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Claude Code vs Cline
Cline is free and open source and runs in your editor with any model you bring; Claude Code is Anthropic's own agent, with a paid Claude plan. Cline wins on control and cost; Claude Code on polish and Anthropic's models.
At a glance
| Fact | Claude Code | Cline |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Anthropic | Cline |
| What it is | Anthropic's agentic coding tool for the terminal and IDE. | An open-source coding agent that lives in your editor. |
| Price | Paid from $17/month | Free and open source; you pay for model usage |
| Runs on | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web, CLI, Slack, iOS, Android | macOS, Windows, Linux, CLI |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Models | Opus, Sonnet, Haiku | Claude, GPT, Gemini, Ollama |
| Last verified | October 14, 2026 | October 14, 2026 |
| Official site | claude.com/product/claude-code | cline.bot |
Where they differ
- Price: Cline is free (you pay for model usage); Claude Code needs a paid Claude plan from $17/month.
- Models: Cline works with Claude, GPT, Gemini or local models via Ollama; Claude Code runs Anthropic's models.
- Open source: Cline is; Claude Code isn't.
Which to pick
Choose Claude Code if you want Anthropic's agent with a plan that covers usage.
Choose Cline if you want open source, your own model choice, or local models.
Keep looking
- Claude Code listing
- Cline listing
- Claude Code alternatives
- Cline alternatives
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- Claude Code vs Claude Cowork
- Claude Code vs Codex
- Claude Code vs Cursor
Facts from each maker's official pages, last verified October 14, 2026. How we verify.