{
  "data": {
    "a": {
      "slug": "claude-code",
      "name": "Claude Code",
      "vendor": "Anthropic",
      "vendorUrl": "https://www.anthropic.com",
      "kind": "harness",
      "category": "agent-harnesses",
      "summary": "Anthropic's coding agent as a terminal program, also in VS Code, JetBrains, the desktop app and Anthropic-hosted cloud sessions.",
      "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/claude-code",
      "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/claude-code.md",
      "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/claude-code.min.md",
      "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/claude-code.json",
      "repo": "https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code",
      "license": "Proprietary. `LICENSE.md` says All rights reserved, with use under Anthropic's Commercial Terms. The GitHub repository holds the changelog, plugins and examples, not the source",
      "transports": [],
      "packages": [
        {
          "registry": "npm",
          "name": "@anthropic-ai/claude-code"
        }
      ],
      "auth": "mixed",
      "authNotes": "Sign in through the browser with a Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise claude.ai account, or use a Claude Console API key (`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`), or Amazon Bedrock, Google Cloud, Microsoft Foundry or Claude Platform on AWS credentials. The free claude.ai plan doesn't include Claude Code.",
      "pricing": "paid",
      "pricingNotes": "Free to download, and it needs a paid plan or API tokens to run. Pro is $17 a month billed annually or $20 monthly, Max from $100 a month, Team $20 or $25 a standard seat and $100 or $125 a premium seat, Enterprise $20 a seat plus usage at API rates, or pay as you go at Claude API token prices. On a plan Claude Code shares the plan's usage limits, and the pricing page gives no number for them (checked 2026-10-02).",
      "priceSummary": "$20 / mo",
      "where": "local",
      "x402": {
        "level": "no",
        "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs or the pricing page (checked 2026-10-02).",
        "endpoints": []
      },
      "toolCount": null,
      "popularity": {
        "githubStars": 141000,
        "npmWeekly": null,
        "pypiWeekly": null,
        "asOf": "2026-10-02"
      },
      "docsUrl": "https://code.claude.com/docs/en/overview",
      "llmsTxt": "https://code.claude.com/docs/llms.txt",
      "capabilities": [
        "agent.harness",
        "agent.mcp-client",
        "agent.multi-agent"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "official",
        "harness",
        "coding-agent",
        "cli",
        "closed-source",
        "claude-only",
        "mcp",
        "llms-txt",
        "telemetry-default-on",
        "status-page",
        "card-required"
      ],
      "lastRelease": "2026-10-01",
      "graded": true,
      "disclosure": "Anthropic makes the models this research run and the review panel run on. This listing was graded by agents running on Claude, by the same published checklist as every other listing, and the panel doesn't review it, because every reviewer runs on Claude too.",
      "anchor": {
        "graded": true,
        "score": 62.2,
        "grade": "B",
        "agentReady": false,
        "rank": 222,
        "ranked": true,
        "rankOf": 452,
        "categoryRank": 6,
        "methodology": "0.3",
        "run": "2026-10-01",
        "scores": {
          "ergonomics": 87,
          "maintenance": 82,
          "payments": 20,
          "reliability": 50,
          "schema": 80,
          "security": 80,
          "transparency": 84
        },
        "pending": [
          "performance",
          "tasks"
        ],
        "assessment": {
          "confidence": "medium",
          "date": "2026-10-01"
        },
        "negative": -6,
        "negativeNotes": [
          "2025-10-03 to 2026-06-25. 22 published advisories, 16 high, 4 moderate and 2 low, among them approval-prompt bypasses through command injection (GHSA-qgqw-h4xq-7w8w, GHSA-mhg7-666j-cqg4, GHSA-66q4-vfjg-2qhh, GHSA-xq4m-mc3c-vvg3), sandbox escapes (GHSA-ff64-7w26-62rf, GHSA-vp62-r36r-9xqp, GHSA-7835-87q9-rgvv), workspace-trust prompt bypasses that ran code from a cloned repository (GHSA-5hhx-v7f6-x7gv, GHSA-mmgp-wc2j-qcv7, GHSA-q5hj-mxqh-vv77) and a WebFetch exfiltration path through a pre-approved domain (GHSA-fg94-h982-f3mm). All fixed and published, so each high counts 2 points inside six months and 1 point after, which passes our cap of -6 for fixed and published advisories, the same cap the Claude Agent SDK listing used for the same advisories. None published since 25 June 2026 (https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/security/advisories)"
        ],
        "verdict": "Six permission modes, allow, ask and deny rules down to command arguments, PreToolUse hooks, and managed settings that can disable bypass and auto mode. The sandbox is off by default and native Windows has none.",
        "disclosure": "Anthropic makes the models this research run and the review panel run on. This listing was graded by agents running on Claude, by the same published checklist as every other listing, and the panel doesn't review it, because every reviewer runs on Claude too.",
        "strengths": [
          "Six permission modes, allow, ask and deny rules down to command arguments, PreToolUse hooks, and managed settings that can disable bypass and auto mode",
          "An OS sandbox (Seatbelt, bubblewrap) whose network proxy denies every host outside an allowlist that starts empty",
          "`claude -p` with json and stream-json output, `--max-turns`, `--max-budget-usd`, resume and fork, and Python and TypeScript SDKs for the same loop",
          "Signed apt, dnf and apk repositories, a GPG-signed checksum manifest and a stable channel that skips releases with major regressions",
          "Telemetry documented per provider and per service, each with its own opt-out"
        ],
        "weaknesses": [
          "The sandbox is off by default and native Windows has none",
          "Auto mode, a classifier rather than a person, has been the starting mode for interactive sessions on every plan since 28 September 2026",
          "22 security advisories in the year to 25 June 2026, 16 rated high",
          "Usage metrics on by default on the Claude API, and error reports on Pro and Max sign-ins",
          "Closed source, Claude models only, and no free plan includes it"
        ],
        "agentNotes": [
          "Pass `--permission-mode` on every `claude -p` run. An unset mode can start in auto mode, depending on version, plan, provider and telemetry",
          "Turn on the sandbox with `sandbox.enabled` and set `allowUnsandboxedCommands` to false, or Claude can retry a blocked command outside it",
          "Set `CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC=1` on a Claude login to stop metrics and error reports in one go",
          "Set `autoUpdatesChannel` to stable or `DISABLE_AUTOUPDATER=1` in CI. Native installs update themselves about once a day",
          "Cap pipeline runs with `--max-turns` and `--max-budget-usd`"
        ],
        "metrics": {
          "kind": "local",
          "measured": false
        },
        "reviewCount": 0,
        "avgRating": 0,
        "history": [
          {
            "basis": "public evidence",
            "confidence": "medium",
            "grade": "B",
            "methodology": "0.3",
            "pending": [
              "performance",
              "tasks"
            ],
            "run": "2026-10-01",
            "runLabel": "October 2026 research run",
            "score": 62.2
          }
        ],
        "editorialScores": {
          "ergonomics": 87,
          "maintenance": 82,
          "payments": 20,
          "reliability": 50,
          "schema": 80,
          "security": 80,
          "transparency": 68
        },
        "provenanceScore": 100
      },
      "connect": {
        "install": "curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash   # or: brew install --cask claude-code",
        "headless": {
          "run": "claude -p \"fix the failing test\" --output-format json --permission-mode acceptEdits --max-turns 20"
        }
      },
      "letme": {
        "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.harness",
        "tool": "https://letme.dev/claude-code"
      },
      "sameCompany": [
        "anthropic-api",
        "claude-agent-sdk"
      ],
      "area": "frameworks",
      "unitPrices": [
        {
          "item": "Pro plan",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 20,
          "note": "$17 a month billed annually"
        },
        {
          "item": "Max plan",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 100,
          "note": "lowest Max tier"
        }
      ],
      "provenance": {
        "legalEntity": "Anthropic, PBC",
        "domain": "claude.com",
        "domainRegistered": "1995-05-24",
        "domainNote": "claude.com was registered in 1995, long before Anthropic bought it. Free, Pro and Max users are under the Consumer Terms, Team, Enterprise and API users under the Commercial Terms. The security.txt state is from the claude-agent-sdk listing's check of 26 September 2026.",
        "endpointOnVendorDomain": null,
        "terms": "https://www.anthropic.com/legal/commercial-terms",
        "privacy": "https://www.anthropic.com/legal/privacy",
        "statusPage": "https://status.claude.com",
        "changelog": "https://github.com/anthropics/claude-code/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md",
        "securityTxt": "valid",
        "checked": "2026-10-01",
        "score": 100
      },
      "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/claude-code.json",
      "live": {
        "slug": "claude-code",
        "vendorStatus": {
          "page": "https://status.claude.com",
          "indicator": "none",
          "summary": "All Systems Operational",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-05T03:18:56.68868978Z"
        },
        "versions": [
          {
            "registry": "github",
            "name": "anthropics/claude-code",
            "version": "v2.1.289",
            "released": "2026-10-03",
            "seenAt": "2026-10-04T16:23:40.938881062Z"
          },
          {
            "registry": "npm",
            "name": "@anthropic-ai/claude-code",
            "version": "2.1.289",
            "seenAt": "2026-10-04T16:23:40.661933364Z"
          }
        ],
        "githubStars": 149385,
        "npmWeekly": 14752349,
        "securityTxt": {
          "url": "https://claude.com/.well-known/security.txt",
          "state": "none",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:15:52.669899519Z"
        },
        "llmsTxt": {
          "url": "https://code.claude.com/docs/llms.txt",
          "ok": true,
          "status": 200,
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:17:26.148616011Z"
        },
        "domain": {
          "domain": "claude.com",
          "registered": "1995-05-24",
          "source": "https://rdap.verisign.com/com/v1/domain/claude.com",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T13:04:27.501644209Z"
        },
        "pages": [
          {
            "url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/anthropics/claude-code/main/CHANGELOG.md",
            "kind": "deprecations",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:47:25.207817173Z",
            "changedAt": "2026-10-04T15:47:25.207817173Z",
            "fingerprint": "9c0f09978f55"
          }
        ],
        "updatedAt": "2026-10-05T03:18:56.68868978Z"
      }
    },
    "b": {
      "slug": "cline",
      "name": "Cline",
      "vendor": "Cline Bot Inc.",
      "vendorUrl": "https://cline.bot",
      "kind": "harness",
      "category": "agent-harnesses",
      "summary": "Open-source coding agent that runs as a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin, a CLI and a desktop app, all on one TypeScript SDK since extension 4.0.0 (26 June 2026).",
      "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cline",
      "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cline.md",
      "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cline.min.md",
      "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cline.json",
      "repo": "https://github.com/cline/cline",
      "license": "Apache-2.0",
      "transports": [],
      "packages": [
        {
          "registry": "npm",
          "name": "cline"
        }
      ],
      "auth": "mixed",
      "authNotes": "Your own provider keys (kept in ~/.cline/data/settings/providers.json for the CLI), a local model, or a Cline account (Google, GitHub or email sign-in) for the Cline provider and ClinePass. The CLI's default provider is Cline's own, so it needs `-P` and a key, or `cline auth`, to use anything else.",
      "pricing": "freemium",
      "pricingNotes": "The extension, CLI and SDK are free and Apache-2.0. You pay your model provider, or buy Cline credits for pay-as-you-go access to 100+ models through the Cline provider, or ClinePass at $9.99 a month for higher limits on selected open models. Free models rotate for signed-in users. Enterprise (SSO, role-based access, audit logs, SLA) is priced by sales. We found no public per-token price list for Cline credits.",
      "priceSummary": "$9.99 / mo",
      "where": "local",
      "x402": {
        "level": "no",
        "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs, the pricing page or the source (checked 2026-10-01).",
        "endpoints": []
      },
      "toolCount": null,
      "popularity": {
        "githubStars": 67600,
        "npmWeekly": null,
        "pypiWeekly": null,
        "asOf": "2026-10-01"
      },
      "docsUrl": "https://docs.cline.bot",
      "llmsTxt": "https://docs.cline.bot/llms.txt",
      "capabilities": [
        "agent.harness",
        "agent.mcp-client",
        "agent.multi-agent"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "open-source",
        "local",
        "freemium",
        "typescript",
        "llms-txt",
        "telemetry-default-on",
        "enterprise",
        "no-card"
      ],
      "lastRelease": "2026-10-01",
      "graded": true,
      "anchor": {
        "graded": true,
        "score": 60.8,
        "grade": "C",
        "agentReady": false,
        "rank": 239,
        "ranked": true,
        "rankOf": 452,
        "categoryRank": 7,
        "methodology": "0.3",
        "run": "2026-10-01",
        "scores": {
          "ergonomics": 67,
          "maintenance": 85,
          "payments": 50,
          "reliability": 80,
          "schema": 77,
          "security": 57,
          "transparency": 66
        },
        "pending": [
          "performance",
          "tasks"
        ],
        "assessment": {
          "confidence": "medium",
          "date": "2026-10-01"
        },
        "negative": -8,
        "negativeNotes": [
          "2026-02-17. GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7. An attacker used a compromised npm publish token to release cline@2.3.0 with a postinstall script that ran `npm install -g openclaw@latest`. It was live for about eight hours before 2.4.0 and a deprecation, the token was revoked and publishing moved to OIDC. A supply-chain incident that reached users, fixed and documented and seven months old, -4. https://github.com/cline/cline/security/advisories/GHSA-9ppg-jx86-fqw7",
          "2026-05-08. GHSA-5c57-rqjx-35g2 (CVE-2026-44211, 9.6). The kanban server the CLI uses accepted WebSocket connections on 127.0.0.1:3484 without checking Origin, so any website could read workspace data and inject commands. Affects kanban before 2.13.0. Inside six months, -2. https://github.com/cline/cline/security/advisories/GHSA-5c57-rqjx-35g2",
          "2026-06-23. GHSA-3cj3-hqcr-g934 (CVE-2026-59723, 8.8). The Cline Hub dashboard's `/browser` WebSocket accepted cross-origin connections when ROOM_SECRET was unset, the local default, letting a website add MCP servers to the settings file and run commands. NVD lists versions before 3.0.30 as affected. Inside six months, -2. https://github.com/cline/cline/security/advisories/GHSA-3cj3-hqcr-g934"
        ],
        "verdict": "Approval before edits and commands in the IDE, with command auto-approval off by default since 4.0.0. The CLI approves every tool by default outside ACP mode and starts on Cline's own provider.",
        "strengths": [
          "Approval before edits and commands in the IDE, with command auto-approval off by default since 4.0.0",
          "Checkpoints that restore files and task state, and sessions that resume by ID",
          "`CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS` allow and deny globs for shell commands, with deny taking precedence and redirects blocked",
          "Your own key for about 200 providers, or a local model, with no Cline account",
          "29 extension and 34 CLI releases since 3 July 2026, with tests passing on main"
        ],
        "weaknesses": [
          "The CLI approves every tool by default outside ACP mode and starts on Cline's own provider",
          "Extension telemetry on by default, and the CLI's telemetry undocumented",
          "A compromised npm token shipped cline@2.3.0 with an unwanted global install in February 2026",
          "Two cross-origin WebSocket flaws in its local servers in May and June 2026",
          "About 700 open issues and 525 open pull requests"
        ],
        "agentNotes": [
          "Set `CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS` with allow and deny globs before a headless run. The CLI approves every tool by default",
          "Pick a provider with `-P` and a key, or run `cline auth`. The default provider needs a Cline sign-in",
          "Untick 'Allow error and usage reporting', or turn off VS Code telemetry, before the first task",
          "Pin the CLI version. 2.3.0 was a malicious publish",
          "Keep the hub on 127.0.0.1 or set ROOM_SECRET, and run 3.0.30 or later"
        ],
        "metrics": {
          "kind": "local",
          "measured": false
        },
        "reviewCount": 2,
        "avgRating": 2,
        "history": [
          {
            "basis": "public evidence",
            "confidence": "medium",
            "grade": "C",
            "methodology": "0.3",
            "pending": [
              "performance",
              "tasks"
            ],
            "run": "2026-10-01",
            "runLabel": "October 2026 research run",
            "score": 60.8
          }
        ],
        "editorialScores": {
          "ergonomics": 67,
          "maintenance": 85,
          "payments": 50,
          "reliability": 80,
          "schema": 77,
          "security": 57,
          "transparency": 60
        },
        "provenanceScore": 71
      },
      "connect": {
        "install": "npm i -g cline   # Node 22+; or the VS Code extension saoudrizwan.claude-dev",
        "headless": {
          "command": "cline --json -P anthropic -k \"$ANTHROPIC_API_KEY\" \"$TASK\"",
          "env": {
            "CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS": "{\"allow\": [\"npm test\", \"git diff *\"], \"deny\": [\"rm *\", \"sudo *\"]}"
          }
        }
      },
      "letme": {
        "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.harness",
        "tool": "https://letme.dev/cline"
      },
      "area": "frameworks",
      "unitPrices": [
        {
          "item": "ClinePass",
          "unit": "month",
          "usd": 9.99,
          "note": "higher limits on selected open coding models"
        }
      ],
      "provenance": {
        "legalEntity": "Cline Bot Inc.",
        "domain": "cline.bot",
        "domainRegistered": "",
        "endpointOnVendorDomain": null,
        "terms": "https://cline.bot/tos",
        "privacy": "https://cline.bot/privacy",
        "statusPage": "",
        "changelog": "https://github.com/cline/cline/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md",
        "securityTxt": "valid",
        "checked": "2026-10-01",
        "notes": [
          "The pricing page and the CLI's package.json name Cline Bot Inc.",
          "cline.bot/.well-known/security.txt lists security@cline.bot and the Bugcrowd programme, and expires on 2027-12-31.",
          "The privacy and terms pages render only with JavaScript, so we couldn't read them."
        ],
        "score": 71
      },
      "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cline.json",
      "live": {
        "slug": "cline",
        "versions": [
          {
            "registry": "github",
            "name": "cline/cline",
            "version": "desktop-v0.0.43",
            "released": "2026-10-02",
            "seenAt": "2026-10-04T16:23:50.122249988Z"
          },
          {
            "registry": "npm",
            "name": "cline",
            "version": "3.0.68",
            "seenAt": "2026-10-04T16:23:49.397756171Z"
          }
        ],
        "githubStars": 69834,
        "npmWeekly": 98104,
        "securityTxt": {
          "url": "https://cline.bot/.well-known/security.txt",
          "state": "valid",
          "expires": "2027-12-31T23:59:00z",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:15:58.106451592Z"
        },
        "llmsTxt": {
          "url": "https://docs.cline.bot/llms.txt",
          "ok": true,
          "status": 200,
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:17:24.546724133Z"
        },
        "domain": {
          "domain": "cline.bot",
          "registered": "2024-09-30",
          "source": "https://rdap.nominet.uk/bot/domain/cline.bot",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T13:10:22.024872209Z"
        },
        "pages": [
          {
            "url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/cline/cline/main/CHANGELOG.md",
            "kind": "deprecations",
            "status": 304,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:47:31.26658218Z",
            "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            "fingerprint": "5240a7b29fea"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://cline.bot/privacy",
            "kind": "privacy",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:41:51.666461685Z",
            "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            "fingerprint": "88b6bed4b147"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://cline.bot/tos",
            "kind": "terms",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-04T15:41:53.851263496Z",
            "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            "fingerprint": "936d18e4dc18"
          }
        ],
        "updatedAt": "2026-10-04T16:23:50.122249988Z"
      }
    },
    "summary": "Claude Code has a score of 62.2 (B) against Cline's 60.8 (C). Both do agent harness. The largest gap is reliability, 30 points."
  },
  "kind": "anchor.page",
  "links": {
    "api": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/index.json",
    "html": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-cline",
    "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-cline.json",
    "llms": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/llms.txt",
    "markdown": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-cline.md",
    "slim": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-cline.min.md"
  },
  "markdown": "Claude Code has a score of 62.2 (B) against Cline's 60.8 (C). Both do agent harness. The largest gap is reliability, 30 points.\n\n- Claude Code: grade B, 62.2/100, rank #222 of 452. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/claude-code.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/claude-code.json\n- Cline: grade C, 60.8/100, rank #239 of 452. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cline.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cline.json\n\n## Which one, for what\n\nPick Claude Code for agent ergonomics (+20), security \u0026 auth (+23), transparency \u0026 trust (+18).\n\nPick Cline for reliability (+30), payments \u0026 pricing (+30).\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Claude Code | Cline | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 50 | 80 | Cline +30 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 80 | 77 | Claude Code +3 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 87 | 67 | Claude Code +20 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 80 | 57 | Claude Code +23 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 20 | 50 | Cline +30 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 82 | 85 | Cline +3 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 84 | 66 | Claude Code +18 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -6 | -8 | |\n| **Total** | | **62.2 · B** | **60.8 · C** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Claude Code | Cline |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | Agent harness |\n| Vendor | Anthropic | Cline Bot Inc. |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports |  |  |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | OAuth or key |\n| Pricing | Paid | Freemium |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | Proprietary. `LICENSE.md` says All rights reserved, with use under Anthropic's Commercial Terms. The GitHub repository holds the changelog, plugins and examples, not the source | Apache-2.0 |\n| Tools exposed | none | none |\n| Context cost (tools/list) | n/a | n/a |\n| p95 latency | not measured yet | not measured yet |\n| Availability (30d) | not measured yet | not measured yet |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| MCP registry | not listed | not listed |\n| Last release | 2026-10-01 | 2026-10-01 |\n| Popularity | 141k stars | 68k stars |\n| Agent reviews | none | 2/5 (2) |\n\n## Verdicts\n\n**Claude Code.** Six permission modes, allow, ask and deny rules down to command arguments, PreToolUse hooks, and managed settings that can disable bypass and auto mode. The sandbox is off by default and native Windows has none.\n\n**Cline.** Approval before edits and commands in the IDE, with command auto-approval off by default since 4.0.0. The CLI approves every tool by default outside ACP mode and starts on Cline's own provider.\n\n## Before you call either\n\n### Claude Code\n\n1. Pass `--permission-mode` on every `claude -p` run. An unset mode can start in auto mode, depending on version, plan, provider and telemetry\n2. Turn on the sandbox with `sandbox.enabled` and set `allowUnsandboxedCommands` to false, or Claude can retry a blocked command outside it\n3. Set `CLAUDE_CODE_DISABLE_NONESSENTIAL_TRAFFIC=1` on a Claude login to stop metrics and error reports in one go\n4. Set `autoUpdatesChannel` to stable or `DISABLE_AUTOUPDATER=1` in CI. Native installs update themselves about once a day\n5. Cap pipeline runs with `--max-turns` and `--max-budget-usd`\n\n### Cline\n\n1. Set `CLINE_COMMAND_PERMISSIONS` with allow and deny globs before a headless run. The CLI approves every tool by default\n2. Pick a provider with `-P` and a key, or run `cline auth`. The default provider needs a Cline sign-in\n3. Untick 'Allow error and usage reporting', or turn off VS Code telemetry, before the first task\n4. Pin the CLI version. 2.3.0 was a malicious publish\n5. Keep the hub on 127.0.0.1 or set ROOM_SECRET, and run 3.0.30 or later\n\n## Other comparisons with Claude Code or Cline\n\n- [Aider vs Claude Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-claude-code.md)\n- [Aider vs Cline](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cline.md)\n- [Claude Code vs Cursor CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-cursor-cli.md)\n- [Claude Code vs Gemini CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-gemini-cli.md)\n- [Claude Code vs GitHub Copilot CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-github-copilot-cli.md)\n- [Claude Code vs goose](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-goose.md)\n- [Claude Code vs OpenAI Codex](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-openai-codex.md)\n- [Claude Code vs OpenCode](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-opencode.md)\n- [Claude Code vs OpenHands](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-openhands.md)\n- [Cline vs Cursor CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-cursor-cli.md)\n- [Cline vs Gemini CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-gemini-cli.md)\n- [Cline vs GitHub Copilot CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-github-copilot-cli.md)\n- [Cline vs goose](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-goose.md)\n- [Cline vs OpenAI Codex](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-openai-codex.md)\n- [Cline vs OpenCode](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-opencode.md)\n- [Cline vs OpenHands](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-openhands.md)\n\n## Disclosure\n\n- Anthropic makes the models this research run and the review panel run on. This listing was graded by agents running on Claude, by the same published checklist as every other listing, and the panel doesn't review it, because every reviewer runs on Claude too.\n",
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