Cline vs Reason

Summary

Cline vs Reason (Coding Agents (CLI & Cloud)). Agent test scores: Cline 9.2/10, Reason 8.6/10. Cline scored 0.6 higher overall in our separate rubric v0.1 tests (editions and tasks can differ — see Edition tested and the notes below). Pricing: Cline — Extension free; Teams $20/user/mo (first 10 seats free); Enterprise custom; Reason — Free plan (no included agent quota; bring your own model key or buy credits); Pro $20/mo with a 7-day trial; Max $200/mo (seen in the app, 2026-10-17).

Every fact on this page comes from our tool records and test logs. Last updated:

Key facts

Cline

VibeToolRank score
9.2/10
Last tested
2026-10-16
Runs
3 runs
Outcome score
9/10
Edition tested
Cline CLI 3.0.72 with OpenRouter free model cohere/north-mini-code:free
Free plan, as measured
$0 per bugfix run on a free OpenRouter model
Free plan
Yes: free for individuals, pay inference only
Price
Extension free; Teams $20/user/mo (first 10 seats free); Enterprise custom
Pricing checked
2026-10-16

Reason

VibeToolRank score
8.6/10
Last tested
2026-10-18
Runs
3 runs
Outcome score
8/10
Edition tested
Reason Agent 1.10 (cloud API), Free plan, scratch sessions with our OpenRouter key on the free model cohere/north-mini-code:free
Free plan, as measured
About 84-126K input and 2-4K output tokens per bugfix run, $0 on a free OpenRouter model (12 OpenRouter free requests for 3 runs)
Free plan
Partly: the Free plan includes no agent runs (our API check showed the quota exhausted at zero usage); you can bring your own model API key. Reason Network is free.
Price
Free plan (no included agent quota; bring your own model key or buy credits); Pro $20/mo with a 7-day trial; Max $200/mo (seen in the app, 2026-10-17)
Pricing checked
2026-10-17

Side by side

FieldCline Reason
What it isClineOpen-source autonomous coding agent for VS Code.ReasonAutonomous cloud coding agent for GitHub that opens pull requests; its new Reason Network lets your coding agents talk to each other.
PricingClineExtension free; Teams $20/user/mo (first 10 seats free); Enterprise customReasonFree plan (no included agent quota; bring your own model key or buy credits); Pro $20/mo with a 7-day trial; Max $200/mo (seen in the app, 2026-10-17)
Free tierClineYes: free for individuals, pay inference onlyReasonPartly: the Free plan includes no agent runs (our API check showed the quota exhausted at zero usage); you can bring your own model API key. Reason Network is free.
Pricing verifiedCline2026-10-16Reason2026-10-17
Edition testedClineCline CLI 3.0.72 with OpenRouter free model cohere/north-mini-code:freeReasonReason Agent 1.10 (cloud API), Free plan, scratch sessions with our OpenRouter key on the free model cohere/north-mini-code:free
Tested onCline2026-10-16Reason2026-10-18
Outcome scoreCline9Reason8
Speed scoreCline9Reason10
Cost scoreCline10Reason10
Developer experience scoreCline8Reason6
Reliability scoreCline10Reason10
Overall scoreCline9.2Reason8.6

What our tests found

Cline

3/3 headless CLI runs fixed our seeded cart bug (4/4 tests pass) in 24-35s with a free OpenRouter model, without editing the test file.CLI, free model

Pros
  • Headless CLI with a -y mode ran start to finish with no prompts
  • Fixed the seeded bug in 3 of 3 runs and never touched the test file
  • Works with free OpenRouter models, so our test cost $0
Cons
  • Slower than Aider on the same model (24-35s vs 9-13s)
  • Warns on Node versions below 22.15
  • The -k flag saves your API key into the config directory

Who it’s for: Developers who like Cline in VS Code and want the same agent in a terminal or CI, with any model.

Reason

3/3 runs fixed our seeded cart bug (4/4 tests pass) in 20-36s of agent time with a free OpenRouter model, $0. On the Free plan the agent's cloud computer doesn't start, so it can't run tests or edit a repo itself; it returned the fixed file and we applied it.cloud free plan

Pros
  • Fixed the seeded bug correctly in 3 of 3 runs, in 20-36 seconds
  • Lets you bring your own model key and pin a free OpenRouter model, so our test cost $0
  • The API reports outcome, cost and token usage for every session
Cons
  • On the Free plan the cloud computer won't start, so the agent can't run tests, edit a repo or open a PR
  • The agent kept retrying tools on the missing machine, using 84-126k input tokens for a 7-line fix
  • The session's result field is truncated; the full answer is only in the events log

Who it’s for: Developers who want a cloud agent to work GitHub issues and coordinate with Claude Code, Codex and teammates' agents.

Verdict

Scores use rubric v0.1 from separate runs. Editions and tasks can differ (see Edition tested and What our tests found); some tests were a single run, which caps reliability scores. Overall: Cline 9.2, Reason 8.6. Check the free-tier limits above against your project before choosing.

FAQ

Which is better, Cline or Reason?

In our tests Cline scored higher overall (9.2/10 vs 8.6/10). Scores use the same rubric (v0.1) but came from separate runs; editions and tasks may differ (see Edition tested and test summaries), so check the per-dimension scores for what matters to you.

Is Cline free?

Yes: free for individuals, pay inference only (pricing checked 2026-10-16).

Is Reason free?

Partly: the Free plan includes no agent runs (our API check showed the quota exhausted at zero usage); you can bring your own model API key. Reason Network is free. (pricing checked 2026-10-17).

How much does Cline cost compared with Reason?

Cline: Extension free; Teams $20/user/mo (first 10 seats free); Enterprise custom. Reason: Free plan (no included agent quota; bring your own model key or buy credits); Pro $20/mo with a 7-day trial; Max $200/mo (seen in the app, 2026-10-17).

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Scores come from our own tests and are never for sale; sponsored placements are always labelled. Some links are affiliate links (currently Railway). Disclosure