# Cline vs Windsurf

**Leader by vioscaleAI score:** Cline

| Attribute | Cline | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| **vioscaleAI score** | 66.4 (56% (medium)) | 57.6 (56% (medium)) |
| activity.commits_last_30d | 100 | - |
| adoption.dependent_repos | 811 | - |
| adoption.github_stars | 70,278 | - |
| content.faq | `[{"answer":"Cline is a coding agent that integrates into your development environment—editors and CLI—to automate file reading and writing, execute terminal commands, and browse the web while maintaining human approval over every action. It supports both interactive conversation-based development and headless automation for CI/CD workflows. It is indexed under AI Coding Assistants.","source":"https://docs.cline.bot/","question":"What is Cline?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Cline is open source, so it can be self-hosted and used at no licence cost. It is released under the Apache-2.0 licence. A commercial or hosted edition starts at $9.99 per month. Prices are published openly on the vendor's own pricing page. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://docs.cline.bot/","question":"Is Cline free to use?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Cline supports the web and a command-line interface. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://docs.cline.bot/","question":"What platforms does Cline support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Not fully, on what we have confirmed. Cline is offered as cloud / SaaS and hybrid, and a hybrid deployment usually means some components can run on your own infrastructure while the rest stays vendor-hosted. We have not confirmed a completely self-hosted option, so check with the vendor if that is a requirement.","source":"https://docs.cline.bot/","question":"Can Cline be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 11 integrations for Cline, including Telegram, Slack, Discord, Google Chat, WhatsApp, Linear, GitHub Actions and OpenTelemetry, plus 3 more. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://docs.cline.bot/","question":"What does Cline integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Yes. Cline is published under the Apache-2.0 licence, a permissive licence that generally allows commercial use and modification. Licence terms can change between releases, so verify against the repository for the version you intend to use.","source":"https://github.com/cline/cline","question":"Is Cline open source?","confidence":0.95},{"answer":"Cline is available worldwide. Its primary market is the United States.","source":"https://docs.cline.bot/","question":"Where is Cline available?","confidence":0.5}]` | `[{"answer":"Windsurf is a development environment available as both a standalone editor and plugin for Jetbrains IDEs, enabling users to work with AI agents for code generation, testing, and debugging. It supports collaboration with cloud-based agents and integrates with existing developer tools. It is indexed under AI Coding Agents.","source":"https://windsurf.com/pricing/(organization-plan-setup)/teams","question":"What is Windsurf?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Windsurf offers a free tier, so you can start without paying. Paid plans are also available: Free, Pro and Enterprise. Pricing changes often, so verify at source before relying on it.","source":"https://windsurf.com/pricing/(organization-plan-setup)/teams","question":"Is Windsurf free?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"Windsurf supports the web, Windows, macOS and Linux. Platforms we have not confirmed are simply not listed here rather than ruled out.","source":"https://windsurf.com/pricing/(organization-plan-setup)/teams","question":"What platforms does Windsurf support?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have only confirmed a cloud / SaaS deployment for Windsurf, so it appears to be vendor-hosted. If a self-hosted option exists we have not found it documented publicly.","source":"https://windsurf.com/pricing/(organization-plan-setup)/teams","question":"Can Windsurf be self-hosted?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have confirmed 3 integrations for Windsurf, including GitHub, Slack and Jetbrains IDEs. This is what we could verify from public sources, so the vendor may support others we have not indexed.","source":"https://windsurf.com/pricing/(organization-plan-setup)/teams","question":"What does Windsurf integrate with?","confidence":0.6},{"answer":"We have independently confirmed SOC 2 and GDPR for Windsurf. Certifications we do not list are ones we have not been able to verify from public sources, which is not the same as Windsurf not holding them. Always confirm compliance directly before you rely on it.","source":"https://windsurf.com/security","question":"What security certifications does Windsurf have?","confidence":0.7},{"answer":"Windsurf is available worldwide. Its primary market is the United States.","source":"https://windsurf.com","question":"Where is Windsurf available?","confidence":0.5}]` |
| deployment.options | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` | `{"cloud":true,"self_hosted":true}` |
| description.long | A conversational coding agent that integrates into development environments and terminals to automate code generation, file management, and command execution, with all actions requiring explicit user approval | A desktop IDE that orchestrates local and cloud-based AI agents, enabling developers to coordinate multiple tasks, review code changes, and ship projects from a single integrated workspace. |
| features.capabilities | `{"form":"chat_edit","autonomy":"agentic","languages":"All languages supported by underlying LLM models","oss_client":"oss","model_source":"model_agnostic","pricing_model":"usage_credits","runs_commands":true,"self_hostable":true,"editor_support":"VS Code, JetBrains (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, GoLand), Cursor, Windsurf, Anti","codebase_context":"repo_wide","multi_file_edits":true,"architecture_model":"vs_code_extension_cline","enterprise_controls":true,"bring_your_own_key_byok_api_support":true,"browser_automation_support_for_visual_qa":true,"local_llm_support_via_ollama_or_lmstudio":true,"multi_file_diff_generation_and_automated_apply":true,"terminal_bash_execution_and_self_correction_loops":true}` | `{"soc2_type_ii":true,"pricing_model":"usage_based_cloud","architecture_model":"vs_code_extension_cline","mcp_model_context_protocol_integration":true,"browser_automation_support_for_visual_qa":true,"multi_file_diff_generation_and_automated_apply":true,"privacy_mode_zero_data_retention_for_enterprise":true,"terminal_bash_execution_and_self_correction_loops":true}` |
| integrations.count | 10 | 7 |
| integrations.list | `[{"name":"Telegram"},{"name":"Slack"},{"name":"Discord"},{"name":"Google Chat"},{"name":"WhatsApp"},{"name":"Linear"},{"name":"GitHub Actions"},{"name":"OpenTelemetry"},{"name":"Datadog"},{"name":"Grafana"},{"name":"Splunk"}]` | `[{"name":"GitHub"},{"name":"Slack"},{"name":"Jetbrains IDEs"},{"name":"Teams","native":true,"category":"chat"},{"name":"Linear","native":true,"category":"project management"},{"name":"Jira","native":true,"category":"project management"},{"name":"GitLab","native":true,"category":"version control"},{"name":"Bitbucket","native":true,"category":"version control"}]` |
| language.primary | TypeScript | - |
| license.spdx | Apache-2.0 | - |
| market.availability | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` | `{"primaryMarkets":["US"],"availabilityScope":"global","availableCountries":[],"notAvailableCountries":[]}` |
| platform.support | `{"cli":true,"mac":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` | `{"cli":true,"linux":true,"windows":true}` |
| pricing | `{"type":"hybrid","plans":[{"free":false,"name":"Cline (usage-billing)","summary":"$9.99/month","features":["2-5x usage on popular open models vs. standard API rate","built-in billing","one sign-in","free model options"],"commitment":"monthly","components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":9.99,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Flat monthly subscription with usage credits for open-weight models","contactSales":false}],"summary":"$9.99/month with free model options. Bring Your Own Key alternative available.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://docs.cline.bot/","retrievedAt":"2026-10-13T22:35:30.368Z","startingPrice":{"amount":9.99,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month"]}` | `{"type":"subscription","plans":[{"free":true,"name":"Free","features":["Light quota to code with agents","Limited model availability","Unlimited inline edits","Unlimited Tab completions"],"minSeats":1,"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":0,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Light quota for agent coding with limited model availability","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Pro","summary":"$20/month","features":["Increased quotas with frontier models (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, SpaceXAI, open source)","Full model availability","Free use of SWE-2","Access to cloud agents (Devin Cloud)","Purchase extra usage at API pricing"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":20,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Increased quotas with access to frontier and open source models","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Max","summary":"$200/month","features":["Everything in Pro, plus significantly higher quotas"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":200,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Power user plan with significantly higher quotas","contactSales":false},{"free":false,"name":"Teams","summary":"$80/month + $40/seat/month","features":["Up to 200 users","Share and collaborate","Centralized billing and admin dashboard","Priority support and dedicated account management","SAML/OIDC SSO","Dedicated deployment option","Support for major model providers"],"components":[{"kind":"fixed","amount":80,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},{"kind":"per_unit","unit":"seat","amount":40,"period":"month","currency":"USD"}],"description":"Team collaboration with centralized management and enterprise features","contactSales":true}],"summary":"From $0/month with free tier. Paid plans from $20/month.","currency":"USD","freeTier":true,"sourceUrl":"https://windsurf.com/pricing","retrievedAt":"2026-09-29T15:00:21.130Z","startingPrice":{"amount":20,"period":"month","currency":"USD"},"billingPeriods":["month"]}` |
| pricing.free_tier | yes | yes |
| pricing.model | freemium | freemium |
| pricing.price_level | low | mid |
| pricing.starting_price | `{"amount":9.99,"currency":"USD"}` | `{"amount":20,"currency":"USD"}` |
| pricing.transparent | yes | yes |
| release.history | `[{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/v4.1.24","date":"2026-10-13T15:02:27Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.1.24"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/sdk/sdk/v0.0.93","date":"2026-10-13T08:26:52Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/sdk/v0.0.93"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/desktop-v0.0.46","date":"2026-10-13T15:03:59Z","type":"stable","version":"desktop-v0.0.46"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/cli-v3.0.71","date":"2026-10-13T08:56:25Z","type":"stable","version":"cli-v3.0.71"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/sdk/sdk/v0.0.92","date":"2026-10-08T05:09:49Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/sdk/v0.0.92"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/desktop-v0.0.45","date":"2026-10-08T06:50:30Z","type":"stable","version":"desktop-v0.0.45"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/cli-v3.0.70","date":"2026-10-08T05:55:09Z","type":"stable","version":"cli-v3.0.70"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/v4.1.23","date":"2026-10-07T07:28:08Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.1.23"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/sdk/sdk/v0.0.91","date":"2026-10-07T06:00:09Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/sdk/v0.0.91"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/desktop-v0.0.44","date":"2026-10-07T07:17:16Z","type":"stable","version":"desktop-v0.0.44"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/cli-v3.0.69","date":"2026-10-07T06:12:01Z","type":"stable","version":"cli-v3.0.69"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/sdk/sdk/v0.0.90","date":"2026-10-02T04:35:33Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/sdk/v0.0.90"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/desktop-v0.0.43","date":"2026-10-02T20:39:04Z","type":"stable","version":"desktop-v0.0.43"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/desktop-v0.0.42","date":"2026-10-02T10:04:03Z","type":"stable","version":"desktop-v0.0.42"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/desktop-v0.0.41","date":"2026-10-02T05:29:23Z","type":"stable","version":"desktop-v0.0.41"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/cli-v3.0.68","date":"2026-10-02T04:42:19Z","type":"stable","version":"cli-v3.0.68"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/v4.1.22","date":"2026-09-30T04:10:12Z","type":"stable","version":"v4.1.22"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/sdk/sdk/v0.0.89","date":"2026-09-30T23:34:22Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/sdk/v0.0.89"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/sdk/sdk/v0.0.88","date":"2026-09-30T02:32:48Z","type":"stable","version":"sdk/sdk/v0.0.88"},{"url":"https://github.com/cline/cline/releases/tag/desktop-v0.0.40","date":"2026-09-30T23:56:13Z","type":"stable","version":"desktop-v0.0.40"}]` | - |
| security.certifications | - | `[{"name":"SOC 2 Type II","level":"Type II","status":"active"}]` |
| security.disclosure_policy | yes | - |
| security.gdpr | - | yes |
| security.soc2 | - | yes |
| security.trust_center | - | https://windsurf.com/security |
| security.vulnerabilities | `{"count":3,"source":"https://advisories.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/advisories?ecosystem=npm&package_name=cline&per_page=100","last_12m":3,"max_severity":"CRITICAL"}` | - |

## Capabilities (AI Coding Agents)

| Capability | Cline | Windsurf |
|---|:--:|:--:|
| **Capabilities** |  |  |
| Architecture model | Vs code extension cline | Vs code extension cline |
| Terminal bash execution and self correction loops | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mcp model context protocol integration | - | ✓ |
| Bring your own key byok API support | ✓ | - |
| Multi file diff generation and automated apply | ✓ | ✓ |
| Workspace indexing and semantic codebase search | - | - |
| Browser automation support for visual qa | ✓ | ✓ |
| Privacy mode zero data retention for enterprise | - | ✓ |
| Rag on external documentation urls | - | - |
| Local LLM support via ollama or lmstudio | ✓ | - |
| SOC2 type ii | - | ✓ |
| Mit or apache permissive oss license | - | - |
| Pricing model | usage_credits | Usage based cloud |

*Source: vioscaleAI. Generated 2026-10-16T18:28:27.603Z. "-" = undocumented, not absent.*