Cline

Cline is an open-source VS Code extension that runs an autonomous AI coding agent inside your editor, reading files, writing code, executing terminal commands, and browsing the web to complete tasks described in plain language, with human approval checkpoints for each consequential action. The agent model distinguishes Cline from autocomplete tools like Copilot: rather than responding to the cursor position with suggestions, Cline takes goal-directed runs where you describe the outcome you want and the agent plans and executes the implementation steps autonomously. Users retain control through the approval model: each file edit, terminal command, or browser action is shown with an accept or reject option before execution, preventing unintended changes while enabling largely autonomous operation on tasks where the agent's plan is sound.

Cline supports multiple AI backends through configurable API keys, Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, or local models via Ollama, letting users choose between performance and cost based on task complexity. With 75,000+ GitHub stars, Cline is one of a widely adopted open-source coding agents and a popular option for developers who want Cursor-like agent capabilities without leaving VS Code or paying an additional subscription. Extended thinking mode on Claude Sonnet enables deeper problem analysis for complex architectural or debugging tasks.