Cursor vs Cline (2026)
Pricing, features and who each one is for, checked against both vendors' pricing pages in November 2026.
Quick verdict: These solve different jobs: Cursor is a ai code editor, Cline is a open-source coding agent. Many developers use one of each. Cline is cheaper to start (free (pay for inference)). Pick Cursor for professional developers, teams. Pick Cline for open-source AI coding tools, cheap and free AI coding tools, professional developers.
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Side by side
| Cursor | Cline | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | AI code editor | Open-source coding agent |
| Made by | Anysphere | Cline Bot Inc. |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Starts at | From $8/mo | Free (pay for inference) |
| Plans | Plus $8/mo (Grok models only), Premium $30/mo, Super $100/mo, Ultra $200/mo, Teams from $30/user/mo | Free and open source for individuals; pay only for model inference (or bring your own API key). Enterprise custom |
| Open source | No | Yes |
| Runs in | Desktop IDE, CLI, Cloud, Mobile | VS Code extension, CLI, SDK |
Cursor strengths
- Mature agent workflow inside a familiar VS Code fork
- Cloud agents, automations and AI code review on Premium+
- Usage allowance refreshes weekly
Cline strengths
- No subscription or seat fees
- Any model provider, no lock-in
- MCP marketplace and client-side architecture
Cursor drawbacks
- Third-party models (Claude, GPT) cost extra at API list price
- Plus tier is limited to Grok models
- Subscription bundled with X/Grok features many devs won't use
Cline drawbacks
- Costs vary with how much inference you burn
- JetBrains extension and SSO are Enterprise-only