Cline vs Claude Code vs Darce: which coding agent fits you?

Cline is an open source (Apache 2.0) coding agent that lives mainly in VS Code and JetBrains, with a CLI, and uses your own model keys. Claude Code is Anthropic's Claude-only agent. Darce is an open source terminal agent with 250+ models on one plan and an undo that also reverses shell commands.

Last checked: October 2026. Facts about Cline and Claude Code come from their official docs, repos and pricing pages, linked in the sources below.

At a glance

Cline vs Claude Code: what's the real difference?

Two things: where it runs and which models it uses.

Cline grew up as an editor extension. Its main home is a panel inside VS Code (and Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium and other forks) or JetBrains, where you watch each step, approve file edits and commands, and review diffs. It now also has a CLI (npm install -g cline, Node.js 20+), a desktop app for macOS and Windows, and an SDK (Cline repo, CLI installation).

Claude Code is terminal-first and runs Claude models only. Cline is model-agnostic: you pick the provider and model, including local models through Ollama or LM Studio.

Darce sits between them: terminal-first like Claude Code, multi-model like Cline, but with models included in one plan instead of bring-your-own keys.

Models and pricing

Cline is free for individuals. You pay for inference, either to your own provider with your own key, through Cline's own provider (pay as you go; the pricing page says "Purchase and Model Inference at Cost or BYOK"), or with ClinePass, a $9.99/month subscription for popular open coding models (Cline pricing, ClinePass docs). Enterprise is custom-priced and adds SSO, an SLA, centralized billing and admin controls.

Claude Code is included with Claude Pro ($20/month, or $17/month billed yearly) and Max (from $100/month), and isn't in the Free plan (Claude pricing). You can also use an API key or a cloud provider, still with Claude models only.

Darce has a free trial with no account, a Free plan with a daily allowance, Builder at $15/month and Power at $65/month. One plan covers 250+ models; limits are hard and there are no overage bills. See pricing.

Where Cline is better: if you already have API keys, credits with a provider, or want to run local models at no inference cost, Cline lets you use them directly. Darce doesn't support your own provider keys or local models; all requests go through your Darce plan.

Plan and Act modes

Cline's signature workflow is two modes. Plan explores the codebase and drafts a strategy without changing anything. Act carries it out. In the CLI you can start in plan mode with -p, --plan (CLI reference).

Claude Code has a plan mode too: it blocks edits until you approve a plan. Darce's plan mode is read-only: it proposes changes without touching anything, and you switch modes with Shift+Tab.

How each one edits files and runs commands

Cline asks before every file edit and terminal command by default, then lets you relax that per category. Its auto-approve settings separate "Execute safe commands" from "Execute all commands". Which commands count as safe isn't a fixed list: "The model marks each command with a requires_approval flag", and the docs warn the examples are not guarantees (auto-approve docs). YOLO mode auto-approves everything: file changes, commands, browser actions and MCP tools. In the CLI, the reference lists an --auto-approve flag whose default is true, so check your settings before pointing it at an important repo.

Claude Code uses permission modes: Manual, acceptEdits, plan, auto (a classifier reviews actions), dontAsk for CI, and bypassPermissions for containers. An optional Bash sandbox runs on macOS, Linux and WSL2 (permission modes).

Darce decides risk itself rather than asking the model. Every command is parsed and scored: read-only, changes the project, reaches outside (network, installs, unknown commands), or destructive. In the default auto mode, risky ones ask first with the reason. Scripts such as npm run deploy get a second look from a classifier that reads the real script line, and effects /undo can't reverse always ask. Destructive commands can't be set to "always allow". See Safety.

Checkpoints and undo

Cline's checkpoints are good, and closer to Darce's than Claude Code's are. After each tool use, including commands, Cline commits your project files to a shadow git repository, separate from your own history, and the snapshot includes files git doesn't track. You can restore files, the task (conversation) or both (checkpoints docs). The docs warn that very large repos can use significant storage and slow Cline down.

Claude Code makes a checkpoint per prompt, but its docs say changes made by Bash commands (rm, mv, cp) aren't tracked. More in Claude Code rewind vs Darce undo.

Darce snapshots your working tree before every step into private git refs, so /undo reverses Darce's edits and the files shell commands created, changed or deleted, one step at a time. /rewind (or Esc twice) scrubs through the whole session. Limits: shell-command coverage needs a git repo, history lasts for the session, gitignored files like node_modules aren't snapshotted, and remote actions such as deploys can't be undone, so they ask first.

Parallel work

Cline's CLI can run a task in a detached git worktree with --worktree, and Cline Kanban, a browser board in research preview, runs several CLI agents (Cline, Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode) in separate worktrees. Its docs note Kanban uses experimental features that bypass permissions for more autonomy.

Claude Code has subagents, background agents and cloud sessions.

Darce's /swarm splits one task into 2-4 agents in separate worktrees and merges the result, which /undo reverts in one step. /derby races three models on the same task so you can compare diffs, test results and cost before applying one.

Platforms

Cline: VS Code and forks, JetBrains, a desktop app (macOS, Windows in beta) and a Node-based CLI. Claude Code: terminal on macOS, Linux, WSL and Windows, plus VS Code, JetBrains, desktop, web and mobile. Darce: terminal on macOS, Linux and Windows with Node.js 22+.

Who Cline is for

Cline suits developers who want an agent inside their editor, approve steps visually, and bring their own model keys or local models. Plan/Act is a clear way to keep it from changing code before you agree on an approach, and the Apache 2.0 license means you can inspect and fork it.

Who Claude Code is for

Claude Code suits developers who want Claude models with Anthropic's own harness across terminal, IDE, desktop and web, and who already pay for Claude Pro or Max.

Who Darce is for

Darce suits terminal users who want many models without managing keys and billing for each vendor, risk scoring that doesn't depend on the model judging its own commands, and an undo that covers everything the agent did on disk. Try it with npx darce-cli, no account needed: Getting started.

Bottom line

Pick Cline if you live in VS Code or JetBrains and want bring-your-own-key flexibility, including local models. Pick Claude Code for Claude everywhere. Pick Darce for a terminal agent with 250+ models on one plan, risk-scored approvals and undo for shell commands. Related comparisons: Kilo Code, Cursor, OpenCode and the Claude Code alternative.

Sources

• Cline on GitHub
• Cline pricing
• ClinePass
• Cline CLI installation
• Cline CLI reference
• Cline checkpoints
• Cline auto-approve
• Cline YOLO mode
• Cline Kanban
• Claude Code overview
• Claude Code permission modes
• Claude Code checkpointing
• Claude pricing

Frequently asked questions