Cline is an open-source AI coding assistant for VS Code that features dual Plan/Act modes, terminal execution capabilities, and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for custom tool creation. It serves as a fully collaborative AI partner for developers.

How is Cline different from GitHub Copilot?

Cline is open-source and offers unique features like Plan/Act modes for structured development, terminal command execution, browser automation for testing, and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) for creating custom development tools.

What programming languages does Cline support?

Cline supports all major programming languages and frameworks through its AI models and can execute terminal commands, edit files, and automate browser testing across different technology stacks.

Cline CLI - Coding Agents in Your Terminal and on a Kanban Board

Board mode

When one terminal isn't enough.

Cline Kanban is the orchestration surface for the same agent runtime. Drop in cards, hit play, and watch many agents work in parallel — each isolated in its own git worktree. Review diffs, leave comments, and ship. It also speaks Claude Code and Codex, so you can run a mixed fleet.

$ cline --kanban→ http://localhost:3484

Per-card git worktrees
Every task gets its own isolated branch — no merge conflicts between parallel agents.
Dependency chains
Linked cards auto-start when their predecessor lands. Build pipelines without scripts.
Diff + checkpoints
Review the agent's work scoped to message ranges, not just one cumulative diff.
Inline review
Comment on any line of the diff. Feedback goes straight back to the agent.

Watch the board, not the terminals.

Break down a large project or your backlog with one prompt. Use the sidebar agent to add, edit, link, and start tasks for you. Connect to Linear MCP to do the same with your tickets.

Unblock agents quickly. No more issue hunting.

Observe your agents working next to a real time diff of changes. Leave comments like you're reviewing a PR and see as your agents execute.

Chain dependent tasks, manually or automatically.

Set up your workflow in the sequence you'd like it to run. Or let Cline do it. Break a project down with auto-commit and Cline will create and link with max parallelization.

One install. A terminal,
a board, and many agents.

Get Started

Built in

More than a chat in a terminal.

Plugins, schedules, connectors, policy hooks, headless CI. Everything that makes the CLI feel like infrastructure, not a toy.

Plugins
Bundle tools, hooks, slash commands, and rules into reusable packages. Share with your team or publish to npm.
cline plugin install @org/postgres
Approval hooks
Gate every tool call with a script. Allow safe reads, require approval on writes, block anything that touches prod.
--hook-command ./policy.sh
Schedules
Cron-driven agents that run independently of your terminal. Daily standup summaries, weekly dependency checks, nightly triage.
cline schedule create "..." --cron "0 9 * * 1-5"
Connectors
Chat with the agent from Slack, Discord, Telegram, Google Chat, WhatsApp, or Linear. Each thread is its own session.
cline connect slack
Agent teams
Stand up a coordinator with specialists. They share a task board, an inter-agent mailbox, and a mission log that survives restarts.
cline --team-name release-prep "..."
Worktrees
Spin off isolated git worktrees per task so parallel agents never collide on the same branch.
cline --worktree "Migrate to flat config"
Zen mode
Fire a task into the background, reclaim your terminal, and pop back in later. Long migrations, refactors, and reviews run while you do other work.
cline -z "Migrate to flat config"
Headless in CI/CD
Drop into GitHub Actions, GitLab, or any pipeline. Machine-readable output, full auto-approve, exit codes you can branch on.
cline "..." --json --auto-approve true

Explore the CLI docs

Board mode

When one terminal isn't enough.

$ cline --kanban→ http://localhost:3484

Per-card git worktrees
Every task gets its own isolated branch — no merge conflicts between parallel agents.
Dependency chains
Linked cards auto-start when their predecessor lands. Build pipelines without scripts.
Diff + checkpoints
Review the agent's work scoped to message ranges, not just one cumulative diff.
Inline review
Comment on any line of the diff. Feedback goes straight back to the agent.

Watch the board, not the terminals.

Break down a large project or your backlog with one prompt. Use the sidebar agent to add, edit, link, and start tasks for you. Connect to Linear MCP to do the same with your tickets.

Unblock agents quickly. No more issue hunting.

Observe your agents working next to a real time diff of changes. Leave comments like you're reviewing a PR and see as your agents execute.

Chain dependent tasks, manually or automatically.

Set up your workflow in the sequence you'd like it to run. Or let Cline do it. Break a project down with auto-commit and Cline will create and link with max parallelization.

Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know about the Cline CLI

Run `npm i -g cline` to install globally. Then run `cline` for an interactive session, `cline "..."` for a one-shot, or `cline --kanban` to launch the board. Full installation guide: docs.cline.bot/cline-cli/installation

Node.js 22+ and either a free Cline account or an API key from a supported provider (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, etc.). Works on macOS, Linux, and Windows. The npm package resolves the right native binary for your platform — no extra runtime needed.

Run `cline auth` for an interactive setup, or set environment variables like ANTHROPIC_API_KEY or OPENAI_API_KEY. Keys are stored securely in your system keychain.

You can use local models via Ollama or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Point the CLI to your local server and it works offline.

Run `npm update -g cline` to get the latest release. Nightly builds are available with `npm i -g cline@nightly`. Check your version with `cline --version`.

Check out docs.cline.bot/cline-cli/overview for guides and real-world examples covering CI/CD, automation, schedules, and connectors.

One install. A terminal,
a board, and many agents.

Get Started

When one terminal isn't enough.

Watch the board, not the terminals.

Unblock agents quickly. No more issue hunting.

Chain dependent tasks, manually or automatically.

One install. A terminal,a board, and many agents.

More than a chat in a terminal.

Plugins

Approval hooks

Schedules

Connectors

Agent teams

Worktrees

Zen mode

Headless in CI/CD

When one terminal isn't enough.

Watch the board, not the terminals.

Unblock agents quickly. No more issue hunting.

Chain dependent tasks, manually or automatically.

Frequently Asked Questions

One install. A terminal,a board, and many agents.

More than a chat in a terminal.

Plugins

Approval hooks

Schedules

Connectors

Agent teams

Worktrees

Zen mode

Headless in CI/CD

Frequently Asked Questions

One install. A terminal,
a board, and many agents.

One install. A terminal,
a board, and many agents.