costs
Review output

Best for

Faster coding
Debugging
Learning codebases

Not great for

Non-developers
Fully unattended production work

Main features

AI code generation

Editor integration

Chat assistance

Multi-language

Pricing breakdown

Free

free

Core features
Usage limits
No cost

Popular

Pro

per month

Higher limits
Full features
Priority support

Pricing shown is an informational estimate and may change. Confirm on the official site before purchasing.

Our editorial review

Reviewed by Daniel Reyes, Developer Tools & Infrastructure EditorUpdated May 29, 2026 · How we review

Cline is open-source autonomous coding agent for VS Code, aimed at coding.

Its main strengths are open-source agent and powerful in vs code. The trade-offs to weigh are you pay model costs and review output. Pricing and billing appear transparent with no notable red flags in aggregated user reports.

A low-risk, well-regarded option for faster coding. Start on the free tier.

What is Cline?

If you have been comparing AI coding tools, Cline is one of the names that comes up, largely because open-source agent. The product is aimed at developers, which is worth keeping in mind when you weigh it against more general-purpose alternatives. The standout reason people choose it is open-source agent, alongside powerful in vs code. That said, no tool is right for everyone, so the rest of this review focuses on where it fits and where it does not.

Cline pricing and value

Pricing for Cline begins at Free (bring your own key). Because there is a free tier, you can evaluate the core experience before paying anything — which we always recommend doing first. Value is really a function of usage frequency — heavy users justify the cost easily, while light users often find a cheaper or free alternative does enough. Billing appears transparent in aggregated user reports, with no notable pattern of surprise charges.

Who should use Cline?

Cline makes the most sense for developers who need an coding tool that delivers open-source agent. People most often reach for it on routine coding tool work — the kind of repetitive tasks where automation pays off fastest. Where we would steer you elsewhere is you pay model costs and review output — if those are dealbreakers, test thoroughly before relying on it.

Is Cline trustworthy and safe?

Our informational trust score for Cline reflects high confidence based on public information, product documentation and aggregated user sentiment. The scam-risk signal is Low, meaning we did not surface the patterns — opaque billing, blocked cancellations, or wildly unrealistic promises — that warrant extra caution. Scores like these are designed to inform, not to be the final word — your own testing and the provider's current terms should drive the decision. Reviewers have not raised systemic concerns about reliability beyond the usual limitations of the category.

Cline review: the bottom line

Putting it together, Cline comes out as a strong option in its category. Provided open-source agent matters more to you than the downside of you pay model costs, it belongs on your list. Because you can begin for free, there is little downside to trying it before any of its rivals. We refresh listings like this as pricing and reputation change, so check the last-updated date above for currency.

Potential red flags

No significant red flags identified in available public information or user reports.

Positive signals

Free tier available to evaluate before paying
Active product with a real user base
No significant billing complaints in aggregated reports

How we scored trust

An informational composite of the signals below. Not a factual judgment about the company.

User rating84

Review volume66

Billing clarity84

Refund policy clarity70

Support responsiveness70

Website transparency84

Realistic claims84

Public reputation84

Our read on public sentiment

Users generally find Cline reliable and worth using, with feedback centering on you pay model costs rather than trust or billing problems.

This is our editorial summary of publicly-available user feedback and reviews from around the web — not reviews collected on this site. Verified reviews submitted here appear in the section below.