Cline is an open-source AI coding agent that works in your editor, terminal or a desktop app, and asks your approval before it acts.
In plain words
Cline reads files, writes code, runs commands and can browse the web, but it checks with you before each step. It runs as a VS Code extension, in JetBrains IDEs, as a command-line tool that can run unattended in CI, and as a desktop app for macOS and Windows. You choose the model it uses, and it can connect to MCP servers for extra tools. An SDK lets you build your own agents on the same engine.
A quick example
In VS Code you ask Cline to fix a failing test. It reads the code, proposes an edit and a command to rerun the tests, and waits for you to approve each one before running it.
Where you'll meet it
- Agentic coding inside VS Code and JetBrains IDEs.
- Headless coding tasks in CI pipelines.
Related
Sources
- DocsCline README, Cline (GitHub) · read 22 Oct 2026
- DocsCline overview, Cline docs · read 29 Sept 2026
Checked by WhatIsAI against the sources above · 22 Oct 2026. Spotted an error? Report it.