GitHub Copilot vs Cline (2026)
Pricing, features and who each one is for, checked against both vendors' pricing pages in November 2026.
Quick verdict: Both are coding assistants & extensions, so this is a direct choice. Cline is cheaper to start (free (pay for inference)). Pick GitHub Copilot for cheap and free AI coding tools, professional developers, teams, beginners. Pick Cline for open-source AI coding tools, cheap and free AI coding tools, professional developers.
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Side by side
| GitHub Copilot | Cline | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | AI coding agent and extension | Open-source coding agent |
| Made by | GitHub (Microsoft) | Cline Bot Inc. |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Starts at | From $10/mo | Free (pay for inference) |
| Plans | Free (2,000 completions/mo), Pro $10/mo, Pro+ $39/mo, Max $100/mo; Business and Enterprise for orgs | 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 | IDE extension, CLI, GitHub.com, Mobile | VS Code extension, CLI, SDK |
GitHub Copilot strengths
- Cheapest serious paid tier at $10/mo
- Works in almost every editor
- Assign issues to Copilot and get a pull request back
Cline strengths
- No subscription or seat fees
- Any model provider, no lock-in
- MCP marketplace and client-side architecture
GitHub Copilot drawbacks
- Agent usage draws down monthly AI credits
- Individual-plan data may be used for training unless you opt out
- Third-party agent delegation needs Pro+
Cline drawbacks
- Costs vary with how much inference you burn
- JetBrains extension and SSO are Enterprise-only
Read the full reviews: GitHub Copilot · Cline