kitio.aiCline vs Trae
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Cline has the lower starting price: about $10 a month, against $20 for Trae.
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
- SOLO mode
- Builder agent
- Cloud tasks
- MCP support
- Custom agents
| Feature | Cline | Trae |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Open-source coding agent for VS Code and the terminal | ByteDance's AI IDE with a SOLO mode for hands-off building |
| Category | Coding | Coding |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $9.99/mo | $20/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Cline Bot Inc. | ByteDance |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Both offer: MCP support.
Pricing compared
Cline has the lower starting price: about $10 a month, against $20 for Trae.
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
4 plans
Free
Free
- Auto mode only
- Limited usage
- 5,000 autocompletions / month
Pro
$20/mo
- Auto plus all models
- $20 usage / month
- Unlimited autocomplete
- 10 concurrent cloud tasks
Pro+
$60/mo
- $60 usage / month (3x Pro)
- Fast queue
- 15 concurrent cloud tasks
Ultra
$200/mo
- $200 usage / month (10x Pro)
- Model early access
- 20 concurrent cloud tasks
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
Trae
- Low-cost entry compared with rivals
- Strong free autocomplete allowance
- Live preview while building
- Data handling worries for some teams
- Plan names and limits change often
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 Trae if you want:
- Low-cost entry compared with rivals
- Strong free autocomplete allowance
- Live preview while building
Watch out: data handling worries for some teams.
Cline vs Trae FAQ
What is the difference between Cline and Trae?
Cline: Open-source coding agent for VS Code and the terminal. Trae: ByteDance's AI IDE with a SOLO mode for hands-off building. Both are coding tools.
Is Cline or Trae cheaper?
Cline has the lower starting price: about $10 a month, against $20 for Trae.
Do Cline and Trae have free plans?
Cline: Yes. Trae: Yes.
Who makes Cline?
Cline is made by Cline Bot Inc., based in United States.
Who makes Trae?
Trae is made by ByteDance.
Which should I choose, Cline or Trae?
Choose Cline if you value free and open source and transparent token costs. Choose Trae if you value low-cost entry compared with rivals and strong free autocomplete allowance.