Cline vs Continue: Side-by-Side Comparison 2026
Cline vs Continue comparison for 2026. Features, pricing, AI capabilities, and editor support analyzed side by side to help you choose the right coding tool for your workflow.
Cline is an AI agent from Cline (Open Source) — open-source ai agent for vs code. Continue is an editor extension from Continue — open-source ai coding extension.
Cline
Open-source AI agent for VS Code that plans, edits, and runs code with a focus on transparency. BYOK (Anthropic, OpenAI, OpenRouter, local models) or paid Cline Cloud with included credits.
- ✓ AI chat
- ✓ Agentic mode
- ✓ Multi-file editing
- ✓ Terminal commands
- ✓ Test generation
Free · 2 plans
Continue
Open-source AI IDE extension for VS Code and JetBrains. Configurable model, RAG, and rules. Pay-as-you-go ($3/M tokens) or Team at $20/seat/month with included credits.
- ✓ Code completions
- ✓ AI chat
- ✓ Agentic mode
- ✓ Multi-file editing
- ✓ Terminal commands
$20/mo · 3 plans
| Feature | Cline | Continue |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Agent | Extension |
| Starting Price | Free | $20/mo |
| Model Family | Multi-model (any) | Multi-model (any) |
| Open Source | Yes (Apache 2.0) | Yes (Apache 2.0) |
Pricing verified May 4, 2026. Cline pricing | Continue pricing
Key Differences
- Category: Cline is an AI agent; Continue is an editor extension.
- Free tier: Cline has a free tier; Continue does not.
- Starting price: Cline starts at free / BYOK; Continue starts at $20/mo.
- Platforms: Cline runs on Desktop; Continue runs on Linux, Windows, macOS.
- Provider: Cline is built by Cline (Open Source); Continue is built by Continue.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Cline if you want autonomous coding with full transparency into every action taken. Choose Continue if you want open-source AI coding with full control over model and context. Read our full reviews to see which fits your workflow.