Cline vs Continue

Option A

Cline

Cline is an open-source autonomous coding agent for VS Code and CLI that uses a Plan-and-Act loop to read, edit, execute terminal commands, and build software with your own API keys.

Best for

• Developers wanting an open-source VS Code agent
• Teams using custom model endpoints or BYOK
• End-to-end task automation inside editors

Strengths

• Fully open-source with no vendor lock-in
• Transparent cost control with pay-per-token models
• Deep integration with VS Code

Trade-offs

• Requires managing your own API keys
• Token costs can accumulate on complex agent loops

Verdict

Cline provides an open-source, non-locked alternative to dedicated AI editors like Cursor and Windsurf. Alongside terminal tools like Claude Code and Aider, Cline is the premier in-editor agent for developers who want complete control over model choice and cost.

Option B

Continue

Open VS Code / JetBrains plugin: autocomplete and chat against models you configure.

Best for

• Teams that want model choice inside VS Code or JetBrains
• Local plus API mixes
• People willing to own config

Strengths

• No forced IDE migration
• Control

Trade-offs

• Config tax
• Not a managed agent product

Verdict

Continue is the open plugin path. Cursor is managed agent UX. Copilot is the seat switch. Cody is Sourcegraph context. Tabnine is private completion. Pick Continue when someone will own the config file. Write that name down. If the name is “we’ll figure it out,” buy Copilot and stop pretending you run a platform. Pick Continue when a named person owns the YAML. Pick Copilot when nobody will. Document allowed models. Surprise local weights are how two teammates debug two different worlds.