Cline vs Codex CLI
Side-by-side comparison built from DeepYard's structured catalog. Content updated Aug 21, 2026.
Direct Answer
Cline suits teams needing open-source access, vscode focus, and 66,632 GitHub stars in current listing data. Codex CLI suits teams needing open-source access, cli focus, and 111,724 GitHub stars in current listing data. This summary reflects catalog metadata only for decision support, not independent testing.
What this comparison weighs
- Pricing and free-tier availability
- License model and deployment fit
- GitHub adoption and contributor depth
- Catalog tags, integrations, and supported workflows
| Metric | Cline | Codex CLI |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub Stars | 66.6K | 111.7K |
| Contributors | 315 | 471 |
| Last Commit | Aug 22, 2026 | Aug 22, 2026 |
| Open Issues | 1063 | 13418 |
| License | open-source | open-source |
| Pricing | open-source | open-source |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Category | agents | agents |
| Trending | No | No |
Choose Cline if you need
- • Cline stands out for Vscode workflows that are not listed for Codex CLI.
- • Cline is the stronger pick when Claude matters because that capability is listed only on its profile.
- • Cline is the cleaner fit if you specifically need Vscode workflows from the catalog tags.
Choose Codex CLI if you need
- • Codex CLI stands out for Cli workflows that are not listed for Cline.
- • Codex CLI is the stronger pick when Gpt 4 matters because that capability is listed only on its profile.
- • Codex CLI shows broader GitHub adoption with 111,724 stars versus 66,632 for Cline.
Meaningful differences
- • Workflow emphasis: Cline highlights Vscode, while Codex CLI highlights Cli.
- • GitHub adoption: Cline shows 66,632 stars versus 111,724 for Codex CLI.
- • Contributor count: Cline lists 315 contributors and Codex CLI lists 471.
Shared capabilities
- • Coding Agent
- • Open Source
Shared Tags
Only in Cline
Only in Codex CLI
Limitations and evidence
- • DeepYard compares structured public metadata; this is not an independent benchmark unless a test record is shown.
- • Signals such as stars, contributors, and last commit indicate public activity, not purchase fit or runtime quality.
- • Pricing and feature coverage reflect the stored listing snapshot and may lag vendor changes between refreshes.
About Cline
Cline is an autonomous coding agent that lives in your VS Code editor. It can create and edit files, execute terminal commands, use the browser, and orchestrate multi-step coding tasks with human-in-the-loop approval. Supports Claude, GPT, Gemini, and local models via Ollama. Known for its step-by-step transparency and ability to handle complex full-stack development tasks.
View full listingAbout Codex CLI
Codex is OpenAI's official lightweight coding agent that runs in your terminal. It can write code, fix bugs, execute shell commands, and work across your entire codebase. Uses sandboxed execution for safety and supports multi-turn conversations with full project context.
View full listing