Cursor vs Cline
Plans, free access, limits and intended use side by side, taken from each vendor’s own pages. No score and no winner: the facts show where the two differ.
Change tools
Repository edits with a reviewable change boundary
Open source coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains, the terminal and the browser, paid per model use
- Free access
- Cursor: Free access
- Cline: Free access
- Paid from
- Cursor: USD 20 per month
- Cline: USD 9.99 per month
- Plans listed
- Cursor: 7
- Cline: 4
- Public API
- Cursor: Yes
- Cline: Yes
Where Cursor and Cline differ
- Open sourceOnly Cline is open source.
- Pricing checkPrices confirmed for Cursor; some prices or terms not confirmed for Cline.
- PlansCursor lists 7 plans and Cline lists 4.
Head to head
Each value from the tool’s profile and the vendor’s own pages
| Cursor | Fact | Cline |
|---|---|---|
| Access and price | ||
| Free access availableHobby | Free accessSame | Free access availableOpen Source · USD 0 |
| USD 20 per monthPro · billed monthly | Lowest listed paid plan | USD 9.99 per monthClinePass |
| From USD 20 per month, billed monthly | Pricing model | Free open source software; models paid per use (own API key or Cline credits) or ClinePass at $9.99/month; Enterprise custom |
| 7 | Plans listedDiffers | 4 |
| Yes | Public APISame | Yes |
| Not required | Card to startSame | Not required |
| No | Open sourceDiffers | Yes |
| What it is for | ||
| Developers evaluating controlled repository edits with their own test suite | Built for | Developers who want an approval-based coding agent and choose and pay for their own models |
| Coding | CategorySame | Coding |
| Platforms |
|
| Works with |
|
| How current | ||
| Profile sources checked | ||
| Prices confirmed · Oct 17, 2026 | Pricing checkDiffers | Some prices or terms not confirmed · Oct 24, 2026 |
Official source check for both tools. No hands-on testing and no score: “Differs” marks a documented difference, not a better tool.
Plans and prices
Cursor
Prices confirmed · Oct 17, 2026- HobbyFree
- ProUSD 20 per monthbilled monthly
- Pro PlusUSD 60 per monthbilled monthly
- UltraUSD 200 per monthbilled monthly
- Teams StandardUSD 40 per user per monthbilled monthly
Show 2 more plans
- Teams PremiumUSD 120 per user per monthbilled monthly
- EnterpriseCustom quote
Cline
Some prices or terms not confirmed · Oct 24, 2026- Open SourceUSD 0
- Cline credits (usage-billing)Pay as you go; inference at cost
- ClinePassUSD 9.99 per month
- EnterpriseCustom quote
Strengths and limits
Cursor
Strengths
- Integrated change loop: Inspection, editing and command execution can stay in one workspace.
- Explicit project context: Repository rules make conventions easier to repeat across tasks.
- Reviewable output: A file diff gives the developer a concrete artifact to accept or reject.
Limits to plan around
- Variable consumption: The model and task affect how far an allowance lasts.
- Review remains necessary: A plausible patch can change behavior or weaken tests.
- Workspace permissions: Command execution requires deliberate limits around data and external systems.
Cline
Strengths
- No software fee: The extension, CLI and desktop app are free for individual developers, with no subscription or seat fee on the open source path.
- Open source client: The GitHub repository is published under the Apache 2.0 licence, so the code can be read, forked and built.
- Wide model choice: Your own key for dozens of providers, local models, or one Cline balance across 100+ models; switching provider does not lock you in.
Limits to plan around
- Open-ended model bill: Pay-as-you-go cost follows token use, so a long task on a frontier model can cost more than a flat-priced editor plan.
- ClinePass limits unquantified: ClinePass is measured against 5-hour, weekly and monthly limits, but the docs give no amounts, and it covers only curated open models.
- No refunds on credits: The terms say fees are non-refundable, including unused credits and unused subscription time, unless the law requires otherwise.
See both products
Start from your task, not from a winner.
Run both tools on the same real task, then compare the result, how much editing it needs and how fast it uses your plan’s allowance.
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Questions about comparing tools
How does the comparison work?
Add two tools to the comparison tray from any tool card, then open this page. The table pulls each tool's verified plan details, platforms, strengths and limits from its profile, so both columns carry the same kind of evidence, with a separate source-check date for each tool.
Do you declare a winner?
No. The table sets two tools against each other on documented facts, not on a score. Which one wins depends on your task, your budget and your usage volume — three things we cannot see from here.
Why are some cells empty or marked unverified?
Because we could not confirm that detail on the vendor's own pages. Rather than filling the gap with a figure from elsewhere, we mark it and say why on the tool's profile.
Can I compare more than two tools?
Not at once. Two columns keep the differences readable and force a real decision. Remove either selected tool to replace it, or clear both to start a new pair.
Every figure in the table above comes from the linked profile, where the source and the verification date are listed. Browse all tools or read the editorial policy.