Cline
Open-source autonomous coding agent for VS Code that can create/edit files, run terminal commands, and browse the web with human approval at each step.
About Cline
Cline is an open-source autonomous coding agent that runs as a VS Code extension, trusted by over 4 million developers. Unlike traditional code completion tools, Cline can execute complete workflows from a single natural language prompt, including creating and editing files, running terminal commands, and even browsing the web. Cline's human-in-the-loop design is a key differentiator. Every file change and terminal command requires your approval through a diff view, giving you full control while leveraging AI autonomy. It supports Plan/Act modes where the AI first devises a strategy, then executes it step by step. Cline supports any AI provider including OpenRouter, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, AWS Bedrock, and local models. It also integrates with the Model Context Protocol (MCP) to extend its capabilities with custom tools. Being open-source and free, you only pay for the AI model API calls you choose to use.
In-Depth Review
Cline is the best autonomous coding agent available as a VS Code extension, and its 4 million+ developer user base reflects that. The human-in-the-loop approach strikes an excellent balance: Cline proposes changes through clear diff views, and you approve or reject each step. This means you get the productivity benefits of autonomous coding without the anxiety of an AI making unchecked changes to your codebase. The Plan/Act mode is well-designed — the AI first outlines its strategy, then executes step by step, giving you visibility into the reasoning process.
The biggest downside is cost. Cline uses your own API keys with no middleman markup, which sounds economical until you realize that a complex multi-step task can easily consume $5-15 in API tokens in a single session. The agent sometimes goes on tangents, trying multiple approaches before finding the right one, and each retry costs tokens. Power users report monthly API bills of $50-200 with heavy usage. The model-agnostic approach also means you need to figure out which provider and model works best for your use case — Claude Sonnet is the community consensus, but configuration is on you.
Compared to Claude Code, Cline provides a GUI-based approval workflow that's more accessible but less powerful for complex terminal-based tasks. Compared to Cursor's Composer, Cline is more autonomous and can execute commands but requires more manual oversight through approvals. Cline has spawned popular forks like Roo Code and Kilo Code that add features like automatic mode (skipping approvals) and better cost tracking. For VS Code users who want agent-level autonomy with safety guardrails, Cline is the gold standard.
Key Features
- Autonomous coding agent with human-in-the-loop approval
- File creation, editing, and terminal command execution
- Plan/Act modes for structured task execution
- Browser automation for testing and debugging
- Model Context Protocol (MCP) integration
- Support for any AI provider or local models
- Diff view for reviewing all AI changes
- Project-wide context understanding
Pros
- Human-in-the-loop approval provides safety for autonomous actions
- Extremely flexible with any AI model provider
- Open-source with active community and 4M+ developer user base
Cons
- Can consume significant API tokens on complex tasks
- Requires careful prompt engineering for best results
- VS Code only - not available for other editors
Getting Started with Cline
Install Cline from the VS Code Marketplace — search for 'Cline' by Saoud Rizwan
Open Cline's settings and add your API key for Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, or another provider
Open Cline's panel and describe a task in natural language — for example, 'Add a dark mode toggle to the settings page'
Review the plan Cline proposes, then approve each step as it creates files, edits code, and runs commands
Use Plan mode (type /plan) to see the full strategy before execution, or Act mode for immediate step-by-step action
Supported Languages
Pricing Details
- All features included
- bring your own API keys from any provider
- Best quality results
- typical heavy session costs $5-15 in API tokens
- Good quality at lower cost
- works well for most tasks
- Free via Ollama
- quality is lower but fully private
Best For
VS Code developers who want an autonomous AI agent with full control over approvals and the flexibility to use any AI model
Verdict
Cline is the best open-source autonomous coding agent for VS Code. Its human-in-the-loop design provides the right balance of autonomy and safety, but budget carefully for API costs — complex tasks can get expensive quickly. Pair it with Claude Sonnet for the best results.
Sources & Methodology
This page is based on public product documentation, vendor pricing pages, and hands-on product testing. Facts may change as vendors update their offerings.
- Official product page: https://cline.bot
- Last reviewed: 2026-02-23