Does Plandex or Cline have a free plan?

Plandex is a paid tool. Cline is available for free. Always verify current pricing directly with the vendor.

Plandex vs Cline

Q: Can I use Plandex and Cline together?

Yes, many teams use both tools together for different purposes. Use the Stack Builder section above to combine Plandex and Cline with other tools and save your AI toolkit.

Comprehensive side-by-side comparison — features, pricing, performance, and more.

Updated May 2026

Plandex

Build real-world software with AI, designed for large projects and complex tasks.

0.0(0)

OPEN_SOURCE

88% data quality

Cline

Cline Bot Inc.

The Open Coding Agent

0.0(0)

FREEMIUM

93% data quality

Trust & Reliability

Plandex

Users:10K-100K

GDPR

Cline

Users:1M-10M

Overall Winner: Cline

8.0/10 vs Plandex at 6.0/10

Leads in:

Value for Money

Customizability

Output Quality

AI Comparison Summary

Plandex

6.0

avg score

Cline

8.0

avg score

Cline leads overall — particularly in Ease of Use and Customizability.

Based on 6 dimensions

How scores are calculated

Overall Winner

Cline

8.0 / 10

Plandex

Best For

Software developers working on large codebases

Engineers needing robust AI assistance for complex tasks

Teams building entire features and applications with AI

Users requiring granular control over AI agent actions

Not Ideal For

Non-technical users or those uncomfortable with command-line interfaces

Individuals seeking a fully managed, cloud-hosted AI coding solution

Projects that require a visual development environment or IDE integration

Cline

Best For

Individual developers seeking an AI coding partner

Engineering teams needing collaborative AI assistance

Enterprises with strict security and data sovereignty requirements

Developers working on large codebase refactoring

Not Ideal For

Non-technical users or those without coding experience

Tasks unrelated to software development or code manipulation

Users who require a fully autonomous, unsupervised AI agent for critical operations

* Verdict is based on our algorithmic scoring of publicly available data. Learn about our methodology

Plandex is best for

✍️Writing & Content9.0💬Chat & Conversation9.0🤖Automation & Agents7.0

Cline is best for

🔍Research9.0✍️Writing & Content8.0💬Chat & Conversation8.0

Filter by your use case:

Pros & Cons

Plandex

Pros

Open source and community-driven
Designed for large-scale projects and files
Offers flexible autonomy levels
Supports multiple AI models to avoid vendor lock-in
Includes a diff review sandbox for isolated changes
Terminal-based workflow is familiar to developers

Cons

Requires command-line proficiency
No graphical user interface (GUI) available
Plandex Cloud service is winding down, focusing solely on self-hosted
May have a learning curve for new users unfamiliar with AI agents
Relies on external AI models, incurring their respective costs

Cline

Pros

Open-source and highly extensible
Ensures code privacy with client-side architecture
Supports bringing your own AI inference keys and providers
Offers flexible deployment options (VPC, on-prem, air-gapped)
Integrates seamlessly with popular IDEs (VS Code, JetBrains) and CLI
Provides collaborative features and team management for enterprises
Human-in-the-loop design ensures control and safety
No vendor lock-in for AI models

Cons

Requires explicit human approval for every action, which may slow down fully autonomous workflows
Advanced configuration management and fine-grained permissioning for enterprise are marked as 'Coming Soon'
Primarily focused on coding tasks, not suitable for general-purpose AI applications outside development
Teams tier transitions to a paid subscription after Q1 2026 (though first 10 seats remain free)

Weighted Score — Adjust What Matters to You

Pick a profile or drag sliders — scores and radar update instantly on the right.

Quick profiles:

Ease of Use5

Output Quality5

Value for Money5

Customizability5

Support & Ecosystem5

Integration Power5

Dimension Comparison

Plandex

6.0

/ 10

Cline

8.0

/ 10

Clear winner

Dimension Breakdown

Ease of Use

How easy it is to get started and use daily

Plandex

4.0

Cline

7.0▲ +3.0

Output Quality

Quality and accuracy of generated results

Plandex

7.0

Cline

8.0▲ +1.0

Value for Money

Cost vs. features and output quality

Plandex

8.0

Cline

9.0▲ +1.0

Customizability

Calculated

Ability to tailor to specific needs

Plandex

4.0

Cline

9.0▲ +5.0

Support & Ecosystem

Documentation, community, and support quality

Plandex

6.0

Cline

7.0▲ +1.0

Integration Power

Calculated

Ability to connect with other tools and workflows

Plandex

7.0

Cline

8.0▲ +1.0

Calculated = derived from verified integration count and API/open-source signals. AI = LLM-assessed from public website content. Methodology

Task Performance

Plandex

Task

Cline

7.0

Code Completion

8.0

Bug Detection

7.0

Code Explanation

8.0

7.0

Refactoring

9.0

6.0

Test Generation

7.0

Multi Language Support

7.0

9.0

Context Understanding

8.0

6.0

Documentation Generation

7.0

Performance Optimization

6.0

5.0

Security Scanning

8.0

* Task scores (1–10) are algorithmically generated from publicly available data.

Data is sourced from public information and vendor websites. It may not always be up-to-date — verify pricing and features directly with the vendor before purchasing.Report inaccuracy

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, Plandex or Cline?

Both are strong options. Plandex has a rating of 0.0/5 (0 reviews), while Cline has a rating of 0.0/5 (0 reviews). The best choice depends on your specific use case, budget, and workflow requirements.

Is Plandex cheaper than Cline?

Plandex starts at free (open_source model). Cline starts at free (freemium model). Use the Cost Calculator above for a detailed estimate.

What are the main differences between Plandex and Cline?

Plandex — "Build real-world software with AI, designed for large projects and complex tasks.". Cline — "The Open Coding Agent". Key differences include their pricing models, platform support, integrations, and technical capabilities. See the Feature Comparison table above for a complete side-by-side breakdown.

Can I use Plandex and Cline together?

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