Cline
Free, open-source VS Code AI agent extension offering autonomous coding with transparent human-in-the-loop control and 30+ LLM provider support.
Why it matters now: Free, open-source AI agent with transparent human-in-the-loop control and multi-provider LLM support.
Editor's take
Cline is an open-source autonomous coding agent available as a VS Code extension (and now on JetBrains, Cursor, Windsurf, Zed, Neovim, and a preview CLI). Originally launched as ‘Claude Dev’, Cline has grown into one of the most adopted AI coding agents with 60k+ GitHub stars and 5M+ installs. Its defining philosophy is human-in-the-loop transparency: Cline proposes each file edit and terminal command, waits for your approval, and keeps you in full control of what gets executed.
The architecture supports 30+ LLM providers, meaning you bring your own API keys or optionally use Cline’s pay-as-you-go inference credits. A May 2026 SDK release transformed Cline from a single extension into an open-source agent runtime, enabling third-party integrations and a CLI for macOS/Linux.
Cline’s strongest advantage is cost: completely free as open-source, with optional managed inference. The main trade-off is the human-in-the-loop model — every action requires approval — trading autonomy for control.
Who is it for
- Open-source advocates
- Developers prioritizing cost control
- Teams wanting transparent AI workflow
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Requirements
VS Code, Node.js runtime, internet connection; also available on JetBrains, Cursor, Windsurf, Zed, Neovim, and CLI (macOS/Linux preview).
Alternatives
Timeline
- 2026-07-16 v3.0.41 latest
- 2026-05-26 v3.85.0 with SDK improvements
- 2026-03-12 v3.72.0 released
- 2025-06 Expanded to JetBrains, Cursor, Windsurf, Zed, Neovim
- 2025-05-14 Cline SDK open-source agent runtime released
- 2024 Launched as Claude Dev VS Code extension