Cline vs Zed (2026): Free (OSS) vs Free
Cline is Free (OSS), Zed is Free. Where they actually differ on the 15 dimensions we track, with prices re-verified against each vendor's own page.
DevTools Review
We track 11 AI coding tools and re-check every price against the vendor’s own pricing page. Where we have not tested something ourselves, we say so.
Where Cline and Zed actually differ
These are the only dimensions on which the two record different values. Everything else we track, they match on.
| Cline | Zed | |
|---|---|---|
| Autocomplete | no | Good |
| VS Code compatible | yes | no |
| Team admin & SSO | no | yes |
| Usage model | BYO API key | Free + flat tiers |
“Not verified” means we have not confirmed it against the vendor — it never means no.
| Feature | C Cline | Z Zed |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free (OSS) | Free |
| Autocomplete | Good | |
| Chat | ||
| Multi-file editing | ||
| Codebase context | Full project | Full project |
| Custom models | ||
| VS Code compatible | ||
| Terminal AI | ||
| Free tier | ||
| Get Cline Free | Try Zed Free |
What each one costs
Cline — Free (OSS), verified 1 September 2026
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Open Source | Free |
| API costs | Pay your LLM provider |
Zed — Free, verified 6 August 2026
| Plan | Price |
|---|---|
| Personal | Free |
| Pro | $10/mo |
| Business | $30/seat/mo |
Full detail: Cline pricing · Zed pricing
What has changed recently
- Cline, 6 September 2026 — Plan Mode’s edit restriction stopped holding on 4.1.x. Users report Cline editing files while still in Plan Mode, without switching to Act Mode or asking (issue #13140, open since 10 Aug, 12 comments); 4.1.x also removed the flag that forbade writing in Plan Mode (#13107, closed 19 Aug without a fix confirmed in-thread). Our own testing predates 4.1.x, so this is reported from the tracker, not re-tested by us.
- Zed, 5 July 2026 — Zed added to tracking — Personal free, Pro $10/mo, Business $30/seat/mo.
Cline
Cline
Open-source VS Code AI agent with Plan/Act modes, terminal execution, and MCP support.
Open-source VS Code AI agent with Plan/Act modes, terminal execution, and MCP support. We rate it 4/5 in our Cline review.
Get Cline FreeZed
Zed
Rust-native, open-source code editor with agent-agnostic AI via ACP and real-time collaboration.
Rust-native, open-source code editor with agent-agnostic AI via ACP and real-time collaboration. We rate it 4/5 in our Zed review.
Try Zed FreeAt a Glance
- Which is better, Cline or Zed?
- DevTools Review rates Cline 4/5 and Zed 4/5. They differ on 4 of the 15 dimensions we track, listed above.
- Is Cline cheaper than Zed?
- Cline is Free (OSS) and Zed is Free. Both figures were re-checked against each vendor’s own pricing page — Cline on 1 September 2026, Zed on 6 August 2026.
- Can you use Cline and Zed together?
- Yes. They are separate tools and many developers run more than one — a completion tool in the editor alongside an agent for larger tasks. You pay for both.
The bottom line
Cline at Free (OSS) and Zed at Free differ on 4 of the 15 dimensions we track. The table above lists exactly which, so you can decide against your own constraints rather than ours.
Still unsure? Our 30-second picker narrows all 11 down using four questions.
Disclosure: we earn nothing from the links in this article. We are not enrolled in an affiliate programme for any tool here — most of them do not run one. Nobody pays to be ranked, and where we have not used a tool ourselves we say so.
Written by DevTools Review
We're developers who use AI coding tools every day. Our reviews are based on real-world experience, not press releases. We test with real projects and share what we actually find.