Cline
Open-source VS Code extension (1.5M installs, 58K GitHub stars) for agentic AI coding with full model flexibility and transparent diff review.
Cline (formerly Claude Dev) is the fastest-growing open-source VS Code extension in the agentic coding space, reaching 1.5M installs and 58K GitHub stars by April 2026. MIT-licensed and free to install - you pay only for LLM API usage. Cline presents every file change as a reviewable diff before application and shows every terminal command before execution, making it the most transparent agentic coding workflow in the VS Code ecosystem. It supports Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, AWS Bedrock, Groq, Cerebras, Ollama, LM Studio, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Browser integration lets it navigate to URLs, take screenshots, and validate UI changes. Full MCP support enables connections to databases, APIs, and design tools. Roo Code, a Cline fork with 22K stars, adds custom agent modes (Architect, Debug, Ask) and ~30% token savings.
Key Features
- Transparent diff review - every file change shown as a reviewable diff before application
- Terminal command preview - every shell command shown before execution
- Full model flexibility: Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, Bedrock, Groq, Ollama, any OpenAI-compatible endpoint
- Browser automation - navigate URLs, take screenshots, validate UI changes
- MCP (Model Context Protocol) support for connecting to databases, APIs, and design tools
- Roo Code fork - adds Architect/Debug/Ask modes and ~30% token savings via diff editing
- Teams plan ($20/user/mo) for shared model keys and usage tracking
Use Cases
- VS Code developers wanting maximum model flexibility with zero subscription lock-in
- Teams with strict privacy requirements using locally-hosted Ollama models
- Full-stack developers needing browser automation to validate UI changes after code edits
- Developers wanting Cursor-level agentic capability at near-zero tool cost
- Teams building MCP server integrations to extend agent capabilities into their own toolchain
Pros
- Extension is free - the only cost is LLM API tokens, making it the lowest entry cost agentic tool
- Transparent diff and command preview before execution - the most auditable agentic workflow in VS Code
- Model flexibility is unmatched: any provider, local or cloud, via a single config
Cons
- Requires managing your own LLM API keys - more setup friction than GitHub Copilot
- API costs at $15–120/month for heavy use can rival or exceed flat-rate subscriptions
- Less polished onboarding experience than commercial alternatives like Cursor or Copilot
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