head to head · open source
Cline vs qwen-code
Cline has 71,189 GitHub stars, 7,828 forks, 1,288 open issues and last shipped yesterday. qwen-code has 28,871 stars, 3,295 forks, 1,422 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Cline leads on adoption by 147% (71,189 vs 28,871 stars). Cline is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0; qwen-code is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. Cline has attracted 11% as many forks as stars, qwen-code 11%. qwen-code was the more recently maintained of the two, and both are self-hostable with no licence fee.
Two open source projects, one decision. Both are free and self-hostable — the differences are community size, license terms, language stack and release pace.
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Side by side
| Cline | qwen-code | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 71K | ★ 29K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | TypeScript | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 7.8K | ⑂ 3.3K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick Cline if
- You weight community size — 71K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick qwen-code if
- You want the qwen-code feature set and don't need the biggest community
- You prefer the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches TypeScript
- You evaluated both and qwen-code fits your workflow better
About Cline
Cline The open source coding agent in your IDE, terminal, and desktop. Docs Discord r/cline Feature Requests Join us! CLI Run Cline in your terminal. Interactive chat or fully headless for CI/CD and scripting. Learn more Desktop App Cline as a native app for macOS and Windows. Run agent sessions in any folder, schedule routines, and manage models, plugins, and MCP servers. Download for macOS and Windows VS Code Extension AI coding assistant in your editor. Create files, run commands, browse the web, and use tools with human in the loop approval. Install from VS Marketplace JetBrains Plugin The same Cline…
read the full Cline overview →
About qwen-code
The open source AI coding agent for your terminal, editor, desktop, browser, and chat. 中文 Deutsch français 日本語 Русский Português (Brasil) 한국어 Why Qwen Code? Agentic out of the box — Auto Memory, Auto Skills, SubAgents, Agent Teams, and MCP. Dynamic workflows, zero setup. Open source, inside and out — The framework and the Qwen models are open source. They evolve together. No vendor lock in. Multi protocol — Supports OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, and Qwen APIs. Any third party provider or local model (Ollama / vLLM). Switch at runtime. Beyond the terminal — IDE plugins, Desktop app, Web UI, SDKs, and chat…
read the full qwen-code overview →
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Frequently asked questions
Is Cline or qwen-code more popular?
Cline has 71,189 GitHub stars and qwen-code has 28,871. Cline has the larger community by that measure.
Are Cline and qwen-code free?
Both are open source. Cline is licensed under Apache-2.0 and qwen-code under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between Cline and qwen-code?
Cline is written in TypeScript and qwen-code in TypeScript. The practical differences are community size, licence terms, language stack and release cadence — all compared in the table above.
Which should I choose, Cline or qwen-code?
Choose Cline if you want the larger community (71,189 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose qwen-code if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.