Cline vs Codex CLI
Both are alternatives to Claude Code. Here's how they stack up — verified facts, no spin.
Also searched as Codex CLI vs Cline — same comparison, one verdict.
Cline keeps your data local by default and Codex CLI keeps it in the vendor's cloud — for most teams that single fact decides it.
Cline
The open-source agent for people who want it in the editor rather than the terminal.
Cline (Apache-2.0) is an autonomous coding agent available as a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin, a CLI (`npm i -g cline`) and a desktop app for macOS and Windows, all built on one shared agent core. It is not tied to a provider: Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, OpenRouter, Bedrock, Vertex, Groq, Cerebras, Ollama, LM Studio or any OpenAI-compatible endpoint. Cline's pricing page says it is free for individual developers, who pay only for inference with their own API keys or through Cline's provider; an Enterprise tier adds SSO, team management and centralised billing. Every edit in the editor shows as a reviewable diff, with checkpoints to undo the agent's work.
Codex CLI
OpenAI's Apache-2.0 terminal agent, included in the ChatGPT plan you may already pay for.
Codex CLI is OpenAI's coding agent that runs locally on your computer, and unlike Claude Code its client is open source under Apache-2.0. For a subscriber it is the most direct like-for-like swap: sign in with ChatGPT and it draws on your plan (OpenAI's pricing page lists the CLI from Plus at $20/month, with Pro plans at $100, $200 or $500), or use an API key at API rates. It also has a documented local path: pass `--oss` to run against Ollama or LM Studio, and custom OpenAI-compatible providers can be added in its config. The same agent is available as IDE extensions, a desktop app and a cloud agent.
Side by side
10 points of comparison, every one read from a verified field. Green marks the side that wins a row outright. A dash means we do not hold that fact — never that it is zero.
| Cline | Codex CLI | |
|---|---|---|
| Sovereignty ScoreOur transparent 0–100 composite for data ownership and exit cost. | 92 | 79 |
| Open source | Yes | Yes |
| Self-hostable | Yes | Yes |
| Local-first data | Yes | No |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Pricing | Free for individual developers (Apache-2.0); pay only for inference, with your own keys or Cline's provider. Enterprise (SSO, team management, centralised billing) is sales-led. Verified on cline.bot/pricing 2026-10-03. | Free, open-source client (Apache-2.0). Included with ChatGPT plans, with the CLI listed from Plus ($20/month) and Pro from $100/month; or an API key at API rates. Local models via --oss cost nothing extra. Verified on OpenAI's Codex pricing page 2026-10-03. |
| RAM to run it wellThe figure that actually matters, not the vendor's minimum. | 32 GB for a local model that actually works. Cline's tested minimum is Qwen3 Coder 30B at 4-bit (~17 GB download, 32K context, Compact Prompt on). 64 GB runs the 8-bit version (~32 GB) with 128K context and every feature. With an API key, any machine that runs VS Code is enough. | — |
| Realistic running costWhat the box costs each month if you run it yourself. | $0 — it runs on the machine you already own. Cline is free for individuals and you pay only for inference: per-token API use with your own key, or the hardware to run a local model. | — |
| Setup timeHonest first-install estimate, not the marketing quickstart. | 5 minutes with an API key. An hour or two to set up Ollama or LM Studio with a big enough model and context. | — |
| Ongoing maintenanceThe part nobody budgets for. | Almost none. The marketplace updates it automatically and releases come often (v4.1.22 on 30 Sep 2026). The real work is watching your API spend. | — |
Cline edges it on the Sovereignty Score, but the right pick depends on the trade-offs below.
Cline
Strengths
- +Reviewable diffs in the editor plus checkpoints to roll the agent back, close to Claude Code's IDE experience
- +Bring your own key for any major provider, or run fully local through Ollama or LM Studio
- +The same agent across VS Code, JetBrains, a CLI and a desktop app
- +A large, active project, about 70k GitHub stars, with commits daily
Trade-offs
- −The JetBrains plugin is not open source; only the VS Code extension, CLI, SDK and desktop app are in the public repository
- −Per-token billing on a frontier model can cost more than a flat Claude plan for heavy daily use, so measure before you switch
- −Its convention for project rules is `.clinerules`, so check how your CLAUDE.md conventions map before relying on them
- −Running a capable model locally is a real hardware ask
Codex CLI
Strengths
- +An open-source client (Apache-2.0) you can read, audit and fork
- +Uses a ChatGPT plan you may already pay for, so there is no second subscription
- +Documented local mode: `--oss` with Ollama or LM Studio, plus custom OpenAI-compatible providers
- +A similar spread of surfaces to Claude Code: terminal, IDE extensions, desktop app and cloud agent
Trade-offs
- −The client is open but the default models and the plan are OpenAI's, so you trade one vendor's subscription tie for another's
- −Codex shares usage with ChatGPT under OpenAI's plan limits, the same shape of constraint as Claude's plans
- −Project instructions live in AGENTS.md, so CLAUDE.md conventions need moving across
- −Local mode is a supported path rather than the tuned experience; expect a capability gap against OpenAI's hosted models
Which one fits you
The trade-offs above, turned into a decision. Find the line that describes your team.
Choose Cline
if your data should stay on machines you control, and reviewable diffs in the editor plus checkpoints to roll the agent back, close to Claude Code's IDE experience.
Choose Codex CLI
if an open-source client (Apache-2.0) you can read, audit and fork.
Neither, yet
if both carry a real cost you should weigh first — the JetBrains plugin is not open source; only the VS Code extension, CLI, SDK and desktop app are in the public repository, and the client is open but the default models and the plan are OpenAI's, so you trade one vendor's subscription tie for another's. If either of those is a dealbreaker for your team, the shortlist is wrong rather than the choice.
What it takes to run these yourself
Real requirements and honest running costs, not the vendor quickstart.
Cline vs Codex CLI — common questions
Is Cline a better fit than Codex CLI for ai coding assistants?
It depends on what you are optimising for, and the honest split is this: Cline scores 92 to Codex CLI's 79 on data ownership and exit cost, so it is the safer choice if you care about being able to leave. Codex CLI earns its place on a different axis — an open-source client (Apache-2.0) you can read, audit and fork. Neither is a wrong answer for every team; the table above is the actual comparison.
What happens if we want to switch later?
Cline keeps its data local or in open formats, so leaving is an export rather than a negotiation. Codex CLI is still self-hostable, so the files stay on your server either way — but it is not local-first by design, so check what its export produces before you rely on it.
Can I self-host Cline or Codex CLI?
Both can be self-hosted. The difference is what it costs you in time rather than whether it is possible — see the setup and maintenance rows above.
Are Cline and Codex CLI both alternatives to Claude Code?
Yes — both appear in our Claude Code comparison, which is why they are worth putting side by side. People usually arrive here already having decided to move off Claude Code and now choosing between the two replacements, which is a narrower and much easier question.
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Facts verified 2026-10-03. Licenses and pricing change — spotted something out of date? That's a correction we want.