Cline vs Cursor
Both are in our AI IDEs & editors tier list: Cline is A-tier and Cursor is S-tier.
No editor verdict yet. This page shows the data side by side; the tiers come from our AI IDEs & editors tier list.
Cline vs Cursor, side by side| Field | Cline | Cursor |
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| Tier | A | S |
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| Why this tier | It is the best free, model-agnostic agent inside VS Code. You bring your own API key, so you control which model you pay for. | It is the most polished AI editor for everyday shipping. Its tab completion and agent mode are the reason it is S-tier. |
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| Best for | - A free, model-agnostic agent inside VS Code
- Bringing your own API key
| - Everyday shipping in an AI editor
- Tab completion plus an agent mode in one place
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| Skip if | - You want one subscription with models included
- You don't use VS Code
| - You want to stay in your current editor (see GitHub Copilot or Cline)
- You only need a terminal agent
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| Plans | Not verified | - Cursor Plus: $8/mo
- Cursor Premium: $30/mo
- Cursor Super: $100/mo
- Cursor Ultra: $200/mo
Sources |
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| Free tier | Yes: Open-source software (Apache-2.0); you pay your model provider (source: github.com/cline/cline, checked ) | Yes: Free plan: $0/month, limited agent and chat requests (source: cursor.com/pricing, checked ) |
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| Key facts | Open source: yes (Apache-2.0) | Not verified |
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| Last checked | | |
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| Tier history | A since 14 Oct 2026: Initial ranking at launch | S since 14 Oct 2026: Initial ranking at launch |
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| Recent patch notes | Not verified | |
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Tools last checked . Tiers are editorial opinion: how we rank · More AI IDEs & editors comparisons · All comparisons
