kitio.aiCline vs Goose
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Goose is completely free, while Cline is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Plan and Act modes
- Bring your own key
- MCP support
- Cline CLI
- Per-task cost display
- Desktop app and CLI
- MCP extensions
- Shareable recipes
- Any LLM provider
- Permission controls
| Feature | Cline | Goose |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Open-source coding agent for VS Code and the terminal | Open-source local AI agent for code and other tasks |
| Category | Coding | Coding |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free |
| Starting price | $9.99/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes, fully free |
| Made by | Cline Bot Inc. | Agentic AI Foundation (originally Block) |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Goose is completely free, while Cline is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
2 plans
Open Source
Free
- Free VS Code extension and CLI
- Bring your own model API keys
Enterprise
Contact sales
- JetBrains extension
- SSO and SLA
- Dedicated support
- Centralized billing
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Cline
- Free and open source
- Transparent token costs
- Works with local models
- API bills can grow quickly
- Approving each step slows long tasks
Goose
- Free under Apache 2.0
- Runs fully local with Ollama
- Not limited to coding
- You pay for your own models
- Less guided than commercial agents
Which one should you choose?
Choose Cline if you want:
- Free and open source
- Transparent token costs
- Works with local models
Watch out: api bills can grow quickly.
Choose Goose if you want:
- Free under Apache 2.0
- Runs fully local with Ollama
- Not limited to coding
Watch out: you pay for your own models.
Cline vs Goose FAQ
What is the difference between Cline and Goose?
Cline: Open-source coding agent for VS Code and the terminal. Goose: Open-source local AI agent for code and other tasks. Both are coding tools.
Is Cline or Goose cheaper?
Goose is completely free, while Cline is freemium.
Do Cline and Goose have free plans?
Cline: Yes. Goose: Yes, fully free.
Who makes Cline?
Cline is made by Cline Bot Inc., based in United States.
Who makes Goose?
Goose is made by Agentic AI Foundation (originally Block), based in United States.
Which should I choose, Cline or Goose?
Choose Cline if you value free and open source and transparent token costs. Choose Goose if you value free under apache 2.0 and runs fully local with ollama.