Cline vs Cursor

Cursor is a full AI-powered code editor, while Cline is an agent that works inside existing editors and terminals.

ClineOpen-source autonomous coding agent for your IDE

CursorThe AI code editor

Which to pick

Pick Cline if you want…

Self-hosted AI coding agent for IDEs and terminals
Open-source autonomous coding
Open-source code (cline/cline on GitHub, Apache-2.0 license)
Integrations with VS Code, JetBrains or CLI (on Cline's list, not Cursor's)

Pick Cursor if you want…

AI-driven coding assistants
AI code editor
Integrations with GitHub, JetBrains IDEs or Vercel (on Cursor's list, not Cline's)

Cline is open-source and IDE-based; Cursor is a commercial product with cloud agents and team features.

Side by side

What it is: Cline:Open-source autonomous coding agent that works in IDEs, terminals and can be embedded in products.; Cursor:Cursor is an AI-powered code editor that lets agents turn ideas into code across desktop, CLI, and integrations.
Best for: Cline:Self-hosted AI coding agent for IDEs and terminals; Cursor:AI-driven coding assistants
Who it’s for: Cline:Individual developers and engineering teams needing AI-assisted coding without vendor lock-in.; Cursor:Developers and teams who want AI assistance for coding, debugging and automation.
Pricing: Cline:Freemium; Cursor:Freemium
Plans: Cline:Individual (Open Source) Free; Cursor:Hobby Free · Individual $20 / mo. per month · Teams $40 / user / mo. per month
Open source: Cline:Yes, 69,660 GitHub stars; Cursor:—
Works with: Cline:VS Code, JetBrains, CLI, Slack, Discord, Telegram, Linear, GitHub Actions; Cursor:Slack, GitHub, Linear, JetBrains IDEs, Vercel

Cline features

Plan-and-Act workflow. Toggle between planning steps and executing them, with optional auto-approve.
Multi-file edits. Coordinated changes across a project with linter-aware fixes, diffs and one-click undo.
Terminal integration. Runs bash commands, reacts to live output and can be used in CI pipelines.
Custom rules & skills. Define .clinerules to enforce coding standards and deployment conventions.
Model agnostic. Supports Claude, GPT, Gemini, Ollama, LM Studio and any OpenAI-compatible endpoint.
Extensible via MCP & plugins. Register custom tools, lifecycle hooks and integrate databases or APIs.
Team & automation features. Multi-agent teams, scheduled cron jobs and integrations with Slack, Linear and CI systems.
Desktop app. Native desktop client for Mac, Windows and Linux, no editor required.

Cursor features

Agentic coding. AI agents can generate, edit, and test code based on high-level prompts.
Multi-surface support. Works in a desktop IDE, terminal CLI, Slack, GitHub, Linear and more.
Cloud agents. Launch fleets of autonomous agents that run in parallel on cloud resources.
Mission Control UI. Grid view of open windows for quick navigation and window management.
Team rules & privacy. Define team conventions, enable privacy mode to prevent data training.
Model selection. Choose from OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, SpaceXAI and Cursor models per task.

Cline vs Cursor FAQ

Is Cline or Cursor free?+

Cline has a free plan (Individual (Open Source)) and paid plans. Cursor has a free plan (Hobby); paid plans start at $20/month (Individual).

Is Cline or Cursor open source?+

Cline is open source (cline/cline on GitHub, Apache-2.0 license). DevHunt has no public source repository on record for Cursor.

Do Cline and Cursor integrate with the same tools?+

Partly. Both list Slack and Linear. Cline also lists VS Code, JetBrains, CLI, Discord and 8 more; Cursor also lists GitHub, JetBrains IDEs and Vercel.

On DevHunt

Cline

Listed by DevHunt

Cline on DevHunt →Cline alternatives

Cursor