Cline is an autonomous coding agent for VS Code that can plan, edit files, run commands and use the browser, with your approval at each step.
| Category | Coding assistant |
| Type | IDE agent |
| License | Apache-2.0 |
| Runs locally | Cloud-optional |
| Built with | TypeScript |
| Skill level | Intermediate |
| Best for | developers who want an agentic, multi-step coder |
Other open-source coding assistant tools worth comparing:
ContinueOpen-source autocomplete and chat in your IDE
AiderAI pair programming in your terminal
Roo CodeCustomizable agentic coder (Cline fork)
TabbySelf-hosted Copilot alternative
GooseOn-machine AI agent for engineering tasks
OpenCodeOpen Claude-Code-style agent for your terminal
VoidOpen-source Cursor alternative on VS Code
ZedBlazing-fast editor with native AI and collab
PlandexPlan-first agent for large codebases
Sourcegraph CodyCodebase-aware AI assistant
GPT EngineerGenerate a whole codebase from a prompt
SweepTurn issues into pull requestsCline is free and open-source (Apache-2.0 license), so you can use, self-host and modify it at no cost.
Cline can be used locally or in the cloud depending on your setup.
Popular open-source alternatives include Continue, Aider, Roo Code. See the comparisons above to choose.
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