Coding ⬦ Free

Cline

An autonomous in-editor coding agent, fully open and BYO-key.

⬦ Free and open source

Released under the Apache-2.0 license. There is no affiliate link on this page. The button goes straight to the project.

Free and open source, released under the Apache-2.0 license. This page carries no affiliate link. The button goes to the official project.

Get Cline →

Cline is our standout open recommendation for AI coding. It runs inside your editor as an autonomous agent, it is Apache-2.0, and it is bring-your-own-key, so you can point it at a hosted model or a local one and keep full control of both your code and your bill.

There is no affiliate relationship here and never will be, which is rather the point. If you want Cursor-style capability without the lock-in, this is where to look first.

The good

  • Apache-2.0, transparent, no lock-in
  • Bring your own model and key, including local
  • Active development and community

The catch

  • You manage your own model costs
  • Autonomous edits still need review
  • Less hand-holding than a paid product

Pricing

Free and open source. You pay only for whatever model API you point it at.

Alternatives to consider

  • Aider A git-native terminal pair-programmer that commits as it works.
  • Tabby A self-hosted coding assistant for air-gapped and privacy-first teams.
  • Cursor The AI-first code editor that set the pace.