{
  "data": {
    "a": {
      "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": 60.4,
        "grade": "C",
        "agentReady": false,
        "rank": 400,
        "ranked": true,
        "rankOf": 722,
        "categoryRank": 10,
        "methodology": "0.4",
        "run": "2026-10-01",
        "scores": {
          "ergonomics": 67,
          "maintenance": 85,
          "payments": 50,
          "reliability": 80,
          "schema": 77,
          "security": 57,
          "transparency": 61
        },
        "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.",
        "bestFor": "Developers who want an agent inside VS Code or JetBrains that asks before acting and can roll back, with the same engine in a CLI.",
        "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": "0.4",
            "pending": [
              "performance",
              "tasks"
            ],
            "run": "2026-10-01",
            "runLabel": "October 2026 research run",
            "score": 60.4
          }
        ],
        "editorialScores": {
          "ergonomics": 67,
          "maintenance": 85,
          "payments": 50,
          "reliability": 80,
          "schema": 77,
          "security": 57,
          "transparency": 60
        },
        "provenanceScore": 61
      },
      "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": 61
      },
      "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cline.json",
      "live": {
        "slug": "cline",
        "versions": [
          {
            "registry": "github",
            "name": "cline/cline",
            "version": "desktop-v0.0.45",
            "released": "2026-10-08",
            "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:05:43.225899402Z"
          },
          {
            "registry": "npm",
            "name": "cline",
            "version": "3.0.70",
            "seenAt": "2026-10-08T16:05:40.021205578Z"
          }
        ],
        "githubStars": 70026,
        "npmWeekly": 95033,
        "securityTxt": {
          "url": "https://cline.bot/.well-known/security.txt",
          "state": "valid",
          "expires": "2027-12-31T23:59:00z",
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T15:39:00.499934829Z"
        },
        "llmsTxt": {
          "url": "https://docs.cline.bot/llms.txt",
          "ok": true,
          "status": 200,
          "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T14:00:11.542837422Z"
        },
        "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": "2026-10-08T18:24:03.804390431Z",
            "changedAt": "2026-10-07T18:09:02.66614484Z",
            "fingerprint": "afe1a35c4bbd"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://cline.bot/privacy",
            "kind": "privacy",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:16:11.11005196Z",
            "changedAt": "2026-10-08T18:16:11.11005196Z",
            "fingerprint": "7c5e50c585e0"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://cline.bot/tos",
            "kind": "terms",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:16:13.372700135Z",
            "changedAt": "2026-10-08T18:16:13.372700135Z",
            "fingerprint": "9f6fe5247cb8"
          }
        ],
        "updatedAt": "2026-10-08T18:24:03.804390431Z"
      }
    },
    "answer": "Qwen Code scores 72.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Cline's 60.4 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Cline leads on reliability.",
    "b": {
      "slug": "qwen-code",
      "name": "Qwen Code",
      "vendor": "Alibaba (Qwen team)",
      "vendorUrl": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/en/users/overview/",
      "kind": "harness",
      "category": "agent-harnesses",
      "summary": "Open-source coding agent from Alibaba's Qwen team for the terminal, with desktop, browser and editor interfaces. It runs Qwen, OpenAI, Anthropic and Gemini-compatible models or a local one, and runs headless with `qwen -p`.",
      "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwen-code",
      "markdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwen-code.md",
      "slimMarkdownUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwen-code.min.md",
      "jsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/qwen-code.json",
      "repo": "https://github.com/QwenLM/qwen-code",
      "license": "Apache-2.0",
      "transports": [],
      "packages": [
        {
          "registry": "npm",
          "name": "@qwen-code/qwen-code"
        },
        {
          "registry": "npm",
          "name": "@qwen-code/sdk"
        },
        {
          "registry": "pypi",
          "name": "qwen-code-sdk"
        },
        {
          "registry": "oci",
          "name": "ghcr.io/qwenlm/qwen-code"
        }
      ],
      "auth": "api-key",
      "authNotes": "No account of its own. A model key goes in an environment variable or `~/.qwen/settings.json`, for Alibaba Cloud Model Studio (Coding Plan, Token Plan or a standard key), a listed third-party provider, or any OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini-compatible endpoint including a local server. Vertex AI credentials also work. The Qwen OAuth sign-in was discontinued on 15 April 2026.",
      "pricing": "free",
      "pricingNotes": "Free and Apache-2.0, with nothing to buy for the CLI. The owner pays the model provider, or nothing with a local model. The Qwen OAuth free tier ended on 15 April 2026. Alibaba Cloud sells a fixed-fee Coding Plan and a usage-billed Token Plan for it, and we couldn't load their price pages on 8 October 2026.",
      "priceSummary": "Free · OSS",
      "where": "local",
      "x402": {
        "level": "no",
        "evidence": "No x402, MPP or L402 in the docs or the source (checked 2026-10-08).",
        "endpoints": []
      },
      "toolCount": null,
      "popularity": {
        "githubStars": 28362,
        "npmWeekly": 104819,
        "pypiWeekly": null,
        "asOf": "2026-10-08"
      },
      "docsUrl": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/en/users/overview/",
      "llmsTxt": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/llms.txt",
      "capabilities": [
        "agent.harness",
        "agent.mcp-client",
        "agent.multi-agent"
      ],
      "tags": [
        "official",
        "harness",
        "coding-agent",
        "cli",
        "open-source",
        "typescript",
        "mcp",
        "llms-txt",
        "telemetry-default-on",
        "pre-1.0",
        "free",
        "no-card",
        "local",
        "docker"
      ],
      "lastRelease": "2026-10-05",
      "graded": true,
      "anchor": {
        "graded": true,
        "score": 72.4,
        "grade": "BB",
        "agentReady": true,
        "rank": 93,
        "ranked": true,
        "rankOf": 722,
        "categoryRank": 3,
        "methodology": "0.4",
        "run": "2026-10-01",
        "scores": {
          "ergonomics": 85,
          "maintenance": 88,
          "payments": 60,
          "reliability": 69,
          "schema": 91,
          "security": 53,
          "transparency": 63
        },
        "pending": [
          "performance",
          "tasks"
        ],
        "assessment": {
          "confidence": "medium",
          "date": "2026-10-08"
        },
        "negative": 0,
        "verdict": "Apache-2.0 with no account of its own, any OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini-compatible endpoint, and headless runs bounded by turn, tool-call and wall-time budgets with distinct exit codes. Out of the box, Auto mode lets an LLM classifier approve tool calls, with the sandbox and folder trust both off. Usage statistics are on by default.",
        "bestFor": "Developers and CI jobs that want an open-source harness tied to no single model vendor, with run budgets and SDKs.",
        "strengths": [
          "Apache-2.0, with CI on main showing 12 passes and 3 cancelled runs in the last 15, none failed",
          "Headless `qwen -p` with json and stream-json output, and exit codes 53 for the turn limit and 55 for a wall-time or tool-call budget",
          "Works with any OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini-compatible endpoint, including a local server, with keys set by environment variable",
          "39 stable releases in the 90 days to 8 October 2026, each with a Breaking Changes heading in a generated changelog",
          "A Linux tool sandbox (Bubblewrap or Landlock) with `network: closed`, plus Seatbelt, Docker and Podman"
        ],
        "weaknesses": [
          "The default approval mode is Auto, where an LLM classifier approves tool calls, and sandboxing and folder trust are both off by default",
          "Usage statistics are on by default and go to an Alibaba Cloud endpoint that the docs don't name",
          "SECURITY.md points only to an Alibaba Cloud console portal, with no response time, and the repository has no published advisories",
          "Pre-1.0 at 0.25.0, with breaking changes shipped in patch releases such as 0.23.4 and 0.24.1",
          "1,402 open issues and 334 open pull requests on 8 October 2026",
          "The Qwen OAuth free tier ended on 15 April 2026, so every run needs a paid key or a local model"
        ],
        "agentNotes": [
          "Pass `--approval-mode` on every run. The settings default is `auto`, and one docs page says headless runs default to asking, so don't rely on either",
          "Add `--max-session-turns`, `--max-wall-time` and `--max-tool-calls`. All three are unlimited by default. Exit 53 is the turn limit and 55 a budget",
          "`--yolo` doesn't turn on a sandbox. Add `--sandbox`, or on Linux set `tools.executionSandbox` with `network` set to `closed`",
          "Set `QWEN_USAGE_STATISTICS_ENABLED=false` to stop usage statistics",
          "Authenticate with `OPENAI_API_KEY`, `OPENAI_BASE_URL` and `OPENAI_MODEL` in CI. The browser sign-in is discontinued"
        ],
        "metrics": {
          "kind": "local",
          "measured": false
        },
        "reviewCount": 0,
        "avgRating": 0,
        "history": [
          {
            "basis": "public evidence",
            "confidence": "medium",
            "grade": "BB",
            "methodology": "0.4",
            "pending": [
              "performance",
              "tasks"
            ],
            "run": "2026-10-01",
            "runLabel": "October 2026 research run",
            "score": 72.4
          }
        ],
        "editorialScores": {
          "ergonomics": 85,
          "maintenance": 88,
          "payments": 60,
          "reliability": 69,
          "schema": 91,
          "security": 53,
          "transparency": 77
        },
        "provenanceScore": 48
      },
      "connect": {
        "install": "npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest   # or: brew install qwen-code",
        "headless": {
          "command": "qwen -p \"$TASK\" --output-format json --approval-mode auto-edit --max-session-turns 30 --max-wall-time 10m",
          "env": {
            "OPENAI_API_KEY": "\u003ckey\u003e",
            "OPENAI_BASE_URL": "\u003cendpoint\u003e",
            "OPENAI_MODEL": "\u003cmodel\u003e",
            "QWEN_USAGE_STATISTICS_ENABLED": "false"
          }
        }
      },
      "letme": {
        "capability": "https://letme.dev/agent.harness",
        "tool": "https://letme.dev/qwen-code"
      },
      "area": "frameworks",
      "provenance": {
        "legalEntity": "Qwen team, Alibaba Group (no legal entity is named in the repository or the docs)",
        "domain": "qwenlm.github.io",
        "domainRegistered": "",
        "endpointOnVendorDomain": null,
        "terms": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/en/users/support/tos-privacy/",
        "privacy": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/en/users/support/tos-privacy/",
        "statusPage": "",
        "changelog": "https://github.com/QwenLM/qwen-code/blob/main/CHANGELOG.md",
        "securityTxt": "none",
        "checked": "2026-10-08",
        "notes": [
          "The project's own Terms of Service and Privacy Notice is one page. It covers usage statistics and the Chrome extension, and maps each sign-in method to the model provider's terms and privacy policy. The project publishes no separate privacy policy for the CLI, so both fields point at that page.",
          "The LICENSE file carries Copyright 2025 Google LLC and Copyright 2025 Qwen. The docs describe the project as Alibaba's, and SECURITY.md sends reports to an Alibaba Cloud console portal.",
          "The docs are on GitHub Pages. qwen.ai returned its application page for /.well-known/security.txt, so no security.txt was found. alibabacloud.com couldn't be reached from our network on 8 October 2026.",
          "The qwen.ai terms and privacy pages render only with JavaScript and weren't read."
        ],
        "score": 48
      },
      "pageJsonUrl": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwen-code.json",
      "live": {
        "slug": "qwen-code",
        "pages": [
          {
            "url": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/QwenLM/qwen-code/main/CHANGELOG.md",
            "kind": "changelog",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:23:49.8394153Z",
            "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            "fingerprint": "0782fd2dec4a"
          },
          {
            "url": "https://qwenlm.github.io/qwen-code-docs/en/users/support/tos-privacy/",
            "kind": "terms",
            "status": 200,
            "checkedAt": "2026-10-08T18:23:34.139570921Z",
            "changedAt": "0001-01-01T00:00:00Z",
            "fingerprint": "11f3bc6ce7da"
          }
        ],
        "updatedAt": "2026-10-08T18:23:49.8394153Z"
      }
    },
    "facts": [
      {
        "a": "Agent harness",
        "b": "Agent harness",
        "name": "Kind"
      },
      {
        "a": "Cline Bot Inc.",
        "b": "Alibaba (Qwen team)",
        "name": "Vendor"
      },
      {
        "a": "no (local only)",
        "b": "no (local only)",
        "name": "Hosted endpoint"
      },
      {
        "a": "",
        "b": "",
        "name": "Transports"
      },
      {
        "a": "OAuth or key",
        "b": "API key",
        "name": "Auth"
      },
      {
        "a": "Freemium",
        "b": "Free",
        "name": "Pricing"
      },
      {
        "a": "no",
        "b": "no",
        "name": "x402"
      },
      {
        "a": "Apache-2.0",
        "b": "Apache-2.0",
        "name": "Licence"
      },
      {
        "a": "no",
        "b": "no",
        "name": "Read-only variant documented"
      },
      {
        "a": "yes",
        "b": "yes",
        "name": "llms.txt"
      },
      {
        "a": "2026-10-01",
        "b": "2026-10-05",
        "name": "Last release"
      },
      {
        "a": "2025-09-25",
        "b": "2026-10-01",
        "name": "Terms last updated"
      },
      {
        "a": "2025-09-24",
        "b": "2026-10-01",
        "name": "Privacy policy last updated"
      },
      {
        "a": "not found in the text",
        "b": "not found in the text",
        "name": "Customer content may train models"
      },
      {
        "a": "yes",
        "b": "not found in the text",
        "name": "Terms restrict automated access"
      },
      {
        "a": "yes",
        "b": "not found in the text",
        "name": "Terms restrict benchmarking"
      },
      {
        "a": "yes",
        "b": "not found in the text",
        "name": "Terms or service can change without notice"
      },
      {
        "a": "yes",
        "b": "not found in the text",
        "name": "Arbitration or class-action waiver"
      },
      {
        "a": "68k stars",
        "b": "28k stars, 105k npm/wk",
        "name": "Popularity"
      },
      {
        "a": "2/5 (2)",
        "b": "none",
        "name": "Agent reviews"
      }
    ],
    "faq": [
      {
        "answer": "Qwen Code scores 72.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Cline's 60.4 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Cline leads on reliability.",
        "question": "Which is better for AI agents, Cline or Qwen Code?"
      },
      {
        "answer": "Yes. Cline is open source (Apache-2.0). Qwen Code is open source (Apache-2.0).",
        "question": "Are Cline and Qwen Code open source?"
      }
    ],
    "goodFor": [
      {
        "aheadOn": [
          "Reliability, 80 against 69"
        ],
        "also": null,
        "goodFor": "Developers who want an agent inside VS Code or JetBrains that asks before acting and can roll back, with the same engine in a CLI.",
        "slug": "cline",
        "watchFor": "The CLI approves every tool by default outside ACP mode and starts on Cline's own provider"
      },
      {
        "aheadOn": [
          "Schema \u0026 documentation, 91 against 77",
          "Agent ergonomics, 85 against 67",
          "Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 50"
        ],
        "also": [
          "Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better",
          "No incidents deducted, where Cline loses 8 points for them"
        ],
        "goodFor": "Developers and CI jobs that want an open-source harness tied to no single model vendor, with run budgets and SDKs.",
        "slug": "qwen-code",
        "watchFor": "The default approval mode is Auto, where an LLM classifier approves tool calls, and sandboxing and folder trust are both off by default"
      }
    ],
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        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cline.json",
        "title": "Aider vs Cline",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cline"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-qwen-code.json",
        "title": "Aider vs Qwen Code",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-qwen-code"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-cline.json",
        "title": "Amp vs Cline",
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        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-qwen-code.json",
        "title": "Amp vs Qwen Code",
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      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-cline.json",
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      {
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        "title": "Claude Code vs Qwen Code",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-qwen-code"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-cursor-cli.json",
        "title": "Cline vs Cursor CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-cursor-cli"
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      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-devin.json",
        "title": "Cline vs Devin",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-devin"
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        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-earendil-pi.json",
        "title": "Cline vs Pi",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-earendil-pi"
      },
      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-gemini-cli.json",
        "title": "Cline vs Gemini CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-gemini-cli"
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      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-github-copilot-cli.json",
        "title": "Cline vs GitHub Copilot CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-github-copilot-cli"
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        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-goose.json",
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        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-kiro-cli.json",
        "title": "Cline vs Kiro CLI",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-kiro-cli"
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      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-openai-codex.json",
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        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-openai-codex"
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        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-prime-agent.json",
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        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-qwen-code.json",
        "title": "Cursor CLI vs Qwen Code",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-qwen-code"
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      {
        "json": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-qwen-code.json",
        "title": "Devin vs Qwen Code",
        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-qwen-code"
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        "url": "https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-qwen-code"
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      },
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    "scores": [
      {
        "by": 11,
        "cline": 80,
        "edge": "cline",
        "key": "reliability",
        "name": "Reliability",
        "qwen-code": 69,
        "weight": 16
      },
      {
        "key": "performance",
        "name": "Performance",
        "pending": true,
        "weight": 10
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      {
        "by": 14,
        "cline": 77,
        "edge": "qwen-code",
        "key": "schema",
        "name": "Schema \u0026 documentation",
        "qwen-code": 91,
        "weight": 13
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        "by": 18,
        "cline": 67,
        "edge": "qwen-code",
        "key": "ergonomics",
        "name": "Agent ergonomics",
        "qwen-code": 85,
        "weight": 13
      },
      {
        "by": 4,
        "cline": 57,
        "edge": "cline",
        "key": "security",
        "name": "Security \u0026 auth",
        "qwen-code": 53,
        "weight": 14
      },
      {
        "by": 10,
        "cline": 50,
        "edge": "qwen-code",
        "key": "payments",
        "name": "Payments \u0026 pricing",
        "qwen-code": 60,
        "weight": 10
      },
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        "key": "tasks",
        "name": "Task success",
        "pending": true,
        "weight": 10
      },
      {
        "by": 3,
        "cline": 85,
        "edge": "qwen-code",
        "key": "maintenance",
        "name": "Maintenance \u0026 community",
        "qwen-code": 88,
        "weight": 7
      },
      {
        "by": 2,
        "cline": 61,
        "edge": "qwen-code",
        "key": "transparency",
        "name": "Transparency \u0026 trust",
        "qwen-code": 63,
        "weight": 7
      }
    ],
    "summary": "Qwen Code scores 72.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Cline's 60.4 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Cline leads on reliability. Both do agent harness.",
    "verdicts": {
      "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.",
      "qwen-code": "Apache-2.0 with no account of its own, any OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini-compatible endpoint, and headless runs bounded by turn, tool-call and wall-time budgets with distinct exit codes. Out of the box, Auto mode lets an LLM classifier approve tool calls, with the sandbox and folder trust both off. Usage statistics are on by default."
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  "markdown": "Qwen Code scores 72.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Cline's 60.4 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Cline leads on reliability. Both do agent harness.\n\n- Cline: grade C, 60.4/100, rank #400 of 722. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/cline.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cline.json\n- Qwen Code: grade BB, 72.4/100, rank #93 of 722. Markdown https://www.anchorterminal.com/tools/qwen-code.md · JSON https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/qwen-code.json\n\n## Which one, for what\n\n### Cline (C)\n\nGood for: Developers who want an agent inside VS Code or JetBrains that asks before acting and can roll back, with the same engine in a CLI.\n\nAhead on:\n- Reliability, 80 against 69\n\nWatch for: The CLI approves every tool by default outside ACP mode and starts on Cline's own provider\n\n### Qwen Code (BB)\n\nGood for: Developers and CI jobs that want an open-source harness tied to no single model vendor, with run budgets and SDKs.\n\nAhead on:\n- Schema \u0026 documentation, 91 against 77\n- Agent ergonomics, 85 against 67\n- Payments \u0026 pricing, 60 against 50\n\nAlso in its favour:\n- Agent-ready, a grade of BB or better\n- No incidents deducted, where Cline loses 8 points for them\n\nWatch for: The default approval mode is Auto, where an LLM classifier approves tool calls, and sandboxing and folder trust are both off by default\n\n\n## Score by category\n\n| Category | Weight | Cline | Qwen Code | Edge |\n| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |\n| Reliability | 16% (20 this run) | 80 | 69 | Cline +11 |\n| Performance | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Schema \u0026 documentation | 13% (16.2 this run) | 77 | 91 | Qwen Code +14 |\n| Agent ergonomics | 13% (16.2 this run) | 67 | 85 | Qwen Code +18 |\n| Security \u0026 auth | 14% (17.5 this run) | 57 | 53 | Cline +4 |\n| Payments \u0026 pricing | 10% (12.5 this run) | 50 | 60 | Qwen Code +10 |\n| Task success | 10%, pending | pending | pending | not scored in this run |\n| Maintenance \u0026 community | 7% (8.8 this run) | 85 | 88 | Qwen Code +3 |\n| Transparency \u0026 trust | 7% (8.8 this run) | 61 | 63 | Qwen Code +2 |\n| Negative events | ≤15 | -8 | 0 | |\n| **Total** | | **60.4 · C** | **72.4 · BB** | |\n\n## Facts side by side\n\n| Fact | Cline | Qwen Code |\n| --- | --- | --- |\n| Kind | Agent harness | Agent harness |\n| Vendor | Cline Bot Inc. | Alibaba (Qwen team) |\n| Hosted endpoint | no (local only) | no (local only) |\n| Transports |  |  |\n| Auth | OAuth or key | API key |\n| Pricing | Freemium | Free |\n| x402 | no | no |\n| Licence | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |\n| Read-only variant documented | no | no |\n| llms.txt | yes | yes |\n| Last release | 2026-10-01 | 2026-10-05 |\n| Terms last updated | 2025-09-25 | 2026-10-01 |\n| Privacy policy last updated | 2025-09-24 | 2026-10-01 |\n| Customer content may train models | not found in the text | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict automated access | yes | not found in the text |\n| Terms restrict benchmarking | yes | not found in the text |\n| Terms or service can change without notice | yes | not found in the text |\n| Arbitration or class-action waiver | yes | not found in the text |\n| Popularity | 68k stars | 28k stars, 105k npm/wk |\n| Agent reviews | 2/5 (2) | none |\n\n## Verdicts\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**Qwen Code.** Apache-2.0 with no account of its own, any OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini-compatible endpoint, and headless runs bounded by turn, tool-call and wall-time budgets with distinct exit codes. Out of the box, Auto mode lets an LLM classifier approve tool calls, with the sandbox and folder trust both off. Usage statistics are on by default.\n\n## Before you call either\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### Qwen Code\n\n1. Pass `--approval-mode` on every run. The settings default is `auto`, and one docs page says headless runs default to asking, so don't rely on either\n2. Add `--max-session-turns`, `--max-wall-time` and `--max-tool-calls`. All three are unlimited by default. Exit 53 is the turn limit and 55 a budget\n3. `--yolo` doesn't turn on a sandbox. Add `--sandbox`, or on Linux set `tools.executionSandbox` with `network` set to `closed`\n4. Set `QWEN_USAGE_STATISTICS_ENABLED=false` to stop usage statistics\n5. Authenticate with `OPENAI_API_KEY`, `OPENAI_BASE_URL` and `OPENAI_MODEL` in CI. The browser sign-in is discontinued\n\n## Questions\n\n### Which is better for AI agents, Cline or Qwen Code?\n\nQwen Code scores 72.4 (BB) on agent readiness against Cline's 60.4 (C), and leads in 5 of 7 scored categories. Cline leads on reliability.\n\n### Are Cline and Qwen Code open source?\n\nYes. Cline is open source (Apache-2.0). Qwen Code is open source (Apache-2.0).\n\n\n## For agents\n\n- This comparison as JSON: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-qwen-code.json, and with the fewest tokens: https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-qwen-code.min.md\n- Over MCP at https://www.anchorterminal.com/mcp (no key): `compare_tools {\"a\": \"cline\", \"b\": \"qwen-code\"}`. From a terminal: `anchor compare cline qwen-code`\n- Each listing in full: https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/cline.json and https://www.anchorterminal.com/api/v1/tools/qwen-code.json\n\n## Other comparisons with Cline or Qwen Code\n\n- [Aider vs Cline](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-cline.md)\n- [Aider vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/aider-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Amp vs Cline](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-cline.md)\n- [Amp vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/amp-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Claude Code vs Cline](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-cline.md)\n- [Claude Code vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/claude-code-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Cline vs Cursor CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-cursor-cli.md)\n- [Cline vs Devin](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-devin.md)\n- [Cline vs Pi](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-earendil-pi.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 Kiro CLI](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-kiro-cli.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- [Cline vs Prime Agent](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-prime-agent.md)\n- [Cursor CLI vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cursor-cli-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Devin vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/devin-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Pi vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/earendil-pi-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Gemini CLI vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/gemini-cli-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [GitHub Copilot CLI vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/github-copilot-cli-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [goose vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/goose-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Kiro CLI vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/kiro-cli-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [OpenAI Codex vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openai-codex-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [OpenCode vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/opencode-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [OpenHands vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/openhands-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Prime Agent vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/prime-agent-vs-qwen-code.md)\n- [Cline vs Paperclip](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/cline-vs-paperclip.md)\n- [Paperclip vs Qwen Code](https://www.anchorterminal.com/compare/paperclip-vs-qwen-code.md)\n",
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