Does Cline work outside VS Code?

Yes. The fact sheet lists a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin, and a CLI.

Can I try Ellipsis for free?

Managed SaaS starts at $0 base plus usage, and the fact sheet notes a free tier with usage limits.

Can Cline review my pull requests?

We do not have that on file. The fact sheet describes Cline as an in-editor autonomous coding agent and does not list PR review as a capability.

Do either of these have documentation?

Both are listed as 'none listed' for docs in the fact sheet.

Cline vs Ellipsis: How They Actually Differ

Cline and Ellipsis solve different jobs. Cline is an in-editor coding agent for VS Code and JetBrains that writes code via your own API key. Ellipsis is a GitHub-only PR reviewer that comments and can commit fixes. Pick by where you want AI help: inside the editor, or on pull requests.

Compiled 2026-08-25 from our catalogue entries for Cline and Ellipsis.

The short answer

Pick Cline if: You write code inside VS Code or JetBrains and want an open-source agent (Apache 2.0) with plan/act modes and approval-gated terminal execution that you can inspect.
Pick Ellipsis if: Your team reviews pull requests in GitHub and wants an agent that comments on style, bugs, and architecture, and can generate and commit fixes directly to a PR.
Cheapest way in: Cline is free to install but requires your own API key — there is no managed pricing tier on file. Ellipsis starts at $0 base plus usage: tokens at cost, $0.142 / vCPU-hour, $0.024 / GB-hour, with a 20% platform fee.
What we could not compare: Neither product has docs listed. Cline has no verified plans on file. Ellipsis' support tiers ($5,000, $7,500, and $15,000 per month) are enterprise-priced and unlikely to suit a solo founder.

These two products sit in the same AI Coding Agents category but solve different jobs. Cline is an in-editor coding agent: it runs inside your editor and writes code with you in the loop. Ellipsis is a pull-request reviewer: it lives in GitHub and reviews diffs after you have pushed code.

The trade-off is where AI touches your workflow. Cline needs your own API key and has no managed tier, so cost is on you and can escalate without per-task budgets. Ellipsis is paid SaaS built on usage-based billing and enterprise support tiers — its cheapest plan still charges for tokens, compute, and a 20% platform fee.

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	Ellipsis
Pricing model	Free	Paid
Starts at	Free	Managed SaaS — $0 base + usage (tokens at cost, $0.142 / vCPU-hour, $0.024 / GB-hour, 20% platform fee)
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

Runs as a VS Code extension, JetBrains plugin, or CLI with no separate app to install.
Open source under Apache 2.0, with a transparent agent loop you can inspect (public repo at github.com/cline/cline).
Supports plan/act modes and approval-gated terminal execution, keeping a human in the loop.

Full Cline entry

Where Ellipsis is the better fit

Installs as a GitHub App that automatically reviews every pull request.
Reviews cover code style, potential bugs, and architectural concerns, and can produce PR descriptions generated from code diffs.
Can generate and commit code fixes directly to a pull request in response to review feedback.

Full Ellipsis entry · Ellipsis pricing, verified

Which one should you pick?

Solo founder writing code in VS Code

Cline

It is free, open source, and runs in your editor with plan/act modes and approval-gated terminal execution, so you stay in control.

Small team that already reviews pull requests in GitHub

Ellipsis

It installs as a GitHub App, comments on style, bugs, and architecture, and can commit fixes back to the PR — useful when reviewer time is the bottleneck.

Builder on JetBrains who wants an open agent

Cline

Fact sheet lists a JetBrains plugin alongside the VS Code extension and CLI, and the agent loop is open source under Apache 2.0.

Frequently asked questions

Does Cline work outside VS Code?: Yes. The fact sheet lists a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin, and a CLI.
Does Ellipsis work with GitLab or Bitbucket?: No. The fact sheet says it supports only GitHub, with no integration for GitLab, Bitbucket, or other Git platforms.
Can I try Ellipsis for free?: Managed SaaS starts at $0 base plus usage, and the fact sheet notes a free tier with usage limits.
Can Cline review my pull requests?: We do not have that on file. The fact sheet describes Cline as an in-editor autonomous coding agent and does not list PR review as a capability.
Do either of these have documentation?: Both are listed as 'none listed' for docs in the fact 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/ellipsis — checked 2026-06-13 · 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.

## Ellipsis (/tools/ellipsis)
Tagline: AI agent that reviews every PR — comments on style, bugs, and architecture inside GitHub.
Category: AI Coding Agents
Pricing model: paid
Starts at: Managed SaaS — $0 base + usage (tokens at cost, $0.142 / vCPU-hour, $0.024 / GB-hour, 20% platform fee)
Platforms: web
Public repo: none listed
Docs: none listed
Verified plans (read 2026-08-22): Managed SaaS $0 base + usage (tokens at cost, $0.142 / vCPU-hour, $0.024 / GB-hour, 20% platform fee) | Your AWS Account $0 base + usage + AWS costs (20% platform fee; CPU, memory, and tokens billed by AWS) | Standard support $5,000 / month | Advanced support $7,500 / month | Premier support $15,000 / month
Strengths on file: Functions as a GitHub App that automatically reviews pull requests.; Can generate and commit code fixes directly to a pull request in response to review feedback.; Reviews cover code style, potential bugs, and architectural concerns.; Can produce pull request descriptions generated from code diffs.
Limits on file: Supports only GitHub, with no integration for GitLab, Bitbucket, or other Git platforms.; No IDE extension or CLI is offered; interaction is limited to the GitHub web interface.; Free tier imposes usage limits consistent with its freemium pricing.
Ellipsis is an AI code-review agent that reviews every pull request inside GitHub. It runs as a GitHub App that reviews pull requests automatically.
Its reviews cover code style, potential bugs, and architectural concerns, and it can go further than commenting: it can generate and commit code fixes directly to a pull request in response to feedback, and produce pull request descriptions from code diffs.
It fits teams that work in GitHub and want automated PR review and fixes. Caveats: it supports only GitHub, with no integration for GitLab, Bitbucket, or other Git platforms; there is no IDE extension or CLI, so interaction is limited to the GitHub web interface; and the free tier imposes usage limits.
Among code-review tools, it is a GitHub-native agent that both comments and commits fixes rather than a standalone editor or CLI reviewer.

Change log

2026-08-25 — First published, compiled from the catalogue entries for Cline and Ellipsis.