Cline Alternatives in 2026: VS Code Agents Compared on the Facts

The main Cline alternatives for VS Code are Kilo Code, Continue, twinny, GitHub Copilot, the Claude Code and Codex extensions, and the terminal agents OpenCode and Aider. They differ on licence, model choice, maintenance status and approval defaults. Pick on those facts, then scan whatever any agent changed before you merge.

Safeguard is an alternative you can switch to without giving up what you already pay for. Bring the Claude, ChatGPT or Codex plan you already pay for and use it inside the Safeguard CLI. Safeguard adds no extra charge for that usage; your plan's own usage limits and terms still apply. You can also connect Claude or ChatGPT to the Safeguard MCP server and use Safeguard from the chat you already use. In VS Code, the Safeguard extension adds inline security scanning, guardrail enforcement and one-click remediation next to whichever agent you keep.

Every fact below comes from a project's own repository, licence file or docs, read on 21 October 2026. There are no rankings.

What Cline is, so you know what you are replacing

Cline describes itself as an "autonomous coding agent as an SDK, IDE extension, or CLI assistant." The repository is Apache 2.0. It ships as a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin, a CLI, a desktop app for macOS and Windows, and an SDK. One exception matters for open-source policies: the repository notes that "currently we are not open-sourcing JetBrains plugins."

These behaviours are the ones to check in any replacement.

Plan and Act. In Plan mode Cline reads your code and discusses strategy but "cannot modify any files or execute commands." Act mode carries the plan's context forward and makes the changes. You can set a different model for each mode.

Approvals. In Act mode, "every file edit and terminal command requires your approval" unless you turn on auto-approve. Auto-approve has separate toggles for reading, editing, running safe or all commands, the browser and MCP servers. The docs recommend enabling only "Read project files" and leaving the rest off until you have a reason. YOLO mode approves everything, and the docs state plainly that it "disables all safety checks."

Checkpoints. Cline keeps a shadow Git repository, separate from your own history, and commits a snapshot after each tool use. You can restore files, restore the task, or both. Your own repository is not touched.

Models and sign-in. Cline works with Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, OpenRouter, AWS Bedrock, Vertex, Ollama, LM Studio and any OpenAI-compatible API. In the editor you set up the Cline Provider, a ClinePass subscription, or your own provider key. The CLI installs with npm install -g cline and needs Node.js 20 or newer.

Cline is actively developed; its latest tagged GitHub release is a desktop build from 17 October 2026. People look elsewhere for other reasons: a specific vendor's plan, a local-only setup, an open source JetBrains plugin, or an agent that also knows their security findings.

A note on one name you may expect here. Roo Code, which began as a Cline fork, is not in the table. Its repository was archived on 15 May 2026 and the README says "the Roo Code Extension was shut down on May 15th."

Cline alternatives at a glance

The second table covers approvals, where these tools differ most.

Interface, licence and models

Approvals and where code runs

Notes on each tool

Kilo Code. The project calls itself "the open source coding agent for building with AI in VS Code, JetBrains, or the CLI." The README says the Kilo CLI "is a fork of OpenCode." Agents include Code, Plan, Ask and Debug, plus custom agents. Its cloud agent and PR reviews run on Kilo's platform, not your machine.

Continue. Continue is an Apache 2.0 coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains and the terminal, configured through config.yaml. The single most important fact: its README says the repository "is no longer actively maintained and is read-only for all users," after a final 2.0.0 release that removed anonymous telemetry and pulled out authentication. You can still install and fork it, but plan for no upstream fixes.

twinny. twinny is an MIT-licensed VS Code assistant for completion, inline edit, chat, review and an experimental agent mode, against a model server you choose. It has no telemetry and no sign-in. Know that it is written and maintained by one person, and that its team gateway's policy, recording and plugin features need a paid licence.

GitHub Copilot in VS Code. Copilot's chat and agent features are now developed inside the VS Code repository; the old vscode-copilot-chat repo is archived and MIT licensed. You need a GitHub Copilot plan, and Copilot Free exists. Organisations can enforce manual approvals for specific tools and require terminal sandboxing through managed settings.

Claude Code extension. Anthropic's extension gives Claude Code a graphical panel in VS Code 1.94 or later, with plan review, inline diffs and conversation history. You sign in with a paid Claude subscription (Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise) or a Claude Console account, or use a third-party provider such as Amazon Bedrock. Check the permission mode at the bottom of the prompt box: in Auto or Edit automatically mode, Claude edits most workspace files without asking.

Codex IDE extension. OpenAI's extension (openai.chatgpt on the Marketplace) runs Codex in the editor and can hand longer tasks to Codex Cloud. Codex is included in ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Edu and Enterprise. An API key also works, but covers the CLI, SDK and IDE extension, not cloud features such as GitHub code review.

OpenCode. OpenCode describes itself as "the open source coding agent." It runs in the terminal, is MIT licensed and supports 75+ providers. Running opencode in the VS Code integrated terminal installs its extension, which shares your selection and adds file reference shortcuts. Set permissions on purpose, because most default to allow.

Aider. Aider is "AI pair programming in your terminal," Apache 2.0. With --watch-files, you write comments ending in AI! in any editor and Aider makes the change, or AI? to get an answer. Check activity before you standardise on it: the latest tagged release is from August 2025.

Moving from Cline: a step by step walkthrough

Switching agents is mostly about carrying settings across and testing defaults. This walkthrough works for any tool in the tables.

1. Write down what Cline was doing for you. Note your provider and model for Plan and for Act, which auto-approve toggles were on, and whether YOLO mode was ever enabled. Export the list of MCP servers you configured with cline mcp or in the extension settings.

2. Decide what has to stay the same. If the answer is "my Claude or ChatGPT plan," the Claude Code and Codex extensions fit, and so does the Safeguard CLI (see below). If it is "local models only," twinny, OpenCode, Aider and Kilo Code all document local or OpenAI-compatible servers. If it is "JetBrains with source available," check each plugin's licence, since several vendors do not publish JetBrains plugin source.

3. Reproduce the approval baseline. Before any real work, set the new tool to ask before edits and commands. In Claude Code that is Manual mode. In VS Code's built-in agents it is Manual permissions. In Continue it is Ask First per tool. In OpenCode you change the edit and command permissions from allow to ask in its config.

4. Move MCP servers one at a time. Re-add each server and check which tools it exposes. Do not copy a broad allowlist from Cline into a tool whose default is already permissive.

5. Replace checkpoints with Git. Cline's shadow repo let you roll back without touching history. Most alternatives rely on your own Git instead. Commit before each session, or use a branch per task, so you can reset cleanly.

6. Take a security baseline before the first session. Run a dependency scan, save the result, and compare after the agent finishes. The commands are in the next section.

7. Run one real task in both tools. Compare the diff, the commands it tried and the dependencies it added.

Do the work properly with the Safeguard CLI

Every tool above writes code. The Safeguard CLI is the alternative to switch to when you also want the assistant to know your vulnerabilities, and you keep the Claude, ChatGPT or Codex you already pay for. It scans code, container images and SBOMs on your own machine, sends only the results to the platform, and includes an assistant that can fix what it finds. It writes code too, not only scans.

Install

macOS and Linux:

curl -fsSL https://cli.safeguard.sh/install | bash

Windows:

irm https://cli.safeguard.sh/install.ps1 | iex

It is a single static binary, so there is no Node, Python or JVM to install. It runs on macOS, Linux and Windows, on x86_64 or arm64 (Windows is x86_64 only). The download page lists version 1.4.0 with builds for macOS Apple Silicon and Intel, Linux x86_64 and arm64, and Windows x86_64.

First session

1. Open a terminal in your project, including VS Code's integrated terminal, and run safeguard with no arguments.
2. Type /login to sign in through the browser.
3. Type /scan . to scan the current folder.
4. Ask in plain language, for example "how many critical vulns do we have".
5. Type @ to attach a file from the folder you started in, and use /resume next time to pick up the last session in that folder.

Writing and fixing code on your machine

The assistant has tools for your local files and for your Safeguard data, and it picks whichever the question needs. Ask "fix the lodash CVE in this repo" and it edits the code with your approval. It also works as a general terminal assistant: find and read files, edit code and run commands, with your approval, plus everything security. The docs give "what's the latest file in ~/Downloads" as an example.

This demo attaches a computer running the Safeguard CLI and a folder, asks for a fix, then reviews the diff and approves the command before it runs. The demo notes that computer work from Search is available and expanding.

Click through it at your own pace, or open it full screen.

Use the Claude, ChatGPT or Codex plan you already pay for

Bring the Claude, ChatGPT or Codex plan you already pay for and use it inside the Safeguard CLI. Safeguard adds no extra charge for that usage; your plan's own usage limits and terms still apply. Use /model to see or switch the model, and the CLI docs for connecting one.

If you would rather stay in a chat you already use, connect Claude or ChatGPT to the Safeguard MCP server. This demo connects Claude to the Safeguard MCP server with OAuth and chooses which tools Claude can use.

Click through it at your own pace, or open it full screen.

Approvals

If you liked Cline's "ask before every edit and command" behaviour, you can keep it. Tools that change things, such as writing a file, editing code or running a command, ask before they act. /permissions sets the mode:

• Ask prompts before every action.
• Auto approves known actions and asks for anything new. This is the default.
• Yolo approves everything.

Ask is the closest match to Cline's Act mode with auto-approve off.

Check what any agent changed

Keep Cline or any tool above and use the CLI as the before and after check:

safeguard scan --dir .
cp output/vuln.json vuln-before.json
# run your Cline, Kilo Code, Copilot, Claude Code or Codex session here
safeguard scan --dir .
diff vuln-before.json output/vuln.json

New entries came from the session; ask the assistant to fix them. The same scan works on a repository, an image or an SBOM:

safeguard scan --repo https://github.com/your-org/your-repo
safeguard scan --image your-image:latest
safeguard scan --sbom sbom.cdx.json
safeguard validate sbom.cdx.json

Results land as JSON files under ./output, including vuln.json and license.json. safeguard validate checks CycloneDX, SPDX and VEX documents. When the local runner handles platform scan jobs, your source code never leaves the machine; only SBOMs and findings are uploaded.

CI with safeguard exec

For a pipeline step, run one non-interactive assistant turn:

safeguard exec "summarise the critical findings in this repository"

Pass or fail decisions belong to policies and gates, which are evaluated in the Safeguard platform, not by the CLI. The platform also offers reachability analysis and autonomous remediation with fix pull requests, which is off by default. For a longer walkthrough, see how to check what a coding agent changed.

The Safeguard VS Code extension and every other surface

Cline users live in the editor, so start there. The download page lists the Safeguard IDE extension for "inline security scanning, guardrail enforcement, and one-click remediation inside your editor": version 5.1.0 for VS Code and VS Code Insiders from the Marketplace, version 5.1.0 on Open VSX for Cursor, Windsurf, Codium and compatible editors, and version 5.0.1 for JetBrains IDEs.

The same platform follows you: start in the terminal, continue in the desktop app (3.2.2 for Windows, macOS and Linux) to ask your supply chain anything in plain English, and check findings on your phone with the iOS or Android app. With nothing to install, there is the Cloud CLI, a cloud browser, and a cloud sandbox tenant against a seeded demo repo, free for seven days with no card.

Common mistakes when switching from Cline

Assuming the new tool asks first. Cline's Act mode asks before edits and commands unless you change it. OpenCode's defaults are mostly allow, Claude Code's extension starts in Auto from v2.1.283, and Kilo's --auto flag skips prompts. Check the mode on day one.

Adopting an unmaintained fork. Roo Code shut down in May 2026, and Continue's repository is read-only. Look at the last release and the README before you write team guidance around a tool.

Losing the undo button. Cline's checkpoints are separate from Git. Most alternatives are not. Commit before each session.

Plugging a subscription into a tool the provider has not approved. OpenCode's providers page says there are plugins to use Claude Pro or Max with OpenCode and that "Anthropic explicitly prohibits this." Read your provider's terms before connecting any plan to any third-party tool.

Reviewing the diff but not the dependencies. A clean-looking diff can still add a package version with a known vulnerability. Scan before and after.

FAQ

What is the closest open-source alternative to Cline?

Kilo Code covers VS Code, JetBrains and a CLI under MIT. Continue covered the same surfaces under Apache 2.0 but is no longer actively maintained. twinny is MIT and VS Code only. Compare approvals and model support in the tables above.

Is Roo Code still an option?

Its repository was archived on 15 May 2026, and the README says the extension was shut down on that date. It points users to a community fork and to Cline.

Can I switch to Safeguard and keep my Claude, ChatGPT or Codex?

Yes. Bring the Claude, ChatGPT or Codex plan you already pay for and use it inside the Safeguard CLI. Safeguard adds no extra charge for that usage; your plan's own usage limits and terms still apply. You can also connect Claude or ChatGPT to the Safeguard MCP server and use Safeguard from that chat.

Which Cline alternatives work with local models?

From their own docs: twinny (Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp and OpenAI-compatible servers), OpenCode (local models alongside 75+ providers), Aider (most LLMs, including local models), and Continue, configured per model in config.yaml. Cline itself also supports Ollama and LM Studio.

Does the Safeguard CLI replace Cline feature for feature?

No. It is a terminal assistant that writes and fixes code on your machine with your approval and knows your vulnerability data. You can switch to it, or keep Cline and use Safeguard to check what Cline changed before you merge.

Can the Safeguard CLI ask before every edit like Cline?

Yes. Set /permissions to Ask and it prompts before every action. The default is Auto, which approves known actions and asks for anything new. Yolo approves everything.

Is there a Safeguard extension for VS Code?

Yes. The download page lists it at version 5.1.0 on the VS Code Marketplace and on Open VSX, and 5.0.1 for JetBrains, for inline security scanning, guardrail enforcement and one-click remediation in the editor.

Try it yourself

This demo sets up the runner on your own machine: pick the platform, start it, approve it with its device code, then use the same CLI to scan from the terminal.

Click through it at your own pace, or open it full screen.

Install the CLI from safeguard.sh/download and read the CLI docs. If you are also weighing terminal agents, see our guides to Claude Code alternatives and OpenCode alternatives.

Quick check

Sources

• Safeguard CLI documentation
• Safeguard CLI interactive terminal
• Safeguard download page
• Cline repository
• Installing Cline
• Cline auto-approve
• Cline checkpoints
• Cline Plan and Act
• Roo Code repository
• Kilo Code repository
• Continue repository
• Continue releases
• Continue agent tool policies
• twinny repository
• Copilot Chat extension repository
• VS Code approvals and permissions
• Claude Code in VS Code
• Claude Code licence file
• Codex IDE extension
• Codex agent approvals and security
• Codex pricing and plans
• Codex repository
• OpenCode IDE integration
• OpenCode providers
• OpenCode permissions
• Aider repository
• Aider watch mode

Last reviewed: 21 October 2026.