Autonomous open-source AI coding agent with terminal, file system, and browser-in-the-loop capabilities.
Cline, formerly known as Claude Dev, is a sophisticated open-source autonomous coding agent integrated directly into VS Code. Its architecture is built around a 'Plan-and-Execute' loop, enabling it to go beyond simple autocomplete by providing the AI with full access to the local file system, terminal execution, and an integrated browser for real-time debugging of web applications. In the 2026 landscape, Cline distinguishes itself through its native support for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), allowing it to interface with external databases, APIs, and enterprise documentation systems seamlessly. Unlike proprietary IDEs, Cline operates on a 'Bring Your Own Key' (BYOK) model, supporting providers like Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, and local deployments via Ollama. This flexibility makes it the premier choice for developers requiring maximum control over their AI spend and data privacy. Its technical depth includes advanced diff-view generation for human-in-the-loop verification and the ability to perform complex, multi-step refactoring across entire repositories without human intervention until the final approval stage.
Allows Cline to utilize standardized 'tools' provided by third parties, such as GitHub, Google Search, or local databases, extending the agent's capabilities beyond code.
Accelerate development with AI-powered code suggestions and integrated security scanning across the SDLC.
The leading terminal-based AI pair programmer for high-velocity software engineering.
Accelerate development cycles with context-aware AI code generation and deep refactoring logic.
State-of-the-Art Mixture-of-Experts Coding Intelligence at 1/10th the Cost of GPT-4.
Verified feedback from the global deployment network.
Post queries, share implementation strategies, and help other users.
Cline can launch a headless browser, navigate to a local or remote URL, capture screenshots, and read the DOM to debug front-end issues autonomously.
A high-autonomy cycle where the agent reads code, creates a plan, executes terminal commands to install dependencies, and writes the code.
Mandatory user approval for all 'destructive' actions like terminal execution or file writing, with a side-by-side diff view.
Via OpenRouter and direct API integration, Cline can switch between Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4o, and DeepSeek models.
Real-time calculation of tokens used and estimated cost per task session directly in the UI.
The agent can run tests, read the error output from the terminal, and recursively fix the code until the tests pass.
Manually creating models, controllers, and front-end components for a new feature is time-consuming.
Registry Updated:2/7/2026
Cline writes the backend logic and frontend buttons.
Cline runs the dev server and checks for errors in the console.
Converting a large codebase from JavaScript to TypeScript.
A bug is reported in a GitHub issue but the source is unknown.