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Cline
Open-source AI agent for VS Code: autonomy on files + shell commands + browser.
Ease of Use
Cline is the open-source VS Code extension that turns the editor into an autonomous AI agent, similar to Cursor / Windsurf but free, open-source, and BYO key (Bring Your Own Key). You supply your Anthropic / OpenAI / Together / OpenRouter key or a local model via Ollama — Cline orchestrates.
The extension can create/edit files, run shell commands (with your approval), and drive a Chromium browser for live testing. The plan-then-act system asks for your validation before each sensitive operation.
Cline is massively adopted by devs who want to keep control of the models used and pay per use rather than a fixed sub. Over 1.5M VS Code installs.
Features
Key features
- Open-source under Apache 2.0.
- BYO key: Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, Together, Ollama.
- Plan-then-act: user validation on every step.
- Browser control: embedded Chromium for live tests.
- Shell access with explicit confirmation.
- VS Code extension: 1.5M+ installs.