TODO for AI
vs Cline
Open-source VS Code agent extension, bring your own keys, plan and act modes. Here is where each one wins, with numbers, and who should pick which.
Any provider (BYOK)
Every providerWho should pick which
- You want an open agent inside VS Code
- You already have provider keys and budget alerts
- You want tasks to keep running after you close the editor
- You want flat pricing
- You want the agent outside the repo: browser, email, ops
What Cline is, and where it stops
Cline is the most popular open agent inside VS Code. Plan and act modes, strong MCP support, any model through your own keys. For a developer who wants an agent without leaving the editor and without a closed vendor, it is a sensible default.
Its limits are the editor's limits. It runs while VS Code runs, on your machine, on your tokens. There is no cloud, no browser automation beyond what an MCP server gives you, and no concept of a team.
VS Code users who want an open agent with their own keys.
Three reasons Cline users look elsewhere
Tasks stop when the editor closes. Nothing runs overnight or on a schedule.
Bring your own key means bring your own bill, and agentic loops on Opus add up quickly.
Marketing, SEO, email and ops are out of scope.
Six dimensions that decide it
What each one ships
What it costs
Free extension. Tokens billed by your provider.
Hobby free (Sonnet only), Starter $20, Pro $100, Ultra $200. Paid plans include every model from every vendor.