Cline v3.26.6: Three Ways to Code for Free
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Three major capabilities land in Cline v3.26.6, each offering a different path to free AI-powered coding. Whether you want cloud speed, local privacy, or generous daily limits, this release has you covered.
Speed without the wait
xAI's Grok Code Fast model is now available in Cline, delivering responses so quickly that waiting for the model stops being a bottleneck in your workflow. Built specifically for agentic coding workflows, it excels at the iterative development sessions that define modern coding.
The model is free during the launch period -- no usage caps, no throttling, just full access to see how blazing-fast responses change the way you work with Cline.
Read the full Grok Code Fast announcement →
Code completely offline
For the first time, local models are powerful enough to run Cline effectively on a laptop. The combination of LM Studio, Qwen3 Coder 30B, and Cline's new compact prompt system creates a local coding environment that's both powerful and private.
Your code never leaves your machine. No API costs, no internet dependency, no usage meters. Just you, your laptop, and an AI coding agent that can analyze repositories and write code while you're on a boat in the middle of the ocean.
Learn about the local coding stack →
2,000 free requests daily
The new Qwen Code provider brings OAuth-based access to Qwen's coding-specialized models. After a simple CLI authentication, you get 2,000 free requests per day with 1M token context windows.
Setup is straightforward: install the Qwen Code CLI, authenticate through your browser, and configure Cline to use your OAuth credentials. The provider handles the rest, giving you access to qwen3-coder-plus and qwen3-coder-flash models.
View the Qwen Code setup guide →
Additional improvements
This release also includes several quality-of-life improvements. GPT-5 models now properly respect the auto-compact setting for better context window management. Provider retry attempts show clearer user feedback during rate limiting scenarios. Markdown and code block styling automatically adapts when you switch VS Code themes.
Here's the changelog.
-Nick 🫡
Ready to try these new options? Download Cline and explore the model that fits your workflow. Share your experiences with the community on Reddit or Discord.
