Published: March 6, 2026
Source: github.com/cline/cline
Category: AI Coding Tools
What Just Happened
Cline just dropped.
Claude Code inside VS Code. Not a side panel. Not a chat window. Full agent mode in your editor.
Not another Copilot clone. Not tab completion.
This is Claude with full terminal access, file editing, and browser automation – right inside your IDE.
Why This Matters
Cursor charges $20/month.
Cline is free and open source.
Same AI. Same capabilities. Zero dollars.
Big difference.
I have been using Cursor for months. It is good. But $240/year good? That is a hard sell when you are bootstrapping.
Cline changes the math. You bring your own API key. Pay per use. No subscription.
I saved $240 and got a better tool. That is called winning.
What It Actually Does
- Full Claude 3.5 Sonnet integration
- Edits files directly in your workspace
- Runs terminal commands (with your approval)
- Uses browser to test and debug
- Works with any API provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, etc.)
- 100% open source and self-hosted
- No monthly subscription
My Take
I installed it 30 minutes ago.
Created a new React component from scratch. Claude wrote the code, ran npm install, fixed the error, tested in browser. All without me leaving VS Code.
What took 45 minutes yesterday took 8 minutes today.
This is for:
- Developers who hate switching windows
- People tired of $20/month subscriptions
- Anyone who wants Cursor features without Cursor prices
- Teams who need audit logs and transparency
This is NOT for:
- People who want set it and forget it
- Anyone afraid of AI touching their terminal
- Developers who enjoy writing boilerplate
How to Get Started
Prerequisites:
- VS Code installed
- API key from Anthropic (or OpenAI)
Installation:
- Open VS Code
- Go to Extensions marketplace
- Search Cline
- Click Install
First Use:
- Select a file or folder
- Type: Refactor this to use TypeScript
- Watch Claude work
- Review changes before accepting
GitHub Repository: github.com/cline/cline
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