Cline vs Codex: Side-by-Side Comparison 2026

Cline vs Codex comparison 2026. Side-by-side features, pricing & capabilities.

Cline is an AI agent from Cline (Open Source) — open-source ai agent for vs code. Codex is an AI agent and a CLI-based coding agent from OpenAI — asynchronous autonomous coding agent.

Cline

Cline — AI Coding Agent from Cline (Open Source). VS Code Agent.

  • ✓ AI chat
  • ✓ Agentic mode
  • ✓ Multi-file editing
  • ✓ Terminal commands
  • ✓ Test generation

Free / $20/mo · 3 plans

Codex🏆 Approved

OpenAI's autonomous coding agent. Available via web, desktop app (macOS), CLI (macOS/Linux/Windows), and VS Code extension.

  • ✓ Code completions
  • ✓ AI chat
  • ✓ Agentic mode
  • ✓ Multi-file editing
  • ✓ Terminal commands

Free / $8/mo · 6 plans

Feature Cline Codex
Category AgentAgent / CLI
Starting Price Free Free
Model Family Multi-model (any)GPT / Codex
Open Source Yes (Apache 2.0)Yes (CLI)

Pricing verified Mar 20, 2026. Cline pricing | Codex pricing

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Key Differences

  • Category: Cline is an AI agent; Codex is an AI agent and a CLI-based coding agent.
  • Starting price: Cline starts at $20/mo; Codex starts at $8/mo.
  • Model family: Cline uses Multi-model (any); Codex uses GPT / Codex.
  • Open source: Cline: Yes (Apache 2.0). Codex: Yes (CLI).
  • Platforms: Cline runs on Desktop; Codex runs on Linux, Web, Windows (experimental), macOS.
  • Provider: Cline is built by Cline (Open Source); Codex is built by OpenAI.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Cline if you want autonomous coding with full transparency into every action taken. Choose Codex if you want asynchronous coding tasks you can fire off and review when ready. Read our full reviews to see which fits your workflow.

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