Cline vs OpenCode: Which AI Agent Is Better?
An in-depth comparison of Cline and OpenCode across output quality, autonomy, reliability, speed, value, and ease of use. Vote for your favorite.
An in-depth comparison of Cline and OpenCode across output quality, autonomy, reliability, speed, value, and ease of use. Vote for your favorite.
Comparing the subscriptions instead?Cline Pass vs OpenCode Go →
Either way, you pay for the model calls. A median coding-agent day on our gateway is 95 requests and 8.6 million tokens. The table prices every step at one model’s rate.
Both run on Standard Compute, where each step goes to the cheapest model that can do it: routine steps go to efficient open models, hard ones to frontier models such as Claude Fable 5.1 or GPT-6 Astra.
| Model | Typical day | Busy day |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Opus 5.5 | $7.34 | $59.10 |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | $3.67 | $29.55 |
| GPT-6 Luna | $0.23 | $2.43 |
Fixed monthly plans from $19. Eligible new accounts can try $0.25 of compute first, no card. Trial terms
Pick a winner in each category. You can change your vote anytime. 75 votes cast so far.
Cline and OpenCode both support terminal workflows, so this is no longer an editor-versus-terminal decision. Cline's CLI supports interactive sessions, structured JSON output and headless runs for scripts. OpenCode is available through a terminal interface, desktop app and IDE extension. Compare the surface and integration you will actually use.
Both support planning before implementation. Cline exposes Plan and Act workflows and configurable auto-approval; its CLI can also run unattended. OpenCode's Plan mode disables changes while you discuss the approach, then you switch to Build. Check the permissions in your installed version: planning support is not the same thing as approving every subsequent tool call.
The client is only part of the cost. Model choice, context and repeated tool calls determine what your provider charges or deducts from a subscription allowance. Run the same small repository task in each, review the diff and tests, and compare time and compute used. Neither a terminal interface nor an editor integration alone establishes better task quality.
ClineOpenCodeChoose Cline if you are developers who want a powerful, safety-gated agent inside the editor they already use. Choose OpenCode if you are terminal users who want a polished AI coding interface with LSP support.
In our editorial scoring, Cline leads in 3 of six categories (output quality, autonomy and reliability), while OpenCode leads in 2 (speed and value). On price, Cline runs free (byo api key) and is open source; OpenCode runs free (mit) / free zen models / go $10/mo and is open source.
Across 75 community votes on this matchup, Cline currently leads in 5 of six categories. Cast your own vote above to move the needle.
What it costs to run Cline or OpenCode
Best API for Cline →
5 options compared, with prices and limits
Best API for OpenCode →
7 options compared, with prices and limits
Standard Compute sends each step to the cheapest model that can do it, on providers we vet for price, uptime and speed. Plans start at $19 a month, and eligible new accounts can try $0.25 of compute with no card. Choose your agent below to connect.
See the trial and activation steps →
More on Cline: How do I use DeepSeek in Cline? · Is there a flat-rate API for Cline?
More on OpenCode: OpenCode Pricing: Plans, Subscription and API Costs (2026) · How do I use Kimi K3 in OpenCode?
Cline is the open-source coding agent that defined the in-editor agent category, with 11M+ installs across VS Code, JetBrains, Cursor, its CLI and a new desktop app. Its Plan/Act modes separate thinking from doing: the agent proposes a plan you approve before it touches files or runs commands. Apache-2.0 licensed with full bring-your-own-key model freedom, MCP integration, and deployment options up to on-prem and air-gapped for enterprises.
OpenCode is an open-source (MIT) AI coding agent best known for its terminal TUI, now also shipping a desktop app and IDE extensions with OpenCode 2. It connects to 75+ LLM providers through models.dev, has LSP integration for real code understanding, and runs several sessions in parallel. The tool is free; for models you bring your own key, use OpenCode's free Zen models, pay as you go on Zen, or subscribe to its Go plan ($10/month, Go Plus $40).
Cline and OpenCode both run on Standard Compute
