kitio.aiCursor vs Cline
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Cursor has the lower starting price: about $8 a month, against $10 for Cline.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Tab autocomplete
- Agent mode
- Codebase chat
- Bugbot PR review
- VS Code extensions
- Plan and Act modes
- Bring your own key
- MCP support
- Cline CLI
- Per-task cost display
| Feature | Cursor | Cline |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | AI code editor that edits across your whole codebase | Open-source coding agent for VS Code and the terminal |
| Category | Coding | Coding |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Starting price | $8/mo | $9.99/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Made by | Anysphere (SpaceX) | Cline Bot Inc. |
| Based in | United States | United States |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
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Pricing compared
Cursor has the lower starting price: about $8 a month, against $10 for Cline.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
6 plans
Free
Free
- Limited AI usage
- Limited agent requests
Plus
$8/mo
- Shared AI usage pool
- Grok models only
Premium
$30/mo
- 4x Plus usage
- Cloud agents and automations
- Bugbot code reviews
Super
$100/mo
- 15x Plus usage
- Priority model access at peak
Ultra
$200/mo
- 50x Plus usage
- Earliest access to products and models
Teams
$30/mo
- Per user
- Pooled usage
- Team admin controls
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
Cursor
- Understands the whole repository
- Familiar VS Code interface
- Choice of AI models
- Third-party models cost extra
- Heavy on memory for large projects
- Plans changed several times in 2026
Cline
- Free and open source
- Transparent token costs
- Works with local models
- API bills can grow quickly
- Approving each step slows long tasks
Which one should you choose?
Choose Cursor if you want:
- Understands the whole repository
- Familiar VS Code interface
- Choice of AI models
Watch out: third-party models cost extra.
Choose Cline if you want:
- Free and open source
- Transparent token costs
- Works with local models
Watch out: api bills can grow quickly.
Cursor vs Cline FAQ
What is the difference between Cursor and Cline?
Cursor: AI code editor that edits across your whole codebase. Cline: Open-source coding agent for VS Code and the terminal. Both are coding tools.
Is Cursor or Cline cheaper?
Cursor has the lower starting price: about $8 a month, against $10 for Cline.
Do Cursor and Cline have free plans?
Cursor: Yes. Cline: Yes.
Who makes Cursor?
Cursor is made by Anysphere (SpaceX), based in United States.
Who makes Cline?
Cline is made by Cline Bot Inc., based in United States.
Which should I choose, Cursor or Cline?
Choose Cursor if you value understands the whole repository and familiar vs code interface. Choose Cline if you value free and open source and transparent token costs.