Cline
The open-source VS Code agent with human approval on every step.
Standout features
Cline’s whole philosophy is control — it plans first, shows its reasoning, and waits for your approval before it touches anything.
Worldwide search interest, indexed 0–100 · Google Trends.
Cline is the leading open-source AI coding agent for VS Code, built on a human-in-the-loop principle where you approve every action.
- Open source and client-side — your code and keys stay with you.
- Plan Mode then Act Mode for controlled autonomy.
- 2.7M+ installs; used by Samsung, SAP and other Fortune 500s.
- Also runs in JetBrains, Zed, Neovim and a CLI.
Transparent by design — bring your own model and see exactly what it does.
- Any frontier or local model via your own API key.
- MCP integration to reach external systems.
- Reads/edits files, runs commands and browses — all with approval.
- Transparent token and spend visibility.
Free and open source — you pay the model providers directly.
- No subscription or markup — “inference is not the business model.”
- Cline Teams adds enterprise admin and governance.
- Costs track your own model usage.
Cline is for developers who want oversight, not a fully hands-off robot.
- Developers who want approval on every step.
- Privacy- and IP-conscious teams.
- People who want open pricing with no markup.
- People who want a fully autonomous, hands-off agent.
- Those who would rather not manage API keys.
No tool is perfect — the trade-offs to weigh:
- Approval-per-step is safer but slower than full autonomy.
- You manage your own keys and spend.
- Less turnkey than an all-in-one commercial IDE.
- Most mature on VS Code — other editors are newer.
- ✓Open source with human approval on every action
- ✓Bring any model — no lock-in or markup
- ✓Plan/Act workflow for controlled autonomy
- ✓Huge adoption (2.7M+ installs) incl. Fortune 500
- ✓Runs across VS Code, JetBrains, Zed, Neovim and a CLI
- ✕Approval-per-step is slower than full autonomy
- ✕You manage keys and model spend
- ✕Less turnkey than commercial editors
- ✕Most mature inside VS Code
Developers trust Cline precisely because nothing happens without their say-so — the Plan/Act flow and open pricing are repeatedly praised, and enterprises like that code never leaves their control. The trade-off people mention is that approving each step is slower than a fully autonomous agent, and you do manage your own keys. Sentiment is strongly positive, especially in privacy-conscious teams.
Cline is built by Cline Bot Inc., founded by Saoud Rizwan — the company behind the most-installed open-source coding agent.
Company figures are drawn from public disclosures and reputable trackers (gathered Jun 2026). User and revenue numbers are estimates and move fast.
Pick up to two other coding tools to see them head-to-head on the same rubric.