Cline vs GitHub Copilot

Cline or GitHub Copilot for coding? Compare autocomplete quality, IDE support and pricing in 2026. Cline is best for autonomous coding agent with.

	Cline Best for: Autonomous coding agent with step-by-step approval, available across VS Code, JetBrains, CLI, and desktop	GitHub Copilot Best for: AI coding in VS Code, cloud agents, code review, model choice across vendors
Overview	Open-source autonomous coding agent, available as a VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin, CLI, and native desktop app, that creates files, runs terminal commands, and controls browsers — all with step-by-step user approval. Works with any LLM via your own API key or Cline's own inference provider.	GitHub Copilot is an agentic, multi-model coding assistant that goes beyond autocomplete, offering chat, an agent mode, cloud agents, code review and a CLI, with models available from vendors including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, xAI, Microsoft and Moonshot. It bills usage through GitHub AI Credits, with tiers running from a free plan up to individual and organization plans.
Pricing	Freemium	Freemium
Users	5.5M+	10M+
Advantages	✅69.5K GitHub stars and 5.48M VS Code Marketplace installs — widely adopted open-source coding agent ✅Available across VS Code, JetBrains, CLI, and a native desktop app, not limited to one editor ✅Step-by-step approval keeps the developer in control of every action ✅Native MCP support with an MCP marketplace for custom tool integrations ✅Model catalog of 6,400+ models across 200+ providers, plus free local models via Ollama	✅Genuinely agentic: agent mode, cloud agents, chat, code review and a CLI, not just autocomplete ✅Lets you pick models from multiple vendors, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, xAI, Microsoft and Moonshot, per task ✅Real free tier, plus free Pro access for verified teachers and maintainers of popular open source projects ✅Deep integration with GitHub, VS Code and the wider GitHub ecosystem ✅Inline code completions and Next Edit suggestions stay included and never consume AI Credits
Disadvantages	❌Approval-based workflow can slow down complex multi-file tasks ❌No proprietary model — quality depends entirely on your chosen LLM ❌Inference costs (BYOK or Cline's own provider) are managed and paid separately from the tool ❌Enterprise tier pricing is not publicly listed and requires contacting sales ❌Less polished UX than commercial tools with dedicated design teams	❌Usage-based AI Credits billing means cost can exceed the base subscription price once you buy additional credits beyond your included allotment, making monthly spend harder to predict for heavy users ❌Third-party agent delegation and the largest credit allowances are gated behind the pricier Pro+ and Max tiers ❌Free tier is capped at roughly 2,000 inline suggestions with limited chat and agent access and no code review or cloud agents ❌New enterprise licensing (Copilot bundled with GitHub Enterprise Cloud on a shared usage budget, or Copilot Standalone at $10/user/month) is still being rolled out in self-serve stages, so availability and exact terms can vary by organization ❌Flex credit allotments are included at no extra charge, but GitHub says the amount may change over time, so total included usage isn't guaranteed to stay fixed
Rating	…	…
Website	cline.bot	github.com
	Visit →Cline review	Visit →GitHub Copilot review

Verdict: Which Should You Choose?

Choose Cline if…

✅ You want to use the same autonomous coding agent across VS Code, JetBrains, a CLI, and a native desktop app instead of being tied to one editor.
✅ You want step-by-step approval over every file edit, terminal command, or browser action before the agent executes it.
✅ You want to pick from a catalog of 6,400+ models across 200+ providers, including running local models via Ollama for free.
✅ You want native MCP support with an MCP marketplace to plug in custom tool integrations for your agent.

Choose GitHub Copilot if…

✅ You want cloud agents that can work on coding tasks asynchronously instead of staying tied to your open editor.
✅ You want automated code review built in alongside chat, agent mode, and a CLI in one platform.
✅ You want a real free tier to try an agentic coding assistant before committing to a paid plan.
✅ You want to choose from models across multiple vendors, including Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, xAI, Microsoft and Moonshot, depending on the task.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Cline?

Cline is an open-source autonomous coding agent available as a VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin, CLI, and native desktop app. It proposes actions like creating files, running commands, or using a browser, and waits for your step-by-step approval before executing each one.

Is Cline free to use?

The core Cline extension, CLI, MCP marketplace, and multi-root workspace support are free and open source. You only pay for AI inference, either by bringing your own API key, using Cline's own inference provider, or running local models via Ollama at no cost.

How much does GitHub Copilot cost?

GitHub Copilot has a Free plan at $0/month, Pro at $10/month (about $15 of usage, roughly 1,500 AI Credits), Pro+ at $39/month (about $70 of usage, roughly 7,000 AI Credits), and Max at $100/month (about $200 of usage, roughly 20,000 AI Credits). Usage is billed through consumption-based GitHub AI Credits, and extra credits can be purchased if you exceed your included allotment.

Which is better for a team already living inside GitHub for issues, PRs, and reviews?

GitHub Copilot fits better here, since it adds agent mode, cloud agents, and automated code review directly inside the GitHub workflow, with a desktop app built around taking issues to merge. Cline is a strong alternative if you want an editor-agnostic agent with full step-by-step approval instead.