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Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools

Cline vs GitHub Copilot vs Warp

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

Cline

4.0

From $9.99/mo

GitHub Copilot

4.0

From $10/mo

Best overall

Warp

4.1

From $20/mo

Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.

At a glance

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.

Pick it if: Teams and developers whose code lives on GitHub and who want AI in the tools they already use.

Warp4.1
Best overallEasiest to use

Pick it if: Anyone who has to use the terminal but never wanted to learn it.

Overview

AttributeClineGitHub CopilotWarp
In one lineA free, open-source coding agent for VS Code and the terminal that works with any model.GitHub's AI helper: it finishes your code, reviews pull requests and takes on whole tasks.A modern terminal where you can type what you want in normal words instead of commands.
Pricing modelFreeFreemiumFreemium
Starting price$9.99/mo$10/mo$20/mo
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Works with Claude Code Yes No No

Rating breakdown

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

AttributeClineGitHub CopilotWarp
Overall rating4.04.04.1Winner
Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it.
3.5
4.0
4.5
FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together.
4.5
4.0
4.0
Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them.
4.0
3.5
3.5
Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan.
4.5
4.5
4.0
Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over.
3.5
4.0
4.5

Feature comparison

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

AttributeClineGitHub CopilotWarp
Access & platform
Free plan Yes Yes Yes
Mobile app No Yes No
Desktop app Yes Yes Yes
Browser extension No– No
API access Yes––
Teams & business
Team workspace Yes Yes Yes
Enterprise plan or SSO Yes Yes Yes
Connects to other apps Yes Yes Yes
Open source or self-hosted Yes No No
AI abilities
Works with your files Yes Yes Yes
Understands images Yes Yes–
Makes images No No No
Makes video No No No
Writes code Yes Yes Yes
Runs agents or automations Yes Yes Yes
Learns your brand or style– Yes Yes
Works in many languages Yes Yes Yes
Capabilities score12/ 1712/ 1710/ 17

Pricing

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

AttributeClineGitHub CopilotWarp
Plans

Open SourceOur pick

Free

Anyone with their own API key or happy to buy credits.

Free

Free

Trying autocomplete and light chat.

FreeOur pick

Free

Everyone who just wants a better terminal.

ClinePass

$9.99/mo

People who want cheap daily coding with open models.

ProOur pick

$10/mo

Individual developers on GitHub.

Build

$20/mo, or $18/mo billed yearly

People who lean on the Warp agent daily.

Enterprise

Custom

Companies rolling it out to a team.

Pro+

$39/mo

Developers who run agent tasks every day.

Max

$200/mo, or $180/mo billed yearly

Heavy agent users.

Max

$100/mo

Heavy agent-driven work.

Business

$50/user/mo, or $45/user/mo billed yearly

Teams that need SSO and usage metrics.

Business and Enterprise

See website

Companies that need admin controls and policy management.

Enterprise

Custom

Large organisations.

Which plan to pickInstall 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.Pro is the sweet spot for an individual: cheap, unlimited autocomplete and enough credits for a few agent tasks a week. Only move to Pro+ if you find yourself buying extra credits every month.Stay on Free. The terminal is the product, and you can run Claude Code inside it on your Claude subscription without paying Warp anything. Only buy Build if you find yourself using Warp's own agent more than Claude Code.

Key features

AttributeClineGitHub CopilotWarp
Standout features
  • Plan and Act modes
  • Any model
  • Checkpoints
  • MCP Marketplace
  • Cline Cloud
  • Rules for your project
  • Inline suggestions
  • Coding agent
  • Code review
  • Chat everywhere
  • Hand off to other agents
  • Custom instructions
  • Commands in normal words
  • A proper text editor for commands
  • Blocks and searchable history
  • Warp agent
  • Home for other agents
  • Shared workflows

Pros and cons

AttributeClineGitHub CopilotWarp
Pros
  • 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
  • The cheapest paid plan in the category with unlimited autocomplete
  • Works inside the editors and the GitHub site you already use
  • Agent and code review are built into the GitHub workflow
  • Admin and security controls for big companies are well developed, because GitHub already had them
  • The best-looking and most forgiving terminal available
  • Typing in normal words removes the biggest barrier for beginners
  • Free for the terminal itself, with your own AI keys allowed
  • Fast, and runs on Mac, Windows and Linux
Cons
  • 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
  • Agent quality lags Claude Code and Codex on complex tasks
  • $10 of credits a month disappears quickly once you use agents
  • Pretty pointless if your code is not on GitHub
  • Business and Enterprise prices are not published
  • Its own agent is a step behind Claude Code and Codex
  • Metered agent usage on paid plans runs out faster than you expect
  • You need an account to use it, which some developers dislike
  • Not an editor, so you still need another tool to browse files

Who each one is for

AttributeClineGitHub CopilotWarp
Best for
  • 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
  • Autocomplete as you type
  • Handing GitHub issues to an agent
  • Automated code review
  • Teams already on GitHub
  • A nicer home for Claude Code
  • Commands in normal words
  • Searchable command history
  • Sharing commands with your team
You'll find it used by
  • Developers
  • Technical founders
  • Agencies
  • Engineering teams
  • Development teams
  • Enterprises
  • Open source maintainers
  • Students
  • Developers
  • Ops teams
  • Terminal beginners
  • Founders

Questions people ask

Which is better, Cline, GitHub Copilot or Warp?

Warp scores highest overall in our ratings (Cline 4.0/5, GitHub Copilot 4.0/5 and Warp 4.1/5). Cline is best for AI coding inside VS Code with any model and cheap coding with open models through ClinePass. GitHub Copilot is best for autocomplete as you type and Handing GitHub issues to an agent. Warp is best for A nicer home for Claude Code and commands in normal words.

Which is cheaper, Cline, GitHub Copilot or Warp?

Cline: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $9.99/mo. GitHub Copilot: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $10/mo. Warp: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $20/mo.

Which is easier to use, Cline, GitHub Copilot or Warp?

Warp rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Anyone who has to use the terminal but never wanted to learn it.

How we compare

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

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