Cline

Autonomous AI Coding Agent for VS Code

What is Cline?

Cline (formerly Claude Dev) is an autonomous AI coding agent that runs as a VS Code extension. It can create files, run terminal commands, and complete complex multi-step tasks—all with human-in-the-loop approval.

"Cline is designed to be your AI pair programmer that can take autonomous actions with your approval, from creating files to running commands."

Autonomous

Multi-step tasks

File Operations

Create & edit

Terminal

Run commands

Multi-Model

Claude, GPT, etc

Installation

# Option 1: VS Code Marketplace
1. Open VS Code Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
2. Search for "Cline"
3. Click Install

# Option 2: Command Line
code --install-extension saoudrizwan.claude-dev

# Configure your API key
Open Cline panel → Settings → Add API key

Key Features

Autonomous Agent

Plans and executes multi-step tasks. Creates files, writes code, runs tests—all with your approval at each step.

Human-in-the-Loop

Every action requires your approval. See exactly what Cline wants to do before it happens.

Browser Automation

Can launch browsers, take screenshots, and interact with web pages for testing.

MCP Support

Supports Model Context Protocol (MCP) for integrating external tools and data sources.

Supported Models

Claude 3.5

Anthropic

GPT-4

OpenAI

Gemini

Google

Local LLMs

Ollama, etc

Try Cline

Install from VS Code Marketplace

Free and open-source. Bring your own API key (Anthropic, OpenAI, or others).

Install Extension