Cline: the terminal-first open-source coding agent, MCP-native
Cline is the open-source reference for developers who want a controlled, transparent, terminal-first coding agent. The project is one of the first to make the Model Context Protocol (MCP) a first-class citizen. Unlike Cursor or Devin, Cline charges nothing: you bring your own LLM key (Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, local models via Ollama) and only pay for API calls. The tool shows real-time cost of each action, a favorite feature for cost-conscious development. Distributed as a VS Code extension or standalone client, Cline stands out for its readability (every shell command is explicit) and its MCP ecosystem letting you plug custom tools in a few lines. Particularly well-suited to experienced developers who want to understand and control every step.
For who
Experienced developers, open-source tinkerers, cost-conscious devs, and advanced MCP users who want full control over their coding agent.
Input
Objectif de tache en langage naturel, fichiers references, serveurs MCP actives.
steps (6)
Install Cline
infoInstall the Cline extension from the VS Code marketplace or the standalone build from the GitHub repo.
Pick your LLM
infoConfigure your preferred provider API key (Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, OpenRouter or local Ollama).
Enable MCP servers
infoAdd MCP servers from the gallery (filesystem, github, postgres, puppeteer, etc.) to extend Cline's capabilities.
Start a task
infoDescribe a goal in plain English. Cline proposes a plan and asks for confirmation before each shell command.
Watch the costs
infoCheck the live cost tracker and adjust the model if spend stacks up (Claude Sonnet vs Haiku, for instance).
Capitalize via MCP
infoBuild your own MCP servers to automate tasks recurring in your organization.
Output
Commandes shell explicites, diffs de fichiers, appels MCP, et cout detaille de la session.
Example
Input
Task: "Write a Python script that reads a customer CSV, enriches each row via the Clearbit API, and writes a new augmented CSV."
Output
Cline generates the script, asks for confirmation before each file write and network call, runs the script on a sample, and displays: "Session cost: $0.27 (Claude Haiku, 18 commands, 4 files changed)."
Customization
| Parameter | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| Fournisseur LLM | Choix du provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek, OpenRouter, Ollama). | Anthropic |
| Serveurs MCP | Liste des serveurs MCP actives sur cette session. | filesystem, github |
| Mode auto-approve | Autoriser Cline a executer certaines commandes sans confirmation explicite (lecture fichier, commandes read-only). | Read-only |