Do either of these have verified plan listings?

No. Neither Cline nor Devin has verified plans on file. Devin's starting price is also not recorded.

Does Cline need an API key?

Yes. Cline requires you to bring your own API key — there is no managed pricing tier.

Can Devin work offline or on air-gapped networks?

No. Devin is closed source and entirely cloud-hosted, so it is not suitable for air-gapped work.

Where do these tools run?

Cline runs as a VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin, and CLI. Devin runs on the web as a managed cloud sandbox.

Cline is free to install, with costs limited to your BYO API key. Devin uses pay-per-ACU pricing and is described as the highest-cost option in the category; specific numbers are not on file.

Cline vs Devin: How They Actually Differ

Pick Cline if you want an open-source, in-VS-Code agent you can inspect and run for free with your own API key. Pick Devin if you want a fully managed cloud sandbox where non-engineers can hand off whole tasks to a long-horizon autonomous engineer — and can absorb pay-per-ACU pricing.

Compiled 2026-08-27 from our catalogue entries for Cline and Devin.

The short answer

Pick Cline if: You live in VS Code, want an inspectable open-source agent (Apache 2.0) with plan/act modes and approval-gated terminal commands, and you are happy bringing your own API key with no managed pricing tier.
Pick Devin if: You want a fully managed cloud sandbox (browser, terminal, editor) that takes long-horizon tasks in a single run, your team can file work through Slack or Linear, and you can accept the highest-cost pay-per-ACU pricing in the category.
Cheapest way in: Cline is free to install, with the only cost being whatever your BYO API key provider charges — no managed tier exists. Devin's starting price is not recorded on file.
What we could not compare: Devin's specific plan prices (not recorded), verified plans for either tool (none on file), and documentation depth (none listed for both Cline and Devin).

Cline and Devin sit at opposite ends of the AI coding-agent spectrum. Cline is an open-source VS Code extension you drive yourself; Devin is a closed, cloud-hosted autonomous engineer you hand tasks to.

The trade is local control and transparency versus managed autonomy and integrations. Your choice comes down to whether you want to stay in your editor with your own API key, or delegate whole tasks to a cloud sandbox.

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	Devin
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starts at	Free	Not recorded
Runs on	vscode-ext, jetbrains-plugin, cli	web
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 transparent agent loop you can inspect
Runs inside VS Code as an extension — no separate app to install — with plan/act modes and approval-gated terminal execution
Also available as a JetBrains plugin and a CLI, and free to start

Full Cline entry

Where Devin is the better fit

Fully managed cloud environment with browser, terminal, and editor — no local setup required
Handles long-horizon work — research, planning, code, test, and PR — in a single run
Slack and Linear integrations let non-engineers file tasks directly

Full Devin entry

Which one should you pick?

Solo founder who codes in VS Code and wants to keep costs tight

Cline

Free to install, runs where you already work, and the agent loop is inspectable. You only pay your own API provider, with no managed tier required.

Small team where non-engineers need to hand off whole tasks

Devin

The managed cloud sandbox plus Slack and Linear intake let PMs or ops file work directly, and one run can take a task from research through PR.

Builder working in an air-gapped or restricted environment

Cline

Devin is entirely cloud-hosted and closed source, so it is not suitable for air-gapped work. Cline runs locally in your editor.

Frequently asked questions

Do either of these have verified plan listings?: No. Neither Cline nor Devin has verified plans on file. Devin's starting price is also not recorded.
Does Cline need an API key?: Yes. Cline requires you to bring your own API key — there is no managed pricing tier.
Can Devin work offline or on air-gapped networks?: No. Devin is closed source and entirely cloud-hosted, so it is not suitable for air-gapped work.
Where do these tools run?: Cline runs as a VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin, and CLI. Devin runs on the web as a managed cloud sandbox.
Which is cheaper?: Cline is free to install, with costs limited to your BYO API key. Devin uses pay-per-ACU pricing and is described as the highest-cost option in the category; specific numbers are not on file.

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/devin — checked 2026-08-21 · 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.

## Devin (/tools/devin)
Tagline: Cognition's autonomous software engineer — runs tasks in a managed cloud sandbox with browser, terminal, and editor.
Category: AI Coding Agents
Pricing model: paid
Starts at: Not recorded
Platforms: web
Public repo: none listed
Docs: none listed
Verified plans: none on file
Strengths on file: Fully managed cloud environment — no local setup required.; Long-horizon tasks: research, planning, code, test, and PR in a single run.; Slack and Linear integrations let non-engineers file tasks.
Limits on file: Highest-cost option in the category — pay-per-ACU pricing.; Closed source and entirely cloud-hosted; not suitable for air-gapped work.
Devin is Cognition's autonomous software engineer — it runs tasks in a managed cloud sandbox with its own browser, terminal, and editor.
Its pitch is autonomy at length: a fully managed cloud environment with no local setup that takes long-horizon tasks — research, planning, code, test, and PR — in a single run, with Slack and Linear integrations so non-engineers can file work.
It suits teams that want to hand off whole tasks rather than drive an editor. The trade-offs are real: it's the highest-cost option in the category, priced pay-per-ACU, and it's closed source and entirely cloud-hosted — not an option for air-gapped work.
It's the managed, hands-off end of the spectrum, where OpenHands offers a self-hostable open alternative.

Change log

2026-08-27 — First published, compiled from the catalogue entries for Cline and Devin.