Cline vs Codex: How They Actually Differ
Cline is the open-source, bring-your-own-key option for VS Code users who want to inspect the agent loop. Codex is the multi-surface, managed-subscription option bundled with ChatGPT plans and adds GitHub pull request review.
Compiled 2026-08-27 from our catalogue entries for Cline and Codex.
The short answer
- Pick Cline if
- You live in VS Code or JetBrains, want open-source code under Apache 2.0, and prefer to bring your own API key so you choose the model.
- Pick Codex if
- You want a managed subscription, need one agent that runs across CLI, IDE, web, desktop, and cloud, or already pay for ChatGPT and want GitHub pull request review included.
- Cheapest way in
- Cline is free to install but requires your own API key, so cost depends on your model provider. Codex starts on the Free tier at $0 per month and is also included with ChatGPT plans.
- What we could not compare
- Cline has no verified plans on file and lists no docs. Codex's Business and Enterprise pricing is not published. Benchmarks and detailed feature parity are not on the sheet.
Cline and Codex are both AI coding agents in the same category, but they sit at opposite ends of the openness and pricing spectrum. Cline is free to install as a VS Code or JetBrains extension with a public repo under Apache 2.0; Codex is a freemium product from OpenAI with a managed pricing ladder that runs from $0 to $200 per month plus a pay-as-you-go API option.
The structural split is who supplies the model. Cline asks you to bring your own API key and lets you pick the provider; Codex ships on OpenAI's GPT models only and bundles itself into existing ChatGPT subscriptions. Cline focuses on a transparent agent loop inside your editor; Codex spreads the same agent across terminal, IDE, desktop, web, and cloud, and adds a cloud code review on GitHub pull requests.
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.
| Cline | Codex | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium |
| Starts at | Free | Free — $0 /month |
| Runs on | vscode-ext, jetbrains-plugin, cli | web, mac, win, linux, cli, vscode-ext |
| Public source code | Yes — public repo | No public repo listed |
| 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 Cline is the better fit
- Open source under Apache 2.0 with a public repo at https://github.com/cline/cline that you can read and modify.
- Runs inside VS Code and JetBrains with no separate app to install, plus a CLI.
- Plan/act modes and approval-gated terminal execution keep a human in the loop.
Where Codex is the better fit
- One agent that runs across CLI, IDE, desktop, web, and cloud so work moves between surfaces.
- Cloud code review on a GitHub pull request that catches bugs and proposes fixes.
- Reads the shared AGENTS.md standard and supports MCP tools; included with ChatGPT plans from the free tier up through Pro.
Which one should you pick?
Apache 2.0 code, transparent agent loop, and your own API key mean no vendor lock on the model.
Cline lists a JetBrains plugin on the sheet; Codex does not.
Codex is included with ChatGPT plans from Free up through Pro, adding cloud PR review on top of what you already pay for.
Codex lists web, mac, win, linux, cli, and vscode-ext plus cloud, while Cline is limited to vscode-ext, jetbrains-plugin, and cli.
Frequently asked questions
- Do I need my own API key?
- Cline requires your own API key; there is no managed pricing tier on file. Codex has managed plans plus a pay-as-you-go API key option.
- Is Cline really open source?
- The sheet lists a public repo at https://github.com/cline/cline under Apache 2.0. Codex has no public repo listed.
- Can I use Codex with non-OpenAI models?
- No. The sheet says Codex is locked to OpenAI's GPT models; Claude or Gemini are not supported out of the box.
- Which platforms does each support?
- Cline lists vscode-ext, jetbrains-plugin, and cli. Codex lists web, mac, win, linux, cli, and vscode-ext, plus cloud surfaces.
- Where are the docs?
- Neither product has docs listed on the sheet.
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/cline — checked 2026-05-25 · official site
- /tools/codex — checked 2026-07-02 · official site
Show the source text
## 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. ## Codex (/tools/codex) Tagline: OpenAI's coding agent — works in the terminal, IDE, and cloud, reviews GitHub pull requests, and runs on GPT-5 models. Category: AI Coding Agents Pricing model: freemium Starts at: Free — $0 /month Platforms: web, mac, win, linux, cli, vscode-ext Public repo: none listed Docs: none listed Verified plans (read 2026-08-21): Free $0 /month | Go $8 /month | Plus $20 /month | Pro 5x $100 /month | Pro 20x $200 /month | Business / Enterprise Not published | API Key Pay only for the tokens Codex uses, based on API pricing Strengths on file: Runs one agent across CLI, IDE, desktop, and cloud — work moves between surfaces.; Strong GitHub integration: a cloud code review on a pull request that catches real bugs and proposes fixes.; Reads the shared AGENTS.md standard and supports MCP tools.; Included with ChatGPT plans, from the free tier up through Pro. Limits on file: Locked to OpenAI's GPT models — no Claude or Gemini out of the box.; Fewer built-in customization primitives (hooks, sub-agents) than some rivals. Codex is OpenAI's agentic coding tool. It runs the same agent across a terminal CLI, an IDE extension, a desktop app, and a cloud environment, so work started in one surface can continue in another. It reads the shared AGENTS.md instructions file, speaks the Model Context Protocol (MCP), and can spin up a cloud code review on a GitHub pull request that comments inline and proposes fixes. Codex runs on OpenAI's GPT models — currently GPT-5.5 as the recommended frontier model — and is included with ChatGPT plans, from the free tier up through Pro.
Change log
- 2026-08-27 — First published, compiled from the catalogue entries for Cline and Codex.