# Cline vs Kilo Code

> Cline vs Kilo Code: Kilo Code is our pick, leading for beginners and free plans. They split on license and github stars. Verified October 2026.

![Cline logo](https://www.versusref.com/logos/cline.png) ![Kilo Code logo](https://www.versusref.com/logos/kilo-code.png)

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 Kilo Code (OSS multi-surface agent; zero-markup inference gateway + Kilo Pass credit bundles; started as a Roo Code fork, now built on the OpenCode core (also terminal_agent, cloud_agent)) are AI coding agents platforms, priced from $0 + your model API bill and $0 + your model API bill respectively. Below: the bottom line, verified head-to-head facts, and real production costs.

AI coding agents platforms · 37 facts compared · all sourced · pricing verified Oct 2, 2026

## Bottom line

Kilo Code leads four use cases to three. It wins Beginners because Kilo Code's $19/mo Starter plan includes up to $26.60/mo in credits, while Cline does not publish what its plan includes. It wins Free Plans and Local Models because Kilo Code states that BYOK and local inference bypass its billing entirely, and it wins Open Source on reach, with Kilo Code listing 500+ models across 60+ providers under an MIT license. Cline takes Enterprise with a stated no-training policy and self-hosted deployment, Terminal Workflows with confirmed terminal command execution, and VS Code with listings on both the VS Code Marketplace and Open VSX.

## Verdict summary

| Use case | Winner | Why |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Beginners | Kilo Code | For a newer developer, a predictable bill matters most. |
| Enterprise | Cline | A security review starts with code training and deployment control, and Cline answers both. |
| Free Plans | Kilo Code | Neither tool publishes a request cap or daily allowance for its free plan. |
| Local Models | Kilo Code | Both Cline and Kilo Code run local models, so the core requirement is met either way. |
| Open Source | Kilo Code | Both licenses let you read, fork and self-host: Cline is Apache-2.0 and Kilo Code is MIT, so the license does not separate them. |
| Terminal Workflows | Cline | Both tools ship beyond the editor: Cline runs as a VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin and CLI/TUI, and Kilo Code as a VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin and CLI. |
| VS Code | Cline | Editor fit matters most here. |

## Cline vs Kilo Code: head-to-head facts

| Fact | Cline | Kilo Code | Verified |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| How usage is metered | Own API key + per-token + time windows ([source](https://cline.bot/pricing)) | Own API key + $ usage pool ([source](https://kilo.ai/pricing)) | Oct 2 |
| What the free plan allows | Free for individual developers: VS Code extension ([source](https://cline.bot/pricing)) | Free & open source: VS Code ([source](https://kilo.ai/pricing)) | Oct 2 |
| Cheapest paid plan (monthly) | $9.99 ([source](https://cline.bot/cline-pass)) | $19 ([source](https://kilo.ai/pricing)) | Oct 2 |
| Top individual plan | n/a | $199 ([source](https://kilo.ai/pricing)) | Oct 2 |
| Usage included at entry tier | n/a | Starter $19/mo -> 'Up to $26.60/mo in credits' ([source](https://kilo.ai/pricing)) | Oct 2 |
| Rate-limit window | 5-hour rolling window + weekly calendar period + monthly... ([source](https://docs.cline.bot/getting-started/clinepass)) | n/a | Oct 2 |
| Bring your own API key | true ([source](https://cline.bot/pricing)) | true; BYOK and local inference bypass Kilo billing entirely ([source](https://kilo.ai/pricing)) | Oct 2 |
| Pick the model per task | ✓  Yes ([source](https://github.com/cline/cline)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://kilo.ai/code)) | Oct 2 |
| Runs local models | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.cline.bot/running-models-locally/overview.md)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://kilo.ai/docs/automate/extending/local-models)) | Oct 2 |
| Where it runs | VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin, CLI/TUI +3 more ([source](https://cline.bot/)) | VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin, CLI +4 more ([source](https://kilo.ai/)) | Oct 2 |
| Autonomous multi-file edits | ✓  true ([source](https://github.com/cline/cline)) | ✓  true ([source](https://kilo.ai/code)) | Oct 2 |
| Runs terminal commands | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.cline.bot/features/auto-approve.md)) | n/a | Oct 2 |
| Background / cloud agents | ✓  Yes ([source](https://docs.cline.bot/cli/scheduling.md)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://kilo.ai/pricing)) | Oct 2 |
| Opens PRs from issues | ✗  No ([source](https://docs.cline.bot/usage/kanban.md)) | n/a | Oct 2 |
| MCP support | ✓  true (MCP Marketplace) ([source](https://docs.cline.bot/mcp/mcp-overview.md)) | ✓  Yes ([source](https://github.com/Kilo-Org/kilocode)) | Oct 2 |
| Trains on your code? | Vendor states 'your code is never used to train models'... ([source](https://cline.bot/enterprise)) | n/a | Oct 2 |
| Zero data retention option | n/a | ✓  Yes ([source](https://kilo.ai/security-and-compliance)) | Oct 2 |
| Self-hosted / VPC deployment | ✓  Yes ([source](https://cline.bot/enterprise)) | n/a | Oct 2 |
| License | Apache-2.0 ([source](https://github.com/cline/cline)) | MIT ([source](https://github.com/Kilo-Org/kilocode)) | Oct 2 |
| Supported model providers | Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini, OpenRouter +11 more ([source](https://github.com/cline/cline)) | 500+ models across 60+ providers via Kilo Gateway +5 more ([source](https://kilo.ai/pricing)) | Oct 2 |

## Cline vs Kilo Code 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.

| Volume | Buyer | Cline | Kilo Code | Note |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ~5 h/week of agent use | Hobbyist | Free with your own key; plans $9.99/mo | Free with your own key; plans $19-$199/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 tasks | Full-time developer | Free with your own key; plans $9.99/mo | Free with your own key; plans $19-$199/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 seats | Team of 5 | Team pricing not published | $75/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 Kilo Code: verdicts by use case

### Beginners → Kilo Code

For a newer developer, a predictable bill matters most. Cline has the lower sticker price at $9.99/mo, but Cline does not publish how much usage that buys, and it meters per token inside rolling time windows. Kilo Code costs $19/mo for its Starter plan, which includes up to $26.60/mo in credits, so a beginner knows the budget up front. Both start on a free plan in VS Code, and both offer checkpoints to undo a messy agent edit, though Kilo Code's rollback is vendor-claimed while Cline's is verified. The lower price keeps Cline close, but the stated credit allowance is the safer bet for a first bill.

### Enterprise → Cline

A security review starts with code training and deployment control, and Cline answers both. Cline states that your code is never used to train models and offers self-hosted or VPC deployment; Kilo Code publishes neither. Both put SSO behind an Enterprise plan, with Kilo Code adding OIDC and SCIM, and both offer admin audit logs. Kilo Code does score with a zero data retention option and a vendor-claimed SOC 2 report, which Cline does not publish. Those help, but they do not outweigh a written no-training stance plus the option to keep the agent inside your own network.

### Free Plans → Kilo Code

Neither tool publishes a request cap or daily allowance for its free plan. Cline offers its VS Code extension on a free plan for individual developers, and Kilo Code is open source in VS Code. The deciding question is how far your own key takes you. Both support bringing your own API key, but Kilo Code states that BYOK and local inference bypass its billing entirely, so your only bill is your model provider. Both run local models. If you later pay, Cline is cheaper: Cline starts at $9.99/mo, while Kilo Code starts at $19/mo, which keeps this close.

### Local Models → Kilo Code

Both Cline and Kilo Code run local models, so the core requirement is met either way. The difference is reach and billing. Kilo Code lists 500+ models across 60+ providers through Kilo Gateway, while Cline names Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini and OpenRouter in a shorter provider list. Kilo Code also states that local inference and your own key bypass its billing entirely, which suits a setup with no per-token bill. Licensing is a wash for laptop use: Cline is Apache-2.0 and Kilo Code is MIT, both permissive.

### Open Source → Kilo Code

Both licenses let you read, fork and self-host: Cline is Apache-2.0 and Kilo Code is MIT, so the license does not separate them. Model reach does. Kilo Code lists 500+ models across 60+ providers via Kilo Gateway, while Cline names Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini and OpenRouter in a shorter list. Both run local models, and both sell hosted usage as credits if you would rather not manage your own keys. Cline has the larger community, with 69,700 GitHub stars against 27,500 for Kilo Code, which keeps it close.

### Terminal Workflows → Cline

Both tools ship beyond the editor: Cline runs as a VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin and CLI/TUI, and Kilo Code as a VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin and CLI. For shell users the deciding factor is running commands, and only Cline confirms that it executes terminal commands; Kilo Code does not publish it. Both offer background or cloud agents, MCP support and project rules files, with Cline reading .clinerules and AGENTS.md and Kilo Code using kilo.jsonc instructions. With a full terminal interface and confirmed command execution, Cline is the safer pick.

### VS Code → Cline

Editor fit matters most here. Cline is listed on both the VS Code Marketplace and Open VSX, so it also installs in forks like Cursor and Windsurf; Kilo Code lists the VS Code Marketplace and JetBrains IDEs. Both make autonomous multi-file edits and both offer checkpoints for rollback, though Cline's is verified and Kilo Code's is vendor-claimed. Kilo Code adds codebase indexing and a Starter plan with up to $26.60/mo in credits, which narrows the gap. For anyone on VS Code or a fork, Cline's wider reach and verified undo tip the balance.

## Cline vs Kilo Code: common questions

### Is Cline cheaper than Kilo Code?

On sticker price, yes: Cline's cheapest paid plan is $9.99/mo, while Kilo Code's is $19/mo. But Kilo Code's $19/mo Starter plan includes up to $26.60/mo in credits, while Cline does not publish how much usage its plan includes. For teams, Kilo Code lists $15/user/mo, and Cline does not publish a team price. Both are free to start in VS Code, and both let you bring your own API key.

### Cline vs Kilo Code: which is better for beginners?

Kilo Code has the edge for beginners on bill predictability. Kilo Code's Starter plan costs $19/mo and includes up to $26.60/mo in credits. Cline is cheaper at $9.99/mo, but Cline does not publish how much usage that buys. Both start on a free plan in VS Code, and both offer checkpoints to undo agent edits, though Kilo Code's rollback is vendor-claimed while Cline's is verified.

### Is Cline or Kilo Code better for enterprise security reviews?

Cline states that your code is never used to train models and offers self-hosted or VPC deployment. Kilo Code offers a zero data retention option, a vendor-claimed SOC 2 report and EU data residency. Both put SSO on Enterprise plans, with Kilo Code adding OIDC and SCIM, and both provide admin audit logs.

### How much does a Kilo Code team plan cost compared to Cline?

Kilo Code's team plan is $15/user/mo, and its top individual plan is $199/mo. Cline does not publish a team price. Both offer an Enterprise plan through sales for larger organizations.

### Can I use my own API key with Cline and Kilo Code?

Yes, both support bringing your own API key. Kilo Code states that BYOK and local inference bypass its billing entirely. Cline meters by your own key plus per-token usage within time windows, including a 5-hour rolling window and a weekly period.

### Which supports more model providers, Cline or Kilo Code?

Kilo Code lists 500+ models across 60+ providers via Kilo Gateway. Cline names Anthropic, OpenAI, Google Gemini and OpenRouter in a shorter provider list. Both let you pick the model per task, and both run local models.

### Are Cline and Kilo Code open source?

Yes. Cline is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Kilo Code under MIT. Cline has about 69,700 GitHub stars and Kilo Code about 27,500. Both shipped recent releases: Cline v4.1.22 on 2026-09-30 and Kilo Code v7.8.3 on 2026-10-01.

### Does Kilo Code charge extra for usage beyond the plan?

Kilo Gateway usage carries no monthly fee and is billed at exact provider rates. The $19/mo Starter plan includes up to $26.60/mo in credits. Code Review automation is a separate charge of $0.33/hour of compute.

### Which editors do Cline and Kilo Code work in?

Cline is listed on the VS Code Marketplace and Open VSX, so it also installs in VS Code forks, and it offers a JetBrains plugin and a CLI/TUI. Kilo Code supports VS Code and JetBrains IDEs and also ships a CLI.

Source: https://www.versusref.com/coding-agents/cline-vs-kilo-code/