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It's a split decision.
Cline is an open-source agent runtime for editors, terminals and embedding in products. Pick it for IDE workflows, an SDK-based integration, or bring-your-own-model flexibility. OpenCode is an open-source agent that runs on your machine, with desktop, terminal, phone and SDK access. Pick it for self-hosting, free models without an account, or access to 200+ model providers. Both support MCP and local models; compare their model costs and deployment needs before standardizing.
01Side by side
| Cline | OpenCode | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | $0 open source; inference costs vary | Free models; $10 Go, $40 Go Plus |
| Free tier | No seat fees; bring your own key | Free models available without an account |
| Open source and licence | Open source; review licence terms | Open source; review licence terms |
| Self-hosting | Editor and terminal runtime; hosting model unclear | Self-hostable; runs on your machine |
| API and SDKs | Embed runtime with @cline/sdk | SDK for scripts, CI jobs and tools |
| CLI and docs | CLI install via npm; docs available | CLI install via curl, npm, brew or paru |
| Integrations | Models, MCP, Slack, Discord, Linear, GitHub Actions | 200+ model providers, MCP and listed services |
| Platforms | Mac, Windows, Linux, IDEs and terminal | macOS, Windows, Linux, terminal and iPhone |
Cline Choose Cline if
- Choose Cline if you want an agent inside your editor.
- Choose Cline if you need to embed its runtime in a product.
- Choose Cline if you want to bring your own model or weights.
OpenCode Choose OpenCode if
- Choose OpenCode if self-hosting is a requirement.
- Choose OpenCode if you want free models without an account.
- Choose OpenCode if you need phone access or 200+ providers.
02Pricing at real usage
Cline’s Open Source plan is $0 per month with no seat fees. You bring an API key or use the Cline provider, and pay for inference; the cost depends on usage and provider. Teams is $20 per user monthly, with the first 10 seats permanently free and provider-cost pass-through with zero markup. ClinePass is $9.99 monthly for curated open-weight models and 2–5x standard API rate limits; additional processing fees may apply. Enterprise pricing is custom.
OpenCode offers free models without an account. Its Go plan is $10 monthly, with estimated limits of 110 Kimi K3 or 1,050 DeepSeek V4 Pro requests per five hours. Go Plus is $40, with estimates of 440 and 4,200 respectively. Extra Usage credit top-ups are available, but their price is not published. Compare model usage and limits, not just subscription prices.
03API, SDKs and integration
Cline offers an npm-installable SDK, @cline/sdk, to embed its agent runtime in another product. Its CLI installs with npm i -g cline. In editors, it supports Visual Studio Code, Windsurf, JetBrains and Cursor; it also has desktop apps for Mac, Windows and Linux. Cline documents model connections for Claude, GPT, Gemini, Ollama, LM Studio and OpenAI-compatible endpoints. MCP servers, SDK tools and lifecycle hooks extend its integrations. Listed connections include Slack, Discord, Telegram, Linear, GitHub Actions and GitLab.
OpenCode offers an SDK for scripts, CI jobs and tools, plus a terminal UI. The CLI installs through curl, npm, bun, Homebrew or paru. Its desktop app runs on macOS, Windows and Linux; its phone access is available for iPhone, with Android marked as coming soon. OpenCode connects to 200+ model providers and MCP servers. Listed services include GitHub, Linear, Figma, Sentry, Notion, Slack, Supabase and Stripe. The docs describe the SDK, but do not name supported programming languages.
04Open source, self-hosting and lock-in
Both projects are open source, but their product pages do not name the licence terms. Check each repository’s licence before redistributing, modifying or embedding the software. OpenCode is explicitly self-hostable and runs on your machine. Cline’s runtime is available in editors, terminals and an SDK for embedding; its self-hosting model is not specified.
Both give you choices beyond a single hosted model: Cline supports provider keys, local Ollama or LM Studio, and OpenAI-compatible endpoints; OpenCode connects to 200+ providers and local models. That can make model changes easier, but repo rules, prompts, plugins and agent configuration may still need migration. Neither product page describes a data-export path. Before adoption, ask what session history and configuration you can export, and how those records are stored.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Cline or OpenCode?
It depends on model use. Cline’s open-source plan has no seat fee, but inference is pay-as-you-go. OpenCode has free models without an account and paid Go and Go Plus plans at $10 and $40 monthly. Compare the models, request estimates and usage you expect rather than treating either subscription price as total cost.
Can Cline and OpenCode use local models?
Yes. Cline lists Ollama and LM Studio, as well as OpenAI-compatible endpoints. OpenCode says it connects to local models and more than 200 providers. Check the provider and model you intend to use against each product’s docs before relying on a particular configuration.
Which is better for an engineering team?
Cline publishes a Teams price of $20 per user monthly, with the first 10 seats permanently free and provider-cost pass-through. OpenCode lists Go and Go Plus subscriptions, but those are priced per month rather than per seat. Compare team administration and usage controls with the vendor before choosing.
Can I embed either agent in my product?
Cline provides @cline/sdk to embed its agent runtime in your own apps. OpenCode offers an SDK for driving it from scripts, CI jobs and tools. If you need an embedded runtime rather than programmatic control, check the OpenCode SDK docs for your use case before deciding.