What keeps terminal execution gated in Cline?

Cline supports approval-gated terminal execution.

Can Claude Code Artifacts share work with others?

Yes. It allows coding artifacts to be shared through links.

Which product has a recorded start price?

Cline starts at Free. Claude Code Artifacts' start price is not recorded.

Does either product have verified plans on file?

No verified plans are on file for either product.

Can I inspect Cline's source?

Yes. Cline is open source under Apache 2.0, and its public repository is listed at https://github.com/cline/cline.

Are a public repository or docs listed for Claude Code Artifacts?

No public repository or docs are listed for Claude Code Artifacts.

Claude Code Artifacts vs Cline: How They Actually Differ

Cline suits a small team working in VS Code that wants an inspectable, open-source coding agent with plan/act modes and approval-gated terminal execution. Claude Code Artifacts suits builders who prefer browser-based coding, live previews, and links for sharing coding artifacts without local installation.

Compiled 2026-09-04 from our catalogue entries for Claude Code Artifacts and Cline.

The short answer

Pick Cline if: You work in VS Code and want an open-source coding agent with an inspectable agent loop, plan/act modes, and approval-gated terminal execution.
Pick Claude Code Artifacts if: You want browser-based coding with no local installation, live previews, and links for sharing coding artifacts, using a tool built on Anthropic's Claude models.
Cheapest way in: No cheapest option can be confirmed. Cline starts at Free but requires your own API key; Claude Code Artifacts' pricing model and start price are not recorded.
What we could not compare: A direct price comparison is unavailable because Cline requires your own API key, while Claude Code Artifacts lists no pricing model or start price.

Cline fits a small team working in VS Code that wants open-source control over its coding agent. It runs as a VS Code extension with no separate app, has an inspectable agent loop, and supports plan/act modes plus approval-gated terminal execution. It starts at Free, but you must bring your own API key, and no managed pricing tier is listed.

Claude Code Artifacts fits a builder who wants to preview and hand off coding work through a browser. It requires no local installation, shows live previews as coding work is generated, and supports links for sharing coding artifacts. It is built on Anthropic's Claude models, is limited to the web platform, and has no recorded pricing model or start price.

Side by side

Every cell is a field on our catalogue entry for that tool, copied as recorded. Rows where the two differ come first; blank fields say so rather than being filled in.

	Claude Code Artifacts	Cline
Pricing model	Not recorded	Free
Starts at	Not recorded	Free
Runs on	Not recorded	vscode-ext, jetbrains-plugin, cli
Public source code	No public repo listed	Yes — public repo
Category	AI Coding Agents	AI Coding Agents
Public docs	Not listed	Not listed

Public source code: From the repository link on each catalogue entry, not a licence audit.

Where Claude Code Artifacts is the better fit

Runs in a browser with no local installation.
Shows coding work in live previews as it is generated.
Supports sharing coding artifacts through links and is built on Anthropic's Claude models.

Full Claude Code Artifacts entry

Where Cline is the better fit

Runs as a VS Code extension, so no separate app is required.
Is open source under Apache 2.0, with an agent loop you can inspect.
Supports plan/act modes and approval-gated terminal execution.

Full Cline entry

Which one should you pick?

Solo founder working in VS Code

Cline

Cline runs inside VS Code, offers plan/act modes, and supports approval-gated terminal execution.

Builder who wants browser previews and link sharing

Claude Code Artifacts

It shows live previews in the browser and allows coding artifacts to be shared through links.

Team comparing listed local integrations

Cline

Cline lists VS Code, JetBrains, and CLI platforms. Claude Code Artifacts is limited to the web platform, with no disclosed CLI, VS Code, or JetBrains extension.

Builder choosing Anthropic/Claude-based code generation

Claude Code Artifacts

Its code generation is built on Anthropic's Claude models.

Frequently asked questions

What keeps terminal execution gated in Cline?: Cline supports approval-gated terminal execution.
Can Claude Code Artifacts share work with others?: Yes. It allows coding artifacts to be shared through links.
Which product has a recorded start price?: Cline starts at Free. Claude Code Artifacts' start price is not recorded.
Does either product have verified plans on file?: No verified plans are on file for either product.
Can I inspect Cline's source?: Yes. Cline is open source under Apache 2.0, and its public repository is listed at https://github.com/cline/cline.
Are a public repository or docs listed for Claude Code Artifacts?: No public repository or docs are listed for Claude Code Artifacts.

What we compared

This page states nothing that is not in the two catalogue entries below. The exact text used to write it is reproduced here so you can check our reading, and both tools link through to their own pages and to the vendor.

/tools/claude-code-artifacts — checked 2026-06-20 · official site
/tools/cline — checked 2026-05-25 · official site

Show the source text

## Claude Code Artifacts (/tools/claude-code-artifacts)
Tagline: Preview and share your coding work live as it happens
Category: AI Coding Agents
Pricing model: not recorded
Starts at: Not recorded
Platforms: not recorded
Public repo: none listed
Docs: none listed
Verified plans: none on file
Strengths on file: Web-based interface that runs in the browser without local installation.; Provides live previews of coding work as it is generated.; Allows sharing of coding artifacts with others via links.; Built on Anthropic's Claude models for code generation.
Limits on file: Limited to the web platform with no disclosed CLI, VS Code, or JetBrains extension.; Tied to the Anthropic/Claude ecosystem, creating vendor lock-in.
Claude Code Artifacts is a web-based coding tool that previews and shares your coding work live as it is generated.
Its edge is the live preview: it shows coding work as it happens in the browser with no local installation, and lets you share those artifacts with others via links. Code generation is built on Anthropic's Claude models.
It fits people who want to preview and hand off coding work through a browser and don't need a local setup. It's a weaker fit if you work in an editor: there's no disclosed CLI, VS Code, or JetBrains extension, and the pricing tier isn't publicly listed in the directory metadata. Being tied to the Anthropic/Claude ecosystem also creates vendor lock-in.
Among coding agents, it sits on the browser-only, share-a-link side rather than the editor-integrated end.

## Cline (/tools/cline)
Tagline: Open-source autonomous coding agent for VS Code, formerly known as Claude Dev.
Category: AI Coding Agents
Pricing model: free
Starts at: Free
Platforms: vscode-ext, jetbrains-plugin, cli
Public repo: https://github.com/cline/cline
Docs: none listed
Verified plans: none on file
Strengths on file: Runs inside VS Code as an extension, no separate app to install.; Open source under Apache 2.0; transparent agent loop you can inspect.; Supports plan/act modes and approval-gated terminal execution.
Limits on file: Requires bringing your own API key — no managed pricing tier.; Cost can escalate quickly without per-task budgets.
Cline is an open-source autonomous coding agent that runs inside VS Code — formerly known as Claude Dev.
Its draw is transparency in a familiar editor: it's a VS Code extension with no separate app, open source under Apache 2.0 with an agent loop you can inspect, and it supports plan/act modes with approval-gated terminal execution.
It's for VS Code users who want an inspectable agent with a human in the loop. Two caveats: it needs your own API key — there's no managed pricing tier — and cost can escalate quickly without per-task budgets.
It's the in-VS-Code, open option next to terminal agents like Aider and Claude Code.

Change log

2026-09-04 — First published, compiled from the catalogue entries for Claude Code Artifacts and Cline.