ToolRankClaude Code vs Cline
Updated 16 Oct 2026 · Facts from vendor pages · How we rank →
Who should pick which
Pick Cline if you want the agent free and open source, inside VS Code (or the CLI), with any model from Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, OpenRouter, Bedrock and more. You pay only for inference, at cost or with your own keys. Pick Claude Code if you'd rather pay one Claude subscription (from $17/month) than per-token bills, and you're happy in the terminal. Heavy users often find a subscription more predictable than paying per token. Light users usually spend less with Cline.
Side by side
| Claude Code | Cline | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $17/month (via Claude Pro, billed annually) | Not yet verified |
| Pricing model | paid | free |
| Free tier | ✕ None listed | Free for individuals: pay only for AI inference (BYOK or at cost) |
| Best for | Developers who prefer terminal-driven agents working across a repo | Developers who want a transparent, model-agnostic agent in VS Code and control over spend |
| Main limitation | No standalone free tier: usage comes from a paid Claude plan (Pro, Max, Team) or API usage. | Costs scale directly with tokens, so long agent runs on frontier models get expensive. The JetBrains extension is listed under Enterprise. |
| Key plans & features |
|
|
| Platforms | Terminal (CLI) | VS Code, CLI, JetBrains (Enterprise) |
| Integrations | Not yet verified | MCP Marketplace, Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, OpenRouter, Bedrock, Vertex and more |
| Model / provider | Anthropic | Bring your own key or Cline provider (at cost) |
| Last checked | 16 Oct 2026 | 16 Oct 2026 |
| Visit Claude Code → | Visit Cline → |
Prices as listed by each vendor on the check date, before tax. Plans and limits change; follow the sources below.
Starting price
Lowest paid plan shown on each vendor’s pricing page, checked 16 Oct 2026. Currencies as listed.
Open in the interactive comparer →
Full profiles: Claude Code profile · Cline profile
FAQ
Is Cline free?
Yes. The open-source extension is free for individuals, and you pay only for AI inference, either with your own API keys or the Cline provider at cost.
Can Cline use Claude models?
Yes. Cline supports Anthropic along with OpenAI, Gemini, OpenRouter, AWS Bedrock, GCP Vertex and others.
Does Claude Code work in VS Code?
Claude Code runs in a terminal, including VS Code's integrated terminal. Cline is a native VS Code extension.
Sources
- Claude Code: Claude Code docs checked 16 Oct 2026
- Claude Code: Claude pricing checked 16 Oct 2026
- Cline: Cline pricing checked 16 Oct 2026
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