Cline
Open-source coding agent that runs in your editor.
Ground Truth verdict
Reviewed by Kamran Arshad. See how we evaluate · Updated 2026-06-05.
- Type
- Coding Tool
- Category
- coding
- Starts at
- Free
- Platforms
- Web
- Launched
- Jul 2024
- Last reviewed
- 2026-06-05
The hacker's pick — bring your own model, own your loop.
Cline (formerly Claude Dev) is an open-source agent that plugs into VS Code and lets you BYO Anthropic, OpenAI, or local models. The autonomy is real — file edits, terminal commands, browser tool use — and you're the one paying the API bill, which keeps it honest.
What Cline actually looks like
Scroll inside the panel to see the full homepage. Live screenshot — updates as the product evolves.
Best for
- Power users who want to wire in any model
- Open-source-first teams
Not for
- Anyone wanting a managed experience
Composite of editorial review, hands-on testing, and reader-reported value. Each sub-score is rated 0–5 against Ground Truth's published criteria.
- Overall
- 4.0/5
- Output quality
- 4.0/5
- Utility & features
- 4.0/5
- Usability & UX
- 4.0/5
- Performance & reliability
- 4.0/5
- Cost vs. value
- 4.0/5
Free; you pay your own model API costs
Ready to try Cline?
There's a real free tier — you can test the verdict yourself in five minutes.
Outbound link may be tracked. See affiliate disclosure.