# Cline review

> Cline is an open source autonomous coding agent available as a CLI, desktop app, VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin, and SDK.

Devtoolwatch Board, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026. Canonical page: https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/cline/

## TL;DR

Cline is an open source coding agent that edits files, runs terminal commands, and uses tools with human approval. Cline is for developers who want one agent across editor, terminal, desktop, and CI. Cline is not locked to one AI provider, works with local models through Ollama or LM Studio, and offers Plan and Act modes.

## Cline at a glance

- **Category:** [Coding agents](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/categories/coding-agents/)
- **Maintained by:** Cline (organization, [@cline](https://github.com/cline) on GitHub)
- **License:** Apache 2.0
- **Language:** TypeScript, JavaScript, Rust
- **Repository:** [github.com/cline/cline](https://github.com/cline/cline)
- **Website:** [cline.bot](https://cline.bot)
- **npm package:** [cline](https://www.npmjs.com/package/cline) 3.0.73
- **Latest release:** [desktop-v0.0.48](https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/desktop-v0.0.48) on GitHub, Oct 17, 2026
- **First published:** Jul 6, 2024

## What Cline does

- Cline makes coordinated multi-file edits, watches linter and compiler errors, and shows each edit as a reviewable diff with checkpoints for undo.
- Cline runs bash commands in your terminal and reacts to output from long-running processes like dev servers and tests.
- Cline offers Plan mode to explore and strategize, and Act mode to execute, with per-step approval or auto-approve.
- Cline follows project rules defined in .clinerules files across the CLI, VS Code extension, and JetBrains plugin.
- Cline extends through SDK plugins with custom tools and lifecycle hooks, or through MCP servers managed with cline mcp.
- Cline coordinates multi-agent teams and runs scheduled agents on cron for recurring automations like PR summaries.
- Cline connects to Slack, Telegram, Discord, Google Chat, WhatsApp, and Linear, with access control for who can interact.

### How it works

Cline runs as a CLI with interactive or headless mode, a native desktop app, a VS Code extension, or a JetBrains plugin, all sharing one agent engine. It connects to model providers such as Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, OpenRouter, AWS Bedrock, Ollama, LM Studio, or any OpenAI-compatible API. The SDK exposes the same engine as a Node.js API.

## How to install Cline

**CLI with npm**

```
npm i -g cline
```

**SDK with npm**

```
npm install @cline/sdk
```

### Requirements

- Access to an AI model, through a provider API key, an OpenAI-compatible endpoint, or a local runtime such as Ollama or LM Studio.
- npm to install the CLI or SDK.
- The desktop app runs on macOS and Windows, with a Linux download listed on the homepage.

### First steps

1. Install the CLI with npm, or install the extension from the VS Marketplace or JetBrains Marketplace.
2. Choose a model provider and bring your own key, endpoint, or local model weights.
3. Add a .clinerules file to your repo with coding standards and conventions.
4. Start in Plan mode to align on a strategy, then switch to Act mode to execute.

## Who Cline is for

- Developers who want to choose or switch AI providers, including local models.
- Teams automating CI/CD tasks with a headless agent that outputs JSON.
- Developers who want to review every edit and command before it runs.
- Builders embedding a coding agent in their own products through the SDK.

### Limitations

- Cline's JetBrains plugin is not open source, unlike the other clients.
- Cline Cloud sessions in hosted sandboxes were rolling out gradually and may not be available everywhere.
- Cline's CLI no longer supports in-process plugins; plugins run in a worker or sandbox.

## Usage data (the week of Oct 25–31, 2026)

- Board rank: #113 overall, #47 in Coding agents, momentum score 60
- Downloads that week: 116.6k (+37% vs 4-week average)
- New GitHub stars per week (last 12 weeks): Aug 9: 408; Aug 16: 487; Aug 23: 517; Aug 30: 429; Sep 6: 401; Sep 13: 969; Sep 20: 636; Sep 27: 444; Oct 4: 384; Oct 11: 409; Oct 18: 422; Oct 25: 368

## Cline alternatives

| Rank | Tool | Stars | Downloads/wk |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | [Cindy](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/makecindy-cindy/) | 8.8k | – |
| #2 | [OpenMausBot](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/milind-soni-openmausbot/) | 9.6k | – |
| #3 | [Orca](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/stablyai-orca/) | 111.7k | – |
| #4 | [OpenBot](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/copilotkit-openbot/) | 9.1k | – |
| #5 | [Agent Reach](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/panniantong-agent-reach/) | 107.2k | – |
| #6 | [Skill Recorder](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/microsoft-skill-recorder/) | 5.6k | – |

## Cline FAQ

### Is Cline free and open source?

Yes. Cline's source code is on GitHub (cline/cline) under the Apache 2.0 license, so you can use it for free. Its website also links to a pricing page (https://cline.bot/pricing) for any paid plans.

### How do I install Cline?

Run `npm i -g cline`. The install section above has the other options from the project's README.

### Is Cline still maintained?

Yes. The cline/cline repository was last updated on Oct 25, 2026, and the latest release, desktop-v0.0.48 on GitHub, came out on Oct 17, 2026.

### How popular is Cline?

Cline has 71.1k GitHub stars as of Nov 1, 2026. It gained 368 new stars in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, against a 12-week average of 490 a week. Its main package had about 116.6k downloads that week, +37% against its own 4-week average. That made it #47 among AI coding agents on the Devtoolwatch Board.

### Cline vs OpenCode: how do they compare?

Cline and OpenCode are both tracked by Devtoolwatch as AI coding agents. Cline has 71.1k GitHub stars and OpenCode has 223.6k. OpenCode is an open source AI coding agent that helps you write and run code in a terminal, desktop app, or IDE extension. [OpenCode review](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/opencode/)

### Cline vs Claude Code: how do they compare?

Cline and Claude Code are both tracked by Devtoolwatch as AI coding agents. Cline has 71.1k GitHub stars and Claude Code has 154.1k. In the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, Cline's main package had 116.6k downloads and Claude Code's had 11.6M. Claude Code is Anthropic's agentic coding tool that reads your codebase, edits files, runs commands, and handles git workflows through natural language. [Claude Code review](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/tools/claude-code/)

### What are the best alternatives to Cline?

Other AI coding agents on the Devtoolwatch Board in the week of Oct 25–31, 2026, by momentum: Cindy (#1), OpenMausBot (#2), Orca (#3), OpenBot (#4), Agent Reach (#5). The alternatives table above has their numbers.

### Is Cline open source?

Yes. Cline is open source under the Apache 2.0 license. The JetBrains plugin is the exception and is not currently open sourced.

### How do I use Cline in VS Code?

Install the Cline extension from the VS Marketplace. In the editor, Cline creates files, runs commands, browses the web, and uses tools with human-in-the-loop approval, showing each edit as a diff.

### Can I use Cline with Ollama or a local LLM?

Yes. Cline supports Ollama and LM Studio for running local models on your machine, plus any OpenAI-compatible self-hosted endpoint.

### Can I use Cline in Cursor?

Yes. The Cline homepage offers an install option for Cursor, along with Visual Studio Code, Windsurf, and JetBrains.

### Is Cline safe to use?

Cline requires your approval for every file edit and terminal command by default. Auto-approve is optional. Edits are tracked with checkpoints so you can undo the agent's work.

## Sources

1. [cline/cline on GitHub](https://github.com/cline/cline)
2. [Cline README](https://github.com/cline/cline/blob/main/README.md)
3. [cline on npm](https://www.npmjs.com/package/cline)
4. [Cline website](https://cline.bot)
5. [Release desktop-v0.0.48 (Oct 17, 2026)](https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/desktop-v0.0.48)
6. [Release cli-v3.0.73 (Oct 17, 2026)](https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/cli-v3.0.73)
7. [Release sdk/sdk/v0.0.95 (Oct 17, 2026)](https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/sdk/sdk/v0.0.95)
8. [Hacker News: Why Cline doesn't index your codebase](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=44106944)
9. [Hacker News: Cline and LM Studio: the local coding stack with Qwen3 Coder 30B](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=45083582)
10. [Hacker News: Cline founder stole my code](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42989138)
11. [Devtoolwatch Board, the week of Oct 25–31, 2026](https://index.devtoolwatch.com/)