Cline vs Zed: pricing, features and which to choose

Cline is an open source coding agent from Cline Bot Inc. The project was created in July 2024 and is distributed through a VS Code extension, CLI, desktop app, JetBrains plugin, and SDK. Its GitHub repository lists the Apache License 2.0 and more than 70,000 stars. Cline’s July 2025 funding announcement says the company raised $32 million across seed and Series A rounds. The agent is built for developers who want to inspect code, edit files, run commands, and choose model providers. The same core supports editor work, terminal sessions, desktop use, and embedded applications. The client is free for individual developers, while AI inference can use Cline credits, ClinePass, or a developer’s own provider credentials.

Cline reads project files, writes code, runs terminal commands, uses a browser, and works with external tools. A typical task can begin in Plan mode, where the developer reviews an approach, then move to Act mode for implementation. The interface asks for approval before actions, while auto-approve can reduce interruptions. File edits appear as diffs, and checkpoints support undoing agent changes. Project rules in .clinerules files describe coding standards, architecture, testing, and deployment conventions. MCP servers add tools for databases, APIs, and infrastructure. Cline also supports plugins, skills, messaging connections, scheduled tasks, headless automation, and multi-agent workflows. The CLI supports interactive and headless operation, making the same agent available for local development, scripting, and CI work.

Cline still requires review of generated edits, shell commands, model output, checkpoints, and provider availability. Telemetry is enabled by default in the VS Code and JetBrains extensions, desktop app, and CLI, although users can turn it off. Requests made through Cline or ClinePass can include prompts and model responses in Cline’s handling of those providers, while requests using other providers go to those providers under their policies. Cursor is a closer commercial editor competitor, GitHub Copilot is closely tied to GitHub workflows, and Windsurf is another agentic coding product. Cline suits developers who want Apache-licensed code, provider choice, local runtimes, and explicit action approval. Teams wanting a managed editor subscription with bundled model access may prefer Cursor, Copilot, or Windsurf.

Zed is an open-source desktop code editor made by Zed Industries, Inc., a for-profit company. The repository was created in 2021, Zed entered beta in March 2023, and the project became open source in January 2024. Its source is primarily GPL-3.0-or-later, with Apache-2.0 components where marked. Zed runs on macOS, Linux, and Windows, and its release page describes weekly releases. TechCrunch reported a $10 million Series A in March 2023, bringing total investment to roughly $12.5 million. The editor combines local coding, multiplayer collaboration, and optional hosted AI services. Zed does not require authentication or a subscription for the editor itself, while paid plans cover selected hosted features.

The daily workflow combines project navigation, language tooling, terminal access, Git features, and shared sessions in a native desktop editor. Zed Agent works with repository context, while Inline Assistant, Edit Predictions, and Git commit generation support narrower tasks. External agents can connect through the Agent Client Protocol. Users can bring API keys, use provider subscriptions, select Zed-hosted models, or use local models. Multiplayer collaboration supports shared editing and communication inside the product. A typical task can move from code inspection to an agent request, then to reviewing generated changes and editing files in the same application. Users can also disable AI features. The result is an editor centered on local development, collaboration, and multiple AI connection paths.

Zed's main tradeoff is the boundary between its open-source editor and account-based services. The editor is primarily GPL-3.0-or-later, while hosted features are governed by separate service terms. Zed says it does not train on user code or prompts, but provider-designated models can retain data for safety purposes. Compared with Visual Studio Code, Zed offers built-in multiplayer collaboration but a smaller extension history. Compared with Cursor, Zed offers an open-source editor, BYOK support, and external-agent support, while Cursor is a proprietary AI-first editor built around VS Code. Cline offers a more direct open-source, BYOK agent comparison, while JetBrains provides deeper IDE language tooling. Pick Zed if native desktop performance, collaboration, licensing, and model choice matter more than plugin breadth.