{ "type": "topreviewed.comparison", "version": 1, "title": "Aider vs Cline", "category": "AI coding tools", "url": "https://topreviewed.ai/compare/aider-vs-cline", "json_url": "https://topreviewed.ai/compare/aider-vs-cline/data.json", "publisher": "TopReviewed.ai", "updated_on": "2026-09-24", "currency": "USD", "value_rules": { "bool": "true = the vendor documents the capability. false = the vendor documents that it is absent. null = the vendor's public pages do not document it.", "money": "USD per user per month, as listed on the vendor's pricing page.", "number": "Plain number in the unit named by the row label.", "text": "Short factual phrase taken from the vendor's page." }, "how_to_cite": "Cite as \"TopReviewed.ai — Aider vs Cline fact comparison\" with the url above. Each value carries the vendor source_url it was taken from and the date the facts were verified.", "products": { "a": { "slug": "aider", "name": "Aider", "also_known_as": [], "website": "https://aider.chat", "topreviewed_url": "https://topreviewed.ai/products/aider", "facts_verified_on": "2026-09-24", "plans": [ { "name": "Open source (Apache 2.0)", "price_annual": 0, "price_monthly": 0, "unit": "free; LLM usage billed by your model provider", "note": "The only way to get Aider: the open-source tool under the Apache 2.0 licence, which grants a no-charge, royalty-free licence. The vendor lists no paid plans (aider.chat/pricing returns 404). Most models need an API key from an LLM provider, and you pay that provider for usage. Free options: OpenRouter free models (daily usage limits) and local models.", "source_url": "https://github.com/Aider-AI/aider/blob/main/LICENSE.txt", "quote": "worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable" } ] }, "b": { "slug": "cline", "name": "Cline", "also_known_as": [], "website": "https://cline.bot", "topreviewed_url": "https://topreviewed.ai/products/cline", "facts_verified_on": "2026-09-24", "plans": [ { "name": "Open Source", "price_annual": 0, "price_monthly": 0, "unit": "free; AI inference billed separately (pay as you go)", "note": "For individual developers: VS Code extension, CLI, MCP Marketplace, community support. The client is free; model usage is paid per use with Cline credits at cost or with your own provider API keys.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/pricing", "quote": "Cline is free for individual developers. Pay only for AI inference on a usage basis - no subscriptions, no vendor lock-in." }, { "name": "Enterprise", "price_annual": null, "price_monthly": null, "unit": "custom (contact sales)", "note": "Price listed as \"Custom\". Adds JetBrains extension (per the pricing page), SSO, SLA, dedicated support, centralized billing, simple config management, role-based access control, limiting inference providers, team management dashboard and authentication logs.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/pricing", "quote": "SSO, SLA & Dedicated Support" }, { "name": "ClinePass", "price_annual": null, "price_monthly": 9.99, "unit": "per month", "note": "Optional subscription on its own page (not on the pricing page) for curated open-weight models from Z.ai, Moonshot AI, DeepSeek, MiniMax, MiMo and Qwen, with 2-5x the usage of standard API rates; quota measured over a 5-hour rolling window, the calendar week and the calendar month. Only monthly billing is listed. Page footnotes: \"Standard rate $9.99 per month after promotion period\" and \"Additional processing fee may apply\".", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/cline-pass", "quote": "ClinePass costs $9.99/month. Additional processing fees may apply." } ] } }, "summary": { "rows_compared": 52, "rows_that_differ": 13, "advantages": { "aider": [ "codebase_indexing" ], "cline": [] } }, "rows": [ { "group": "Pricing", "key": "free_plan", "label": "Free plan", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "The tool is free and open source (Apache 2.0). Most models need an API key from an LLM provider, and you pay that provider for usage.", "source_url": "https://github.com/Aider-AI/aider/blob/main/LICENSE.txt", "quote": "worldwide, non-exclusive, no-charge, royalty-free, irrevocable" }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "The open-source client is free. Model usage is paid separately: Cline credits (pay as you go) or your own API key with a third-party provider. Local models and limited-time free-model promotions cost nothing.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/pricing", "quote": "Cline is free for individual developers. Pay only for AI inference on a usage basis - no subscriptions, no vendor lock-in." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Pricing", "key": "free_plan_limits", "label": "Free plan limits", "type": "text", "aider": { "value": "No aider-imposed limits; model usage is paid to your LLM provider (free options: OpenRouter free models with daily limits, local models)", "display": "No aider-imposed limits; model usage is paid to your LLM provider (free options: OpenRouter free models with daily limits, local models)", "note": "Aider never enforces token limits; it only reports limit errors from the API provider. The LLMs page names OpenRouter free models (limited daily usage) and Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro Exp as free options, and local models via Ollama.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/install/optional.html", "quote": "You need an key from an API provider to work with most models:" }, "cline": { "value": "Client free; AI inference paid separately (Cline credits or own API key); free models only as rotating limited-time promotions up to a usage quota", "display": "Client free; AI inference paid separately (Cline credits or own API key); free models only as rotating limited-time promotions up to a usage quota", "note": "Free-model usage is not available through the Cline API, and the docs say it \"may be used to help improve model performance and quality\".", "source_url": "https://docs.cline.bot/getting-started/free-models", "quote": "Cline periodically offers free model promotions that let you try select models at no cost, up to a limited usage quota." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Pricing", "key": "free_trial_days", "label": "Free trial (days)", "type": "number", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Pricing", "key": "trial_requires_card", "label": "Trial requires credit card", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Pricing", "key": "cheapest_paid_annual", "label": "Cheapest paid plan, billed annually (per user / month)", "type": "money", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages — ClinePass is listed only at $9.99/month; no annual billing is shown.", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Pricing", "key": "cheapest_paid_monthly", "label": "Cheapest paid plan, billed monthly (per user / month)", "type": "money", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": 9.99, "display": "$9.99", "note": "ClinePass: an optional subscription for curated open-weight models. The Cline client itself is free; the pricing page lists no other paid plan with a price.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/cline-pass", "quote": "ClinePass costs $9.99/month. Additional processing fees may apply." }, "differs": true, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Pricing", "key": "top_listed_annual", "label": "Highest listed-price plan, billed annually (per user / month)", "type": "money", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages — no plan lists an annual price; Enterprise is custom-priced.", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Pricing", "key": "minimum_seats", "label": "Minimum paid seats", "type": "number", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Pricing", "key": "enterprise_custom_pricing", "label": "Custom-priced enterprise plan", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Enterprise plan is priced \"Custom\" with a Contact Sales button.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/pricing", "quote": "Custom" }, "differs": true, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Platforms", "key": "web_app", "label": "Web app", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Experimental browser UI that you launch locally with aider --browser; it edits files in your local git repo. Not a hosted web service.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/usage/browser.html", "quote": "Use aider’s new experimental browser UI to collaborate with LLMs to edit code in your local git repo." }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Cline Kanban (research preview) is a browser board served locally after `npx kanban` / `cline --kanban`; no vendor-hosted web IDE is documented.", "source_url": "https://docs.cline.bot/cline-overview", "quote": "Run many agents in parallel from a web-based task board with per-card worktrees, auto-commit, and dependency chains." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Platforms", "key": "windows", "label": "Runs on Windows", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "One-line PowerShell installer listed under the install page's WINDOWS heading. Also installs with pip, uv or pipx on Python 3.8-3.13.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/install.html", "quote": "powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c \"irm https://aider.chat/install.ps1 | iex\"" }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Via the CLI and editor extensions; Cline for Desktop also ships a Windows build (Windows support in beta).", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/cli", "quote": "Works on macOS, Linux, and Windows." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Platforms", "key": "macos", "label": "Runs on macOS", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "One-line curl/wget installer for Mac and Linux. Also installs with pip, uv or pipx on Python 3.8-3.13.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/install.html", "quote": "MAC & LINUX" }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Via the CLI and editor extensions; Cline for Desktop (beta) ships for macOS (Apple Silicon & Intel).", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/cli", "quote": "Works on macOS, Linux, and Windows." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Platforms", "key": "linux", "label": "Runs on Linux", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "One-line curl/wget installer for Mac and Linux. Docker images (paulgauthier/aider, paulgauthier/aider-full) are also published.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/install.html", "quote": "MAC & LINUX" }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Via the CLI and editor extensions; Cline for Desktop (beta) is listed for macOS and Windows only.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/cli", "quote": "Works on macOS, Linux, and Windows." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Platforms", "key": "ios", "label": "iOS app", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Platforms", "key": "android", "label": "Android app", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Platforms", "key": "browser_extension", "label": "Browser extension", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Where you code with it", "key": "standalone_editor", "label": "Own standalone code editor", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": false, "display": "No", "note": "Cline runs inside existing editors. Cline for Desktop (beta) is a standalone agent app for macOS and Windows, not a code editor.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/desktop", "quote": "The Cline coding agent as a native desktop app. No editor required — open a workspace, talk to your agent, and ship." }, "differs": true, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Where you code with it", "key": "vscode_extension", "label": "Extension for VS Code", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages. The docs point to third-party aider plugins for VS Code and to running aider in VS Code's terminal.", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Free and open source; installed from the VS Code Marketplace (Open VSX for Windsurf and VSCodium).", "source_url": "https://docs.cline.bot/getting-started/installing-cline", "quote": "IDE Extension — VS Code, Cursor, JetBrains, Windsurf, VSCodium, Antigravity" }, "differs": true, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Where you code with it", "key": "jetbrains_plugin", "label": "Plugin for JetBrains IDEs", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Labelled \"Early Access\". The pricing page lists \"JetBrains Extension\" under Enterprise features, while the IDE page and docs offer it to everyone. Unlike the rest of Cline, the JetBrains plugin is not open source.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/ide", "quote": "IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, GoLand, and the rest." }, "differs": true, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Where you code with it", "key": "cli", "label": "Command-line (terminal) agent", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Aider is a terminal program; the browser UI and IDE file-watching are add-ons to it.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/", "quote": "Aider is AI pair programming in your terminal. This documentation will help you get the most out of aider." }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Installed with `npm i -g cline`; interactive, one-shot and headless (CI/CD) modes.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/cli", "quote": "Run a coding agent inside your terminal, or launch a Kanban board to orchestrate many of them in parallel." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Where you code with it", "key": "other_editors", "label": "Other editors supported", "type": "text", "aider": { "value": "Any IDE or text editor via --watch-files AI comments; NeoVim via a community plugin (aider.nvim)", "display": "Any IDE or text editor via --watch-files AI comments; NeoVim via a community plugin (aider.nvim)", "note": "With --watch-files, aider reads one-line comments ending in AI! or AI? that you type in any editor and acts on them. The NeoVim plugin is by a community member (joshuavial), not the vendor.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/install/optional.html", "quote": "You can use aider’s --watch-files mode to integrate with any IDE or editor." }, "cline": { "value": "Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium, Antigravity (extension); Zed, Neovim, Emacs and other ACP clients (via the CLI)", "display": "Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium, Antigravity (extension); Zed, Neovim, Emacs and other ACP clients (via the CLI)", "note": "The ACP docs also cover Emacs (agent-shell) and JetBrains AI Assistant, which can run Cline through the CLI with `cline --acp`.", "source_url": "https://docs.cline.bot/cline-overview", "quote": "Cline works across all major editors: VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, JetBrains (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm), Antigravity, and Zed, Neovim via ACP mode." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Coding assistance", "key": "inline_completion", "label": "Inline code completion (autocomplete)", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Coding assistance", "key": "agent_mode", "label": "Agent that edits across multiple files", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Edits every file added to the chat and asks to add other files it needs. Architect mode splits the work: one model proposes the change and an editor model writes the file edits.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/usage/modes.html", "quote": "architect - Like code mode, aider will change your files. An architect model will propose changes and an editor model will translate that proposal into specific file edits." }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Plan mode drafts a strategy; Act mode makes the edits, with per-step approval or auto-approve.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot", "quote": "Coordinated multi-file changes with linter-aware fixes, diffs, checkpoints, and one-click undo on every step." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Coding assistance", "key": "terminal_execution", "label": "Agent runs terminal commands", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "The model suggests shell commands (install dependencies, run tests, run the program) and aider runs them after you confirm; on by default, controlled by --suggest-shell-commands. /run, /test and --auto-test also run commands and feed output back.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/HISTORY.html", "quote": "Aider now offers to run shell commands:" }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": null, "source_url": "https://cline.bot", "quote": "Executes in your terminal and reacts to output as it appears. Long-running dev servers, tests, deploys, all handled live." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Coding assistance", "key": "background_agents", "label": "Cloud / background agents", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Runs on your own machines, not in vendor cloud: CLI Zen mode, cron-scheduled agents and parallel Kanban agents run through a local hub process, and headless runs work in CI. Not available in the VS Code or JetBrains extension. No vendor-hosted cloud agents are documented.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/cli", "quote": "Fire a task into the background, reclaim your terminal, and pop back in later. Long migrations, refactors, and reviews run while you do other work." }, "differs": true, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Coding assistance", "key": "code_review", "label": "Pull request code review", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "The documented workflow is manual, in the chat: load a branch diff with /run git diff a..b (or --read a diff file), then ask aider about it. Not an automated GitHub PR reviewer.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/faq.html", "quote": "You can also use aider to review PR branches:" }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "A GitHub Actions workflow you set up yourself with the Cline CLI, paying only for inference. Not a separate managed review product.", "source_url": "https://docs.cline.bot/cli/samples/github-pr-review", "quote": "Automatically review Pull Requests with AI using Cline CLI in GitHub Actions." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Coding assistance", "key": "codebase_indexing", "label": "Codebase indexing / semantic code search", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Repo map: the key classes, functions and signatures of the whole git repo, ranked by a file-dependency graph and trimmed to a token budget (--map-tokens, default 1k), sent with each request. It is a symbol map, not an embeddings search.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/repomap.html", "quote": "Aider uses a concise map of your whole git repository that includes the most important classes and functions along with their types and call signatures." }, "cline": { "value": false, "display": "No", "note": "By design, Cline reads files and runs ripgrep-powered search instead of building an index or embeddings.", "source_url": "https://docs.cline.bot/enterprise-solutions/overview", "quote": "Your code never leaves your environment. Cline processes everything locally - no uploads, no indexing, no training on your data." }, "differs": true, "advantage": "aider" }, { "group": "Coding assistance", "key": "mcp_support", "label": "MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Includes an MCP Marketplace for one-click installs. Enterprise can allowlist MCP servers.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot", "quote": "Register custom tools and lifecycle hooks via the SDK. Plug in MCP servers for databases, APIs, and infrastructure." }, "differs": true, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Coding assistance", "key": "custom_rules", "label": "Project rules / custom instruction files", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "A conventions markdown file (e.g. CONVENTIONS.md), loaded read-only with /read or --read. The read: setting in .aider.conf.yml loads it every session.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/usage/conventions.html", "quote": "The easiest way to do that with aider is to simply create a small markdown file and include it in the chat." }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Also supports global custom instructions and Skills.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot", "quote": "Ship .clinerules with your repo to teach the agent your coding standards, architecture, and deployment conventions." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Coding assistance", "key": "checkpoints", "label": "Checkpoints to roll back agent edits", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Aider git-commits each of its edits; /undo discards the last aider commit. This depends on git integration, which is on by default.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/usage.html", "quote": "You can always use the /undo command to undo AI changes that you don’t like." }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Enabled by default; kept in a shadow Git repository separate from your project history.", "source_url": "https://docs.cline.bot/core-workflows/checkpoints", "quote": "Checkpoints let you undo code changes without losing your conversation. Every time Cline modifies a file or runs a command, it saves a snapshot of your project files." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Models and usage", "key": "model_choice", "label": "User can choose the AI model", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Choose with --model at launch or /model during a chat. Separate editor and weak models are configurable too.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/usage.html", "quote": "Or you can run aider --model XXX to launch aider with another model. During your chat you can switch models with the in-chat /model command." }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": null, "source_url": "https://cline.bot", "quote": "Claude, GPT, Gemini, local Ollama / LM Studio, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Bring your own key or your own weights." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Models and usage", "key": "models_offered", "label": "Model families offered", "type": "text", "aider": { "value": "Almost any LLM via LiteLLM; documented providers: OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Groq, LM Studio, xAI, Azure, Cohere, DeepSeek, Ollama, OpenRouter, GitHub Copilot, Vertex AI, Amazon Bedrock, OpenAI-compatible APIs", "display": "Almost any LLM via LiteLLM; documented providers: OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Groq, LM Studio, xAI, Azure, Cohere, DeepSeek, Ollama, OpenRouter, GitHub Copilot, Vertex AI, Amazon Bedrock, OpenAI-compatible APIs", "note": "The LLMs page recommends Gemini 2.5 Pro, DeepSeek R1 and V3, Claude 3.7 Sonnet, and OpenAI o3, o4-mini and GPT-4.1.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/llms/other.html", "quote": "Aider uses the litellm package to connect to hundreds of other models. You can use aider --model to use any supported model." }, "cline": { "value": "Claude, GPT, Gemini, open-weight models (GLM, Kimi, DeepSeek, MiniMax, MiMo, Qwen), local models, any OpenAI-compatible endpoint", "display": "Claude, GPT, Gemini, open-weight models (GLM, Kimi, DeepSeek, MiniMax, MiMo, Qwen), local models, any OpenAI-compatible endpoint", "note": "The ClinePass page lists open-weight models from Z.ai (GLM), Moonshot AI (Kimi), DeepSeek, MiniMax, MiMo and Qwen. The pricing FAQ adds provider routes: OpenRouter, AWS Bedrock, GCP Vertex, Groq, Cerebras and Vercel AI Gateway. The docs list 30+ further providers.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot", "quote": "Claude, GPT, Gemini, local Ollama / LM Studio, or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Bring your own key or your own weights." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Models and usage", "key": "byok", "label": "Bring your own API key", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Your own provider key is how most models are used; set it on the command line, in environment variables, in a .env file or in .aider.conf.yml. A GitHub Copilot token also works, billed through your Copilot subscription.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/config/api-keys.html", "quote": "Aider lets you specify API keys in a few ways:" }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Available on the free open-source plan.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/pricing", "quote": "You can bring your own API keys from providers like OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Models and usage", "key": "local_models", "label": "Local / self-hosted models", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Ollama, LM Studio, or any local server with an OpenAI-compatible API.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/llms.html", "quote": "Aider can work also with local models, for example using Ollama. It can also access local models that provide an Open AI compatible API." }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": null, "source_url": "https://docs.cline.bot/running-models-locally/overview", "quote": "Run Cline with local models using Ollama, LM Studio or Atomic Chat." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Models and usage", "key": "usage_limits", "label": "How paid-plan usage is limited", "type": "text", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": "Pay-as-you-go inference credits at model cost, or your own API keys; ClinePass quota measured over 5-hour, weekly and monthly windows", "display": "Pay-as-you-go inference credits at model cost, or your own API keys; ClinePass quota measured over 5-hour, weekly and monthly windows", "note": "The pricing page lists \"Purchase and Model Inference at Cost or BYOK\". ClinePass ($9.99/month) measures usage against a 5-hour rolling window, the calendar week and the calendar month.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/pricing", "quote": "You only pay for AI inference credits when you use AI models. This is usage-based pricing - you pay for what you use, nothing more." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Models and usage", "key": "open_source", "label": "Open-source client", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Apache 2.0, source on GitHub (Aider-AI/aider).", "source_url": "https://github.com/Aider-AI/aider", "quote": "Apache-2.0 license" }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Apache-2.0. The GitHub README says the JetBrains plugin is not open-sourced.", "source_url": "https://github.com/cline/cline", "quote": "Apache 2.0 © 2026 Cline Bot Inc." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Privacy and team controls", "key": "zero_data_retention", "label": "Zero data retention option", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Default for everyone: aider runs on your machine and the vendor never collects code, prompts, chats or keys. Its analytics are opt-in and exclude them. Code and prompts go to the LLM provider you configure, whose retention terms apply.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/more/analytics.html", "quote": "Analytics are only collected if you agree and opt-in. Aider respects your privacy and never collects your code, chat messages, keys or personal info." }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Applies when you use your own API keys and route model calls through infrastructure you control, on any plan including the free one. Your model provider's retention terms still apply. No zero-retention commitment is documented for Cline-managed inference.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/tos", "quote": "Cline does not receive or store your input tokens, output tokens, underlying code, or other User Content." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Privacy and team controls", "key": "no_training_on_code", "label": "Code excluded from model training", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Conditions: Terms §3.5 say third-party AI model providers \"may use User Content for training unless you have explicitly opted out\". The free-models docs say free-model usage \"may be used to help improve model performance and quality\".", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/enterprise", "quote": "When you use Cline-managed inference, we see requests only to route them to the model, and your code is never used to train models." }, "differs": true, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Privacy and team controls", "key": "self_hosted", "label": "Self-hosted or on-premises deployment", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Aider always runs on your own machine or container (pip, uv, pipx or two Docker images). With local models (Ollama, LM Studio, OpenAI-compatible servers), inference also stays in your own infrastructure.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/install/docker.html", "quote": "Aider is available as 2 docker images:" }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Enterprise. Inference can run through your own Amazon Bedrock, GCP Vertex, Azure OpenAI or local models.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/enterprise", "quote": "VPC, on-prem, air-gapped. You control where it runs and how it's configured for maximum security and data sovereignty." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Privacy and team controls", "key": "admin_dashboard", "label": "Team admin dashboard and usage analytics", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Enterprise plan. The enterprise docs list per-team cost breakdowns, real-time analytics and OpenTelemetry export.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/pricing", "quote": "Team Management System & Dashboard" }, "differs": true, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Integrations and security", "key": "integrations_count", "label": "Listed integrations", "type": "number", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": 199, "display": "199", "note": "MCP server cards in the \"All\" tab of the vendor's public MCP Marketplace (198 distinct names). The page states no total. Servers install through the Cline extension, and any other MCP server can be added by hand.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/mcp-marketplace", "quote": "Preview — MCP servers can only be installed through the Cline extension" }, "differs": true, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Integrations and security", "key": "public_api", "label": "Public API", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Command line: --message or --message-file runs one instruction and exits. Python: Coder.create() and coder.run(). The vendor says the Python API is not officially supported and may change without backward compatibility.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/scripting.html", "quote": "You can script aider via the command line or python." }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "TypeScript SDK (@cline/sdk). Also an OpenAI-compatible Cline API for model access and an Enterprise admin REST API.", "source_url": "https://docs.cline.bot/cline-overview", "quote": "Build AI agents and integrations powered by the same core engine behind the CLI, Kanban, VS Code extension, and JetBrains plugin." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Integrations and security", "key": "sso", "label": "Single sign-on (SSO)", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Enterprise plan. SSO runs through WorkOS (Okta, Entra ID, Google Workspace, generic SAML/OIDC). The pricing FAQ also lists SCIM provisioning.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/pricing", "quote": "SSO, SLA & Dedicated Support" }, "differs": true, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Integrations and security", "key": "two_factor_auth", "label": "Two-factor authentication", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Integrations and security", "key": "soc2", "label": "SOC 2 report", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": true, "display": "Yes", "note": "Listed under \"Compliance\" on the vendor Trust Center (Vanta). The Trust Center names no report type or date and offers no downloadable SOC 2 report (resources: Engagement Letter, Code of Conduct).", "source_url": "https://trust.cline.bot", "quote": "SOC 2" }, "differs": true, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Integrations and security", "key": "iso27001", "label": "ISO 27001 certification", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Integrations and security", "key": "hipaa", "label": "HIPAA compliance offered", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Support and company", "key": "support_channels", "label": "Support channels", "type": "text", "aider": { "value": "GitHub issues, Discord, in-chat /help", "display": "GitHub issues, Discord, in-chat /help", "note": "/help answers questions about using aider inside the chat, and /report opens a GitHub issue. Privacy questions go to privacy@aider.chat.", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/troubleshooting.html", "quote": "If you need more help, please check our GitHub issues and file a new issue if your problem isn’t discussed. Or drop into our Discord to chat with us." }, "cline": { "value": "Support contact form, email (support@cline.bot), Discord community, GitHub Issues and Discussions; dedicated support and SLA on Enterprise", "display": "Support contact form, email (support@cline.bot), Discord community, GitHub Issues and Discussions; dedicated support and SLA on Enterprise", "note": "The pricing page lists \"Community Support\" for the open-source plan and \"SLA\" and \"Dedicated Support\" for Enterprise. The Terms give support@cline.bot.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/contact", "quote": "Need help with Cline? Our support team is here to assist you." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Support and company", "key": "support_24_7", "label": "24/7 support", "type": "bool", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Support and company", "key": "vendor", "label": "Vendor (legal entity)", "type": "text", "aider": { "value": "Aider AI LLC", "display": "Aider AI LLC", "note": "Named in the FAQ and in the privacy policy. The LICENSE file names no copyright holder (the Apache template placeholder is left as is).", "source_url": "https://aider.chat/docs/faq.html", "quote": "Aider AI LLC is the company behind the aider AI coding tool. Aider is open source and available on GitHub under an Apache 2.0 license." }, "cline": { "value": "Cline Bot Inc.", "display": "Cline Bot Inc.", "note": "Terms name Delaware as the governing jurisdiction.", "source_url": "https://cline.bot/tos", "quote": "The provider of the Service is Cline Bot Inc." }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Support and company", "key": "founded_year", "label": "Founded", "type": "number", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "differs": false, "advantage": null }, { "group": "Support and company", "key": "headquarters", "label": "Headquarters", "type": "text", "aider": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "cline": { "value": null, "display": "Not documented", "note": "Not documented on vendor pages", "source_url": null, "quote": null }, "differs": false, "advantage": null } ], "verdicts": [ { "buyer": "Developers staying in VS Code or JetBrains", "pick": "cline", "pick_name": "Cline", "reason": "Cline installs as a free VS Code extension and has a JetBrains plugin in early access. Aider's pages point to third-party VS Code plugins and to running aider in an IDE's terminal, or to its watch mode, which acts on AI comments you type in any editor.", "based_on": [ "vscode_extension", "jetbrains_plugin" ] }, { "buyer": "Developers who want a map of the whole repository in every request", "pick": "aider", "pick_name": "Aider", "reason": "Aider sends a repo map with each request: the key classes, functions and signatures of the whole git repo, ranked by a file-dependency graph and trimmed to a token budget. Cline builds no index by design; it reads files and runs ripgrep searches as it goes.", "based_on": [ "codebase_indexing" ] }, { "buyer": "Developers who want every AI edit as a git commit", "pick": "aider", "pick_name": "Aider", "reason": "Both can undo AI edits. Aider commits each of its edits to your git history, and /undo discards the last one. Cline keeps its checkpoints in a shadow git repository, separate from your project history.", "based_on": [ "checkpoints" ] }, { "buyer": "Developers who want MCP tools", "pick": "cline", "pick_name": "Cline", "reason": "Cline connects MCP servers and has an MCP marketplace for one-click installs. Aider's pages, including its options reference and release history, do not document MCP.", "based_on": [ "mcp_support" ] }, { "buyer": "Teams that need admin controls and SSO", "pick": "cline", "pick_name": "Cline", "reason": "Cline's Enterprise plan, which is custom-priced, adds SSO, a team dashboard with per-team cost breakdowns, and VPC, on-prem or air-gapped deployment. Aider lists no team plan, admin controls or SSO.", "based_on": [ "sso", "admin_dashboard", "enterprise_custom_pricing" ] }, { "buyer": "Security and compliance buyers", "pick": "cline", "pick_name": "Cline", "reason": "Cline lists SOC 2 on its trust center, without a report type. Aider's pages document no certifications. Both run on your own machine, and both state they do not collect your code when you use your own API keys.", "based_on": [ "soc2", "iso27001", "hipaa" ] } ] }