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Comparison

Claude Code vs Cline

	Claude Code	Cline
What it says it does	Claude CodeAnthropic's agentic coding tool for developers. Claude Code understands your codebase, edits files, runs commands, and helps you ship faster.	ClineCline is an open-source AI coding agent that runs as a VS Code extension and CLI, planning and making multi-file changes with the model of your choice.
Pricing	Claude CodeIncluded in paid Claude plans (not Free): Pro $17/mo billed annually or $20 monthly; Max from $100/mo (5x or 20x Pro usage); Team and Enterprise plans; or pay-as-you-go API credits (official)	ClineFree and open source for individual developers; pay only for AI inference (at cost through Cline or bring your own API key); Enterprise plan (JetBrains, SSO and admin controls) by contacting sales (official)
Website	Claude Codehttps://claude.com/product/claude-code	Clinehttps://cline.bot/

Which tool for which job

Claude Code wins when you want deep, multi-file code changes and are happy to pay at least $17 to $20 a month.

Cline wins when you prefer paying model providers directly instead of a flat AI editor subscription.

Descriptions in the table come from each vendor's own site. This verdict is a fit call from those official pages as of 26 October 2026, not a shared benchmark or a hands-on score. Prices change, so confirm the pricing row on each tool page. How we review tools.

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