Cline vs OpenCode vs OpenAI Codex CLI

Side by side, as alternatives to Claude Code. Rows that differ are highlighted; the strongest value in a row is marked. Unknown means no source yet.

Clinecline/cline

OpenCodeanomalyco/opencode

OpenAI Codex CLIopenai/codex

Claude Codepaid product

Cost and coverage

Price

$0 software; you run it

Included with Claude Pro ($20/month, or $17/month billed annually), Max (from $100/month), Team and Enterprise; not on the free plan source ↗

Edit code across a repo from the terminal with an AI agent

Partly

Yes

Run commands and tests

Partly

Yes

Use the agent inside VS Code or JetBrains

Partly

Yes

Connect tools and data through MCP

Partly

Yes

Write commits and pull requests

Partly

Yes

Run the agent headless in scripts or CI (GitHub Actions)

Partly

Yes

Jobs covered

6 of 6 jobs

5 of 6 jobs

All 6

Popularity and activity (from GitHub)

Stars

70,739

219,699Top

130,321

—

Gain this week

Unknown

—

Signal

Building history

—

Commits / 4 wk

209

986Top

892

—

Latest release

desktop-v0.0.48 · 2026-10-17Top

v1.19.3 · 2026-10-16

rust-v0.163.0 · 2026-10-15

—

Commits / 12 wk

840

2,164

3,490

—

People committing / 12 mo

Unknown

420+

377+

—

Issues opened / closed, 30 days

271 / 148

3742 / 4694

7371 / 1498

—

Facts, with sources on each project page

Runs on my machine?Differs

Yes, in your editor, terminal or desktop app; optional Cloud Agents run in Cline's hosted sandbox

Yes, CLI and desktop app

Yes, a command-line agent that runs on your computer; cloud models run on OpenAI's servers unless you use --oss

Hosted by the vendor

Code licenceDiffers

Apache-2.0 for the repo; the JetBrains plugin is not open source

MIT

Apache-2.0

—

Model weights licenceDiffers

No separate model weights

No single bundled model licence. OpenCode connects to models/providers; their individual terms apply.

No separate model weights

—

Commercial useDiffers

Allowed under Apache-2.0

Yes, MIT code

Allowed under Apache-2.0

—

Paid services needed?Differs

Not required with local models (Ollama, LM Studio) or your own keys; Cline Provider, ClinePass and Cloud Agents are optional

Needs a model provider: local models via Ollama, LM Studio or llama.cpp, or a paid API

Not required with local models (--oss with Ollama or LM Studio) or the limited ChatGPT Free plan; paid ChatGPT plans and OpenAI API keys are optional

Subscription

HardwareDiffers

No requirements documented for Cline itself (checked 2026-10-21); local models need much more

No hardware requirements documented in the README or docs (checked 2026-10-21)

Not documented in the README or CLI docs

—

Operating systemsDiffers

Desktop app for macOS and Windows (Windows in beta); the extension runs in VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium and JetBrains IDEs, and the CLI needs Node.js 20+; Linux is not named in the install docs

Windows, macOS and Linux; on Windows the docs recommend WSL for the CLI, and there is a Windows desktop app

macOS, Linux and Windows (native PowerShell with a Windows sandbox, or WSL2)

—

Setup effortDiffers

Easy; install from the VS Code or JetBrains marketplace, or npm install -g cline, then add a provider key or local model

Easy; one-line install script, npm, Homebrew, Chocolatey or Scoop, then add a model provider

Easy; one-line install script, npm or Homebrew, then sign in with ChatGPT

—

Stars over time

Switch to Growth % to compare projects of different sizes fairly.

Cline
OpenCode
OpenAI Codex CLI

Focus a point, use arrow keys, or tap for its value.

Tracked daily since 19 Oct 2026. Dashed history: estimated from public records of when people starred the repo. Lines connect observations only; gaps contain no measured points.

Growth % starts at each project's first observed point in the shown range. Zero-star starts are unavailable.

Notes for a video or post

A plain summary with today's date and a link to the sources. Check each project page before you publish.

Cline vs OpenCode vs OpenAI Codex CLI (as alternatives to Claude Code)
Figures from RepoQuarry, 22 Oct 2026. Sources: https://repoquarry.dev/compare?ids=cline,opencode,codex-cli&product=claude-code

Claude Code: Included with Claude Pro ($20/month, or $17/month billed annually), Max (from $100/month), Team and Enterprise; not on the free plan
Cline: free software; does 6 of 6 Claude Code jobs
OpenCode: free software; does 5 of 6 Claude Code jobs
OpenAI Codex CLI: free software; does 5 of 6 Claude Code jobs

- Cline: 70,739 GitHub stars, 840 commits in 12 weeks, licence Apache-2.0 for the repo; the JetBrains plugin is not open source
- OpenCode: 219,699 GitHub stars, 2,164 commits in 12 weeks, licence MIT
- OpenAI Codex CLI: 130,321 GitHub stars, 3,490 commits in 12 weeks, licence Apache-2.0

Where they differ:
- Runs on my machine?: Cline Yes, in your editor, terminal or desktop app; optional Cloud Agents run in Cline's hosted sandbox; OpenCode Yes, CLI and desktop app; OpenAI Codex CLI Yes, a command-line agent that runs on your computer; cloud models run on OpenAI's servers unless you use --oss
- Code licence: Cline Apache-2.0 for the repo; the JetBrains plugin is not open source; OpenCode MIT; OpenAI Codex CLI Apache-2.0
- Model weights licence: Cline No separate model weights; OpenCode No single bundled model licence. OpenCode connects to models/providers; their individual terms apply.; OpenAI Codex CLI No separate model weights
- Commercial use: Cline Allowed under Apache-2.0; OpenCode Yes, MIT code; OpenAI Codex CLI Allowed under Apache-2.0
- Paid services needed?: Cline Not required with local models (Ollama, LM Studio) or your own keys; Cline Provider, ClinePass and Cloud Agents are optional; OpenCode Needs a model provider: local models via Ollama, LM Studio or llama.cpp, or a paid API; OpenAI Codex CLI Not required with local models (--oss with Ollama or LM Studio) or the limited ChatGPT Free plan; paid ChatGPT plans and OpenAI API keys are optional
- Hardware: Cline No requirements documented for Cline itself (checked 2026-10-21); local models need much more; OpenCode No hardware requirements documented in the README or docs (checked 2026-10-21); OpenAI Codex CLI Not documented in the README or CLI docs
- Operating systems: Cline Desktop app for macOS and Windows (Windows in beta); the extension runs in VS Code, Cursor, Windsurf, VSCodium and JetBrains IDEs, and the CLI needs Node.js 20+; Linux is not named in the install docs; OpenCode Windows, macOS and Linux; on Windows the docs recommend WSL for the CLI, and there is a Windows desktop app; OpenAI Codex CLI macOS, Linux and Windows (native PowerShell with a Windows sandbox, or WSL2)
- Setup effort: Cline Easy; install from the VS Code or JetBrains marketplace, or npm install -g cline, then add a provider key or local model; OpenCode Easy; one-line install script, npm, Homebrew, Chocolatey or Scoop, then add a model provider; OpenAI Codex CLI Easy; one-line install script, npm or Homebrew, then sign in with ChatGPT

Stars show popularity, not quality. Check each project page before publishing.

Want share images and a ready video description? Open a project's creator kit.

Numbers: GitHub, fetched nightly. Facts: read from each project's own documentation, with the source on its page. How we check. cline/cline ↗anomalyco/opencode ↗openai/codex ↗

Cline vs OpenCode vs OpenAI Codex CLI

Stars over time

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