Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools

Amp vs Cline

Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.

Amp

4.0

From $20/mo

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Cline

4.0

From $9.99/mo

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Comparing 2 tools. Add one more if you like.

At a glance

Amp4.0

Pick it if: Developers and engineering teams working on large codebases who want agents running in the background, not tied to their laptop.

Cline4.0

Best valueEasiest to use

Pick it if: Developers and technical founders who want a capable coding agent inside their editor and want to choose, and pay for, their own AI model.

Overview

Attribute	Amp	Cline
In one line	A coding agent that keeps working on remote machines after you close your laptop.	A free, open-source coding agent for VS Code and the terminal that works with any model.
Pricing model	Freemium	Free
Starting price	$20/mo	$9.99/mo
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Works with Claude Code	Yes	Yes

Rating breakdown

Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.

Attribute	Amp	Cline
Overall rating	4.0	4.0
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.	3.0	3.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.	4.5	4.5
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.	4.5	4.0
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.	4.0	4.5
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.	4.0	3.5

Feature comparison

A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.

Attribute	Amp	Cline
Access & platform
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Mobile app	Yes	No
Desktop app	Yes	Yes
Browser extension	No	No
API access	Yes	Yes
Teams & business
Team workspace	Yes	Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO	Yes	Yes
Connects to other apps	Yes	Yes
Open source or self-hosted	Yes	Yes
AI abilities
Works with your files	Yes	Yes
Understands images	Yes	Yes
Makes images	No	No
Makes video	No	No
Writes code	Yes	Yes
Runs agents or automations	Yes	Yes
Learns your brand or style	–	–
Works in many languages	Yes	Yes
Capabilities score	13/ 17	12/ 17

Pricing

Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.

Attribute	Amp	Cline
Plans	HobbyOur pick Free Developers with their own model subscription or keys.	Open SourceOur pick Free Anyone with their own API key or happy to buy credits.
	Megawatt $20/mo Individuals who want Amp to host the machines.	ClinePass $9.99/mo People who want cheap daily coding with open models.
	Gigawatt $200/mo Heavy users running many big jobs.	Enterprise Custom Companies rolling it out to a team.
	Enterprise Custom Large companies with security and compliance needs.
Which plan to pick	Start on Hobby and link a ChatGPT or Claude subscription you already pay for. Move to Megawatt at $20 a month only when you want Amp to host the machines so tasks run while you're away. Teams can create a workspace at no extra charge.	Install the free version and connect a model you already pay for. If you want to code most days without watching an API bill, add ClinePass at $9.99 a month for the open models, and keep a Claude or GPT key for the hard jobs. Enterprise only matters once a company needs JetBrains or central controls.

Key features

Attribute	Amp	Cline
Standout features	Orbs Bring your own model Portals Multiplayer threads Subagents and code review Start from anywhere	Plan and Act modes Any model Checkpoints MCP Marketplace Cline Cloud Rules for your project

Pros and cons

Attribute	Amp	Cline
Pros	Free when you bring your own model access and machines Background tasks keep running when your laptop is closed Strong reputation on large codebases Sharing, multiplayer and live previews make team review easy Can use your existing ChatGPT or Claude subscription	Free and open source, with no seat fees Works with almost any model, including local ones Plan mode and checkpoints make changes easy to review and undo Runs in the editor, the terminal, a desktop app and the cloud ClinePass is a cheap way to code daily with open models
Cons	Orbs, runners and model routing take time to understand Built for developers, not beginners Pricing has changed several times in 2026 Hosted orb time beyond your plan costs extra	Top models through your own API key can get expensive in long sessions Made for people who read code changes, so less friendly for non-coders The JetBrains extension needs the Enterprise plan So many options and settings take time to learn

Who each one is for

Attribute	Amp	Cline
Best for	Running several coding tasks in the background at once Working on big, messy codebases Teams sharing and reviewing agent work together Using a ChatGPT or Claude subscription in another agent	AI coding inside VS Code with any model Cheap coding with open models through ClinePass Teams that want to control which AI providers are allowed Handing off a GitHub task to a cloud agent
You'll find it used by	Developers Engineering teams Startups Large companies	Developers Technical founders Agencies Engineering teams

Questions people ask

Which is better, Amp or Cline?

They tie on our overall rating (Amp 4.0/5 and Cline 4.0/5). Amp is best for running several coding tasks in the background at once and working on big, messy codebases. Cline is best for AI coding inside VS Code with any model and cheap coding with open models through ClinePass.

Which is cheaper, Amp or Cline?

Amp: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $20/mo. Cline: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $9.99/mo.

Which is easier to use, Amp or Cline?

Cline rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Developers and technical founders who want a capable coding agent inside their editor and want to choose, and pay for, their own AI model.

Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.

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