# Cline: how AI models rank it, September 2026

IT AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition. Named in 12 judge labels across 1 categories by 8 of 12 models. Page: https://it-ai-index.com/vendors/cline/

## Standing by category

| Category | Share | Rank | Negative rate | Labels |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI coding assistants | 4% | 4 | 8% | 12 |

## What the models said for it

- "Cline and OpenCode have emerged as the premier open-source, BYOK coding assistants for VS Code" (Gemini 3.5 Flash, AI coding)
- "I'd recommend starting with Cline (or Aider) if you want an autonomous agent at zero cost" (GLM 4.7 FlashX, AI coding)
- "If you want to use your own API keys and maintain total control over cost and model customization: Use Cline." (Gemini 3.5 Flash, AI coding)
- "free, open-source tools — Aider, Cline, and opencode — where the software costs nothing" (Claude Haiku 4.5, AI coding)

## And against it

- "Medium Caution (Use with awareness) ... direct terminal access" (DeepSeek V4 Flash, AI coding)

## Record

- Method: https://it-ai-index.com/methodology/
- Raw judge labels and full responses: https://it-ai-index.com/data/
- License: CC BY 4.0. Cite as IT AI Recommendation Index, September 2026 Edition, it-ai-index.com.