// head_to_head
Claude Code vs Cline
Plans, included models and benchmark scores for Claude Code and Cline, side by side — and which to pick for what.
All coding toolsPlans checked 2026-10-27
Which to choose
- You don’t want a subscription: Cline. Cline has no paid individual plan; you pay only for model usage.
- You want to switch between labs’ models: Cline. Cline works with any model you have a key for.
Side by side
| Claude Code | Cline | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Anthropic | Cline (open source) |
| Where you use it | Terminal agent, plus IDE extensions, desktop and web | VS Code extension and CLI |
| Free plan | No | Yes |
| Paid from | $20/mo · Pro | Tokens only |
| Best coding model | 97.7Claude Fable 5.1 | Any model |
| Best agentic model | 77.9Claude Fable 5.1 | Any model |
| Own API key | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | Yes |
Claude Code plans and models
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Pro | $20/mo$17/mo billed annually | At least 5× Free usage per five-hour session; weekly limits apply+ Fable via usage credits |
| Max | from $100/mo | 5× or 20× Pro usage per session, plus $100 or $200 in monthly API credits; Fable capped at 50% of weekly limits |
| Team (Standard)team | $25/moper seat · $20 billed annually | More usage than Pro; 2–150 seats |
| Team (Premium)team | $125/moper seat · $100 billed annually | 5× Standard usage; Fable capped at 50% of weekly limits |
| Model | Coding | Long-horizon agentic | Same work via API |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Fable 5.1 | 97.7 | 77.9 | $6,540/mo |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | 96.3 | 72.8 | $2,672/mo |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | 94.7 | 63.4 | $1,336/mo |
| Claude Haiku 5.5 | 91.4 | 40.0 | $69.60/mo |
Cline plans and models
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Free | Free extension and CLI; inference at cost or with your own key |
| Enterpriseteam | Customcustom | SSO, RBAC, centralised billing, SLA |
| Model | Coding | Long-horizon agentic | Same work via API |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Fable 5.1 | 97.7 | 77.9 | $6,540/mo |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | 96.3 | 72.8 | $2,672/mo |
| DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 | 96.0 | 40.9 | $171.36/mo |
| GPT-6.1 Sol | 96.0 | 68.7 | $1,336/mo |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | 94.7 | 63.4 | $1,336/mo |
Any model you have a key for — you pay the provider directly at cost.
Claude Code vs Cline FAQ
Is Claude Code or Cline cheaper?
Cline has no paid individual plan — you pay only for tokens.
Which is better if you don’t want a subscription?
Cline. Cline has no paid individual plan; you pay only for model usage.
Which is better if you want to switch between labs’ models?
Cline. Cline works with any model you have a key for.
Do Claude Code and Cline have free plans?
Claude Code: no. Cline: yes.
Where these numbers come from
- Plans and prices — each vendor's own pricing page, checked 2026-10-27: Claude Code, Cline. Usage allowances change often; check before you buy.
- Model scores — LiveBench coding and long-horizon agentic categories for the models each plan includes, live from the same data as the leaderboard. A tool's own agent loop matters too; these scores rate the model, not the tool.
- “Same work via API” — a heavy coding-agent month (40K tokens in, 4K out, 20K requests, 70% cached input) at OpenRouter list price, for comparing a subscription against paying per token.