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Cline

situationalBlueshift — gaining momentum

Open-source autonomous coding agent for VS Code and CLI — BYOK, you pay the model bill.

Visit cline.bot →Add to kitOpen in Noemium

ledger entry · observed by @whysanesanders

The honest Cursor alternative if you already have API keys: Apache-licensed agent in the editor, MCP marketplace, no seat fee for solo use. The bill is the model, and agent loops on Sonnet/Opus burn tokens fast. Enterprise is a different product (JetBrains, SSO, provider allowlists). Not field-tested here.

Field guide: Cline →

Strengths

  • Apache-licensed agent in the editor: no seat fee for solo use if you bring keys.
  • Honest Cursor alternative when the bill should be the model, not the IDE.
  • MCP marketplace without a second closed runtime.

Known limitations

  • Inference is usage-based; a long agent session can exceed a $20 IDE sub.
  • You operate the keys, spend caps, and model routing yourself.
  • JetBrains, SSO, RBAC, and SLA are Enterprise-only on the public pricing page.
  • ClinePass is an optional paid subscription for curated open-weight models; the open-source editor/CLI remains free.
  • Client-side agent still needs you to review diffs; autonomy is not a guarantee.

Use it when

  • VS Code / CLI agents on BYOK, with you watching the diff.
  • Solo use where ClinePass and Enterprise are optional, not the product.

Skip it when

  • A long agent loop on Sonnet/Opus would exceed a $20 IDE sub.
  • You do not want to operate keys, spend caps, and routing yourself.
  • You need JetBrains, SSO, RBAC, or an SLA — that is Enterprise, not the OSS client.

Buy-check

  • ·Price — freemium, extension/CLI free for individuals (BYOK or Cline inference at cost); optional ClinePass $9.99/mo for open-weight models; Enterprise custom (SSO, JetBrains, SLA) as of 2026-08-24. Open the pricing page, not a screenshot.
  • ·Free tier — Free tier exists — burn it first.
  • ·Cancel fallout — What happens to your data/projects on cancel — check the ToS, not the FAQ.
  • ·Seat math — Per-seat pricing multiplies quietly. Count seats before the annual plan.
  • ·Who skips it — Also skipped when: A long agent loop on Sonnet/Opus would exceed a $20 IDE sub.; You do not want to operate keys, spend caps, and routing yourself..

Price trail — 1 revisionchangelog →

  • 2026-W34extension/CLI free for individuals (BYOK or Cline inf…extension/CLI free for individuals (BYOK or Cline inf…

Facts

pricing
freemium1
price note
extension/CLI free for individuals (BYOK or Cline inference at cost); optional ClinePass $9.99/mo for open-weight models; Enterprise custom (SSO, JetBrains, SLA)
free tier
yes
open source
yes
api
yes
self-host
yes
category
coding
evidence
source-verified
Models
BYOK

Data: trains on inputs unknown · local processing yes

Sources

  1. 1cline.bot/pricing[snapshot]
  2. 2cline.bot/cline-pass[snapshot]
  3. 3github.com/cline/cline[snapshot]

No source, no number.

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