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Cline logoCursor logo

Cline vs Cursor

Both AI coding agents platforms, Cline (BYO-key OSS agent; free for individuals, pay only for inference; Plan/Act modes; also CLI, desktop app, SDK (also oss_self_hosted)) and Cursor (AI IDE with CLI and cloud agents; ships its own Grok/Composer models. Acquired by SpaceX (completed 2026-08-14, per cursor.com/blog/joining-spacex); also segments terminal_agent, cloud_agent.) go head to head here, priced from $0 + your model API bill and $20/mo respectively. Start with the bottom line, then the verified fact table and real production costs.

AI coding agents platforms · 39 facts compared · all sourcedPricing verified Oct 2, 2026
Bottom line

Cline wins six of seven use cases. Cursor's cheapest paid plan is $20/mo, while Cline's is $9.99/mo, and Cline is offered at no charge to individual developers as a VS Code extension using your own API key, which carries Beginners and Free Plans. Its Apache-2.0 license, local model support and providers such as Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini and OpenRouter win Local Models and Open Source. Running inside VS Code itself and offering a CLI/TUI take VS Code and Terminal Workflows. Cursor keeps Enterprise, with SOC 2, zero data retention and SSO on Teams and above.

Reviewed by vsref Editorialfacts verified Oct 2, 2026Methodology →

It is close, and the right pick depends on your use case. Start a free trial, or read the verdicts below.

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Beginners
Cline
WINNER
Enterprise
Cursor
WINNER
Free Plans
Cline
WINNER
Local Models
Cline
WINNER
Open Source
Cline
WINNER
Terminal Workflows
Cline
WINNER
VS Code
Cline
WINNER

Cline vs Cursor: head-to-head facts

FactCline logoClineCursor logoCursor
How usage is meteredOwn API key + per-token + time windowsOct 2$ usage pool + per-tokenOct 2
What the free plan allowsFree for individual developers: VS Code extensionOct 2Hobby: 'Limited Agent requests', 'Access to Composer'Oct 2
Cheapest paid plan (monthly)$9.99Oct 2$20Oct 2
Top individual plann/a$200Oct 2
Rate-limit window5-hour rolling window + weekly calendar period + monthly...Oct 2monthly (pools reset with the billing cycle)Oct 2
Bring your own API keytrueOct 2trueOct 2
Models availablen/aGrok 4.7, Grok 4.6, Grok 4.5 +11 moreOct 2
Pick the model per task✓ YesOct 2✓ YesOct 2
Runs local models✓ YesOct 2n/a
Where it runsVS Code extension, JetBrains plugin, CLI/TUI +3 moreOct 2Desktop IDE (VS Code fork), Agents window +10 moreOct 2
Autonomous multi-file edits✓ trueOct 2✓ YesOct 2
Runs terminal commands✓ YesOct 2✓ YesOct 2
Background / cloud agents✓ YesOct 2✓ YesOct 2
Opens PRs from issues✗ NoOct 2✓ YesOct 2
MCP support✓ true (MCP Marketplace)Oct 2✓ YesOct 2
Trains on your code?Vendor states 'your code is never used to train models'...Oct 2Privacy Mode on: not used for training by Cursor or...Oct 2
Zero data retention optionn/a✓ YesOct 2
Self-hosted / VPC deployment✓ YesOct 2✓ YesOct 2
LicenseApache-2.0Oct 2n/a
Supported model providersAnthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, OpenRouter +11 moreOct 2n/a
✓buyer-good  ·  ✗not available  ·  ◑gated or partial  ·  production cost ranges are our estimates, see our methodology.
Swipe → to compare both tools. Each value links its source and verified date.

Cline vs Cursor pricing: true cost at 3 usage tiers

Real monthly cost at 3 developer profiles: hobbyist (~5 h/week), full-time developer (~25 h/week of daily agent use), team of 5. Most vendors do not publish how much usage a plan covers, so the full-time row spans the cheapest to the top individual plan unless the vendor publishes its own guidance for daily users. Bring-your-own-key and open-source agents show the model bill you pay the provider, never $0.
~5 h/week of agent useHobbyist
ClineFree with your own key; plans $9.99/mo
Cursor$20/mo
Side projects and evenings. Priced at each vendor's cheapest paid plan (annual billing where offered), the tier every vendor sells for light use.
~25 h/week, daily multi-file agent tasksFull-time developer
ClineFree with your own key; plans $9.99/mo
Cursor$60-$100/mo
Daily agent use. Most vendors do not publish how much usage a plan covers, so this shows the span from the cheapest to the top individual plan; where a vendor publishes its own guidance for daily agent users, that figure is used instead.
5 seatsTeam of 5
ClineTeam pricing not published
Cursor$200/mo
Priced from each vendor's own team plan: per-seat prices x 5, flat team plans as published. A tool with no published team price shows that rather than a guess.

Cline vs Cursor: verdicts by use case

Beginners → Cline

Entry cost matters most for newer developers. Cursor's cheapest paid plan is $20/mo, while Cline's is $9.99/mo, about half as much. Neither publishes how much usage the entry tier includes. On the free plan, Cline is free for individual developers as a VS Code extension, while Cursor's Hobby plan offers limited Agent requests and access to Composer. Both have checkpoints and rollback for undoing agent mistakes. Cline also runs inside familiar editors, including VS Code and JetBrains, rather than requiring a new editor.

Enterprise → Cursor

Training policy matters most. Cursor's promise that code is not used for training with Privacy Mode on is verified, while Cline's statement that your code is never used to train models is a vendor claim. Both offer self-hosted or VPC deployment and admin audit logs. Cursor provides SAML/OIDC SSO on Teams ($40/user/mo) and above, while Cline limits SSO to Enterprise. Cursor also offers a zero data retention option and SOC 2, neither of which Cline publishes.

Free Plans → Cline

What the free plan allows decides this. Cline is free for individual developers as a VS Code extension, using your own API key, while Cursor's Hobby plan offers only limited Agent requests and access to Composer. Both support bringing your own API key. If you upgrade, Cline's cheapest paid plan is $9.99/mo against $20/mo for Cursor. Cline also runs local models, which Cursor does not publish, so you can work without paying per token.

Local Models → Cline

Local model support is the deciding factor, and Cline states it runs local models while Cursor does not publish that. Cline also lists supported providers, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, OpenRouter and more, and it is Apache-2.0 licensed. Cursor publishes neither a provider list nor a license. Both support bringing your own API key.

Open Source → Cline

The license matters most here. Cline is Apache-2.0 licensed, while Cursor publishes no license. Cline calls many model providers, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini and OpenRouter, runs local models, and has 69,700 GitHub stars by the vendor's count. If you would rather not run it yourself, Cline offers usage-billed pay-as-you-go credits.

Terminal Workflows → Cline

Where the agent runs matters most for shell-first developers. Cline lists a CLI/TUI alongside its VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin and three more surfaces, while Cursor lists a desktop IDE, an Agents window and more than ten further surfaces, without a CLI among those shown. Both run terminal commands, offer background or cloud agents, support MCP, and read project rules files such as AGENTS.md. Cline's explicit command-line surface gives it the edge for terminal work.

VS Code → Cline

Editor support decides this. Cline runs inside VS Code itself, published on both the Marketplace and Open VSX so it also works in forks such as Cursor, while Cursor requires its own editor, a VS Code fork. Both make autonomous multi-file edits and offer checkpoints and rollback. Cursor indexes the codebase, which Cline does not publish, and neither publishes entry-tier included usage. Staying in your own VS Code favors Cline.

Cline vs Cursor: common questions

Is Cline cheaper than Cursor?+

Yes, at the entry level. Cursor's cheapest paid plan is $20/mo, while Cline's is $9.99/mo. Cline's usage runs through your own API key with per-token billing, so model costs come on top. Cursor's top individual plan is $200/mo and its team plan is $40/user/mo; Cline does not publish equivalents.

Cline vs Cursor: which is better for beginners?+

Cline is the better fit for most beginners. Cursor's cheapest paid plan is $20/mo, while Cline's is $9.99/mo. Cline runs as an extension inside VS Code and JetBrains, so there is no new editor to learn, while Cursor uses its own editor. Both offer checkpoints and rollback for undoing agent mistakes. Neither publishes how much usage the entry tier includes.

Is Cline or Cursor open source?+

Cline is licensed under Apache-2.0 and has 69,700 GitHub stars by the vendor's count. Cursor does not publish an open-source license.

Is Cline or Cursor better for enterprise compliance?+

Cursor has SOC 2, a zero data retention option and SAML/OIDC SSO on Teams ($40/user/mo) and above. Cline offers SSO on Enterprise only and does not publish SOC 2. Both offer self-hosted or VPC deployment and admin audit logs, and both have an Enterprise plan through contact sales.

Which model providers can Cline and Cursor use?+

Cline supports Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, OpenRouter and more, and runs local models. Cursor offers models including Grok 4.7, Grok 4.6 and Grok 4.5 among others, with Auto routing as the default. Both let you pick the model per task and bring your own API key.

How do usage limits differ between Cline and Cursor?+

Cline uses your own API key with per-token billing and time windows, including a 5-hour rolling window and a weekly period. Cursor uses a dollar usage pool plus per-token charges that reset monthly with the billing cycle, and bills extra on-demand usage at the same per-token API rates.

Does Cline open pull requests from issues?+

No. Cline does not open pull requests from issues, while Cursor does. Cursor also offers Bugbot pull request review.

How much does Cursor cost for teams?+

Cursor's team plan costs $40/user/mo, and its top individual plan is $200/mo. Cursor also offers an Enterprise plan through contact sales.

Can I use Cline inside Cursor?+

Yes. Cline is published on both the VS Code Marketplace and Open VSX, so it works in VS Code forks including Cursor and Windsurf. It also offers a JetBrains plugin and a CLI/TUI.

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