Cline

Cline is an open-source coding agent available as a VS Code-compatible extension, an Enterprise JetBrains plugin, a terminal CLI, and a software development kit. It can inspect a repository, create or edit files, run shell commands, browse web applications during debugging, and call connected tools. The editor workflow keeps proposed file edits, terminal operations, browser actions, and tool calls visible so a developer can approve activity rather than granting an opaque background process unrestricted control. The canonical repository is licensed under Apache License 2.0.

The official installation guide lists VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium, and Antigravity for the open-source editor extension, plus a CLI for terminal use. JetBrains support is listed with Cline Enterprise. Cline can use its usage-billed provider, a ClinePass subscription, or user-supplied provider credentials. The individual product is free, while AI inference and enterprise arrangements are billed separately.

Top features

• Repository-aware file reading and multi-file edits inside familiar editor interfaces.
• Human-in-the-loop review for commands, edits, browser steps, and external tool calls.
• Terminal CLI with interactive and headless modes for shell-oriented work and automation.
• Enterprise JetBrains support for IntelliJ IDEA, PyCharm, WebStorm, GoLand, and related IDEs.
• Browser-assisted testing for reproducing interface problems and checking changes in web applications.
• MCP connectivity for approved databases, documentation, issue trackers, APIs, and internal services.
• Provider choice through Cline billing, ClinePass, bring-your-own-key services, and supported local or routed providers.
• SDK for building integrations and custom agent workflows from the same agent engine.

Use cases

• Investigate a bug from logs, inspect related files, propose a patch, and run tests with each command visible.
• Refactor a feature across several files while reviewing proposed diffs in the editor.
• Reproduce a web-interface defect with browser tools and verify a local fix.
• Connect coding work to an internal knowledge source or ticket system through an approved MCP server.
• Run bounded maintenance or CI tasks through the headless CLI, with credentials and permissions configured by the operator.