Do I need to bring my own API key?

Yes for both. Cline requires your own key with no managed pricing tier. OpenHands lists bring-your-own-key for any major LLM provider.

What platforms do they support?

Cline ships as a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin, and a CLI. OpenHands runs as web, mac, win, linux, and CLI.

Cline vs OpenHands: How They Actually Differ

Cline fits solo VS Code users who want an inspectable, in-editor agent with their own API key. OpenHands fits teams that want a self-hostable Docker platform with a sandboxed browser and terminal, and don't mind running it themselves.

Compiled 2026-08-29 from our catalogue entries for Cline and OpenHands.

The short answer

Pick Cline if: you live in VS Code (or JetBrains / CLI), want an inspectable agent loop with plan/act modes and approval-gated terminal execution, and are fine supplying your own API key.
Pick OpenHands if: you want a self-hostable, Docker-based platform with a sandboxed runtime that exposes a browser, file editor, and terminal to the agent, and someone on the team can run Docker on a capable machine.
Cheapest way in: Both are free to install. Cline lists a Free starting price. OpenHands is freemium but its starting price is not recorded in our file, so confirm current rates with the vendor.
What we could not compare: Verified plan tiers, dollar amounts for OpenHands, docs links for either product, and concrete feature parity beyond what the sheets list — none of that is on file.

Both Cline and OpenHands are open-source autonomous coding agents that expect you to bring your own API key. The split is where they run and how much ops work you accept.

Cline is an extension that runs inside your editor with a transparent, inspectable loop and approval gates on terminal commands. OpenHands is a Docker-deployable platform with a sandboxed runtime that exposes a browser, file editor, and terminal to the agent.

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	OpenHands
Pricing model	Free	Freemium
Starts at	Free	Not recorded
Runs on	vscode-ext, jetbrains-plugin, cli	web, mac, win, linux, cli
Category	AI Coding Agents	AI Coding Agents
Public source code	Yes — public repo	Yes — public repo
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 — no separate app to install.
Apache 2.0 open source with a transparent agent loop you can inspect.
Plan/act modes plus approval-gated terminal execution for human oversight.

Full Cline entry

Where OpenHands is the better fit

MIT-licensed and fully self-hostable in Docker.
Bring-your-own-key for any major LLM provider.
Sandboxed runtime exposing a browser, file editor, and terminal to the agent.

Full OpenHands entry

Which one should you pick?

Solo founder working in VS Code

Cline

In-editor agent with plan/act modes, approval-gated commands, Apache 2.0 source, and no separate app to manage.

Small team comfortable with Docker

OpenHands

Self-hostable platform with a sandboxed browser and terminal, MIT-licensed, and BYO-key across major LLM providers.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to bring my own API key?: Yes for both. Cline requires your own key with no managed pricing tier. OpenHands lists bring-your-own-key for any major LLM provider.
What platforms do they support?: Cline ships as a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin, and a CLI. OpenHands runs as web, mac, win, linux, and CLI.
Is the hosted OpenHands tier full-featured?: The fact sheet says the hosted SaaS tier is still feature-limited compared with commercial agents like Devin; self-hosting in Docker is the fuller path.

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/openhands — checked 2026-05-25 · 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.

## OpenHands (/tools/openhands)
Tagline: Open-source autonomous coding agent platform, formerly OpenDevin, by All Hands AI.
Category: AI Coding Agents
Pricing model: freemium
Starts at: Not recorded
Platforms: web, mac, win, linux, cli
Public repo: https://github.com/All-Hands-AI/OpenHands
Docs: none listed
Verified plans: none on file
Strengths on file: MIT-licensed and fully self-hostable in Docker.; Bring-your-own-key for any major LLM provider.; Sandboxed runtime with browser, file editor, and terminal exposed to the agent.
Limits on file: Self-hosting requires Docker familiarity and a powerful machine.; Hosted SaaS tier still feature-limited compared to commercial agents like Devin.
OpenHands is an open-source autonomous coding-agent platform from All Hands AI — formerly OpenDevin.
Its edge is an open, self-hostable take on the autonomous agent: MIT-licensed and self-hostable in Docker, bring-your-own-key for any major LLM, and a sandboxed runtime that exposes a browser, file editor, and terminal to the agent.
It's for teams who want Devin-style autonomy without the lock-in and are willing to run it themselves. Caveats: self-hosting needs Docker familiarity and a capable machine, and the hosted SaaS tier is still feature-limited compared with commercial agents like Devin.
It's the open, self-hostable counterpart to the managed, closed Devin.

Change log

2026-08-29 — First published, compiled from the catalogue entries for Cline and OpenHands.