Cursor vs Cline: Know the Differences and Choose the Right AI Coding Assistant

When GitHub Copilot was launched in 2021, it felt like the future of coding had finally arrived. For the first time, developers had a real AI partner inside the editor. But the last two years have pushed things even further. The AI coding assistant market is now full of modern tools.

Two tools that have quickly gained momentum with developers are Cursor and Cline. Many confuse between which one to choose, so this guide is a clear differentiator. We'll compare their core features and help you decide which tool actually fits your workflow.

What is Cursor AI?

Cursor AI is an AI-native code editor built on top of VS Code. Think of it as a co-developer who can explain your codebase in plain English, refactor tricky sections, or generate fresh code on demand.

Cursor is known for its deep integration with codebases. It actually understands your coding patterns, project structure, and even picks up your team's best practices. This way every piece of code it generates feels like your co-developer has written it.

In the Cursor vs Cline conversation, Cursor shines for its polished interface, speed, and multi-tab inline suggestions.

Key features:

Terminal execution: Cursor's AI isn't limited to the editor. If the task calls for it, it can automatically execute terminal commands.

AI rules: Under "Settings > General > Rules for AI," you can add custom instructions that guide the model across chat. For even finer control, you can create a .cursorrules file in your project's root directory to define rules at the codebase level.

Smart tabs: Cursor's tab completion can suggest entire methods, multi-line functions, or even code across multiple files. The suggestions adapt to your coding style so the completions feel intuitive.

Inline suggestions: Highlight any section of code and press "ctrl + k." Cursor instantly rewrites or improves the snippet. This makes edits much quicker with Cursor.

What is Cline?

Cline is a popular AI coding assistant, available as a VS Code extension or in any VS Code fork. Because it builds directly on the familiar Visual Studio Code interface, the learning curve is minimal. It feels like the editor you already know, just with AI superpowers layered in.

Another key differentiator is that Cline is open source. That means you don't need to pay for the tool, but you cover the cost of API calls to the AI models you choose.

Cline's strength lies in autonomy. It acts like an AI agent, executing terminal commands, refactoring your code, and even running tests. In the Cursor vs Cline conversation, Cline earns its edge through its open-source nature and its ability to handle huge codebases.

Key features:

Granular checkpoints: Cline creates checkpoints for each API call. And each checkpoint gives three restore options: 1. Restore files : reverts workspace files but keeps conversation history. 2. Restore task only : deletes messages after this point but doesn't change workspace files. 3. Restore files and task : reverts all file changes, including messages and file edits.

Plan and act modes: In plan mode, you describe what you want, and Cline maps out a detailed implementation plan. Once you approve, act mode takes over and executes the plan with your approval at each step.

Model control: Cline gives you full control over which AI model runs under the hood. You can plug in any API key, switch between models during the flow, or use OpenRouter to instantly access the latest releases.

Context window visibility: At the top of the chat pane, you'll see context usage indicators showing exactly how much of your token limit is used. When context approaches the limit, you can use the /smol command. It then generates detailed task execution logs to see what consumed more context.

Table comparison:

Feature	Cursor	Cline
UI	AI-native code editor built on top of VS Code	Available as VS-Code extension
Code completion	Tab completion + inline editing	No tab completion. Only chat-based code suggestions.
Checkpoints	Single restore point per prompt.	Highly granular restore system with multiple restore options.
Model support	OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, and other top models	Direct access to all AI providers, including local models like LLaMA.
Model control	Your prompt first goes through an intelligent AI backend, which handles automatic model selection, request optimization, and context management before calling the model APIs.	Your prompt directly hits the model API.
Context usage transparency	Doesn't display context usage on the chat panel.	Shows context usage + remaining API calls in chat panel
Rules files	The .cursor/rules/ folder contains .mdc files. They can include paths so certain rules apply only to specific directories, and some can be marked to "always apply."	.clinerules/ folder at the project root, written in Markdown. These files act like a library of coding standards, documentation expectations, or architectural preferences, and once active they're always fed into the AI's prompt.
MCP integration	Manual JSON configuration required.	Built-in marketplace with one-click installs.
Learning curve	Easy to use, like ChatGPT in VS Code.	Moderate, requires some initial setup.
Pricing	There's a free version to explore, but the paid plan starts at $20 per month.	Open source; pay directly for external model API usage.

When to use Cursor?

Cursor is for developers who want AI baked into their workflow without stepping far from the familiar VS Code experience.

Cursor also comes with the lowest learning curve. It feels just like VS Code with a chat panel on the side, inline suggestions, and quick code selections. The setup is also straightforward, you just install it on your machine and run it.

Another feature developers love is visual editing. If you're building a frontend, you can preview the UI right inside VS Code, click on any element, and ask Cursor for tweaks. The tool updates the code so the UI matches what's in your mind. Frontend developers, in particular, will find this feature a huge timesaver.

Cursor also gives you granular rule control. The .cursor/rules/ folder usually contains .mdc files. They can include path patterns so certain rules apply only to specific files or directories, and some can be marked to "always apply." This makes Cursor a strong option for teams that want conditional, per-folder or per-path coding standards.

If you want to explore other top tools, here are the 7 best Cursor alternatives.

When to use Cline?

Cline is known for its autonomous coding capabilities with ability to execute terminal commands on itself. Because it deeply understands your whole project, it's especially strong for working with large, complex codebases.

Cline also gives you full control over models. Just drop in the API keys of your chosen models, and Cline sends requests directly with optimized prompts. Since it's open source, you only cover the API credits for whichever models you use. On top of that, Cline shows API usage and context consumption right in the chat pane, so you are always aware of what you're left with.

Developers who need a deep level of customization prefer Cline. Since its open-source, its code is available publicly on GitHub. So you can fork its GitHub repo and create your own tailored version.

If you want five best Cline alternatives, check out these suggestions.

How to Choose between Cursor vs Cline: Factors to Consider

Ease of use: If you want an AI-rich editor that installs in a few clicks and immediately shows your repo in a VS Code–like interface, Cursor AI is the pick. If you're comfortable adding an extension to VS Code and setting API keys, Cline just works once it's set up.

Core AI focus: Cursor is best at smart in-line code suggestions and completions, while also a code generation tool. Its mission is boosting developer workflow and productivity inside the editor. Cline is built around Plan/Act agentic workflows: it proposes a step-by-step plan, then executes with your approval. So, stronger for architectural suggestions and repo-wide reasoning.

Customization: In cursor, you can tweak .cursor/rules/ for conditional and granular application of rules to specific folders. Cline also offers .clinerules/ to apply project-wide rules, and since it's open, you can clone the repo and modify anything—from context management to security—creating your own tailored version.

External integrations: Cline can run terminal commands, CI/CD hooks, custom .cline/commands/, and integrate well with Slack/GitHub via MCP. Cursor is mainly built to provide workflow automation inside the editor.

Performance & Resource usage: Cursor is lightweight and optimized for fast autocomplete and in-line code edits. Cline is slightly heavier as its best for more resource-intensive and "repo-aware" tasks.

Pricing: Those who want predictable pricing with fixed subscription tiers go for Cursor. Cline, on the other hand, is an open-source tool but you pay for external LLM API usage. Costs vary depending on model choice and token usage.

Conclusion

The choice between Cline and Cursor isn't a straightforward answer. It depends on your developer workflows and how much setup or control you want. In simple terms,

• Choose Cursor if you value solid customization, the best in-editor experience, and predictable pricing.
• Choose Cline if you want open-source flexibility, direct model control, and access to the MCP marketplace for one-click installs.

If you're looking for an AI coding partner that not only delivers the usual code assistant features but also continuously monitors your projects and suggests performance improvements or bug fixes on its own, check out Tembo.

Ready to move beyond traditional AI assistants toward autonomous software engineering? Get started with Tembo and see how autonomous development can transform your entire workflow.