Cline

What Cline is

Cline is an open source AI programming assistant for Visual Studio Code. It works through Plan and Act modes, can edit multiple files, run terminal commands, execute tests and debug in a browser, and extends through Model Context Protocol connections to databases, APIs and documentation.

Every step requires user approval, and the extension is free with users paying only for the model API they choose.

What you can do with it

• Plan a task before any file is touched
• Make multi-file changes with review between steps
• Run tests and fix failures
• Connect external tools through MCP

Who it is for

• Developers working in VS Code
• Teams wanting controllable automation
• Users who want to choose their own model

What to watch out for

• Approval prompts are a control mechanism, not a safety guarantee; read what it intends to run
• Terminal execution can run destructive commands on your machine
• Connecting MCP servers widens what the agent can reach; scope them
• You pay for model usage, so costs follow your activity