head to head · open source
rtk vs Cline
rtk has 85,327 GitHub stars, 5,462 forks, 1,642 open issues and last shipped yesterday. Cline has 71,221 stars, 7,835 forks, 1,288 open issues and last shipped yesterday. rtk leads on adoption by 20% (85,327 vs 71,221 stars). rtk is written in Rust under Apache-2.0; Cline is written in TypeScript under Apache-2.0. rtk has attracted 6% as many forks as stars, Cline 11%. Cline 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
| rtk | Cline | |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub stars | ★ 85K | ★ 71K |
| License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 |
| Written in | Rust | TypeScript |
| Last push | 2026-11-02 | 2026-11-02 |
| Forks | ⑂ 5.5K | ⑂ 7.8K |
| Self-hosting | Yes | Yes |
| Data ownership | Your server | Your server |
pick rtk if
- You weight community size — 85K stars and counting
- You want the Apache-2.0 license terms
- Your stack matches Rust
- You value the larger contributor base for long-term maintenance
pick Cline if
- You want the Cline 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 Cline fits your workflow better
About rtk
High performance CLI proxy that cuts up to 90% of the bash output your agent reads Website • Install • Troubleshooting • Architecture • Discord English • Francais • 中文 • 日本語 • 한국어 • Espanol • Português rtk filters and compresses command outputs before they reach your LLM context. Single Rust binary, 100+ supported commands, Full explanation: How RTK Savings Work Installation Homebrew (recommended) winget (Windows) Easiest way to install on Windows — one command, no PATH setup needed: Quick Install (Linux/macOS) Installs to /.local/bin . Add to PATH if needed…
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 →
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Frequently asked questions
Is rtk or Cline more popular?
rtk has 85,327 GitHub stars and Cline has 71,221. rtk has the larger community by that measure.
Are rtk and Cline free?
Both are open source. rtk is licensed under Apache-2.0 and Cline under Apache-2.0. Neither carries a licence fee.
What is the difference between rtk and Cline?
rtk is written in Rust and Cline 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, rtk or Cline?
Choose rtk if you want the larger community (85,327 stars) or its Apache-2.0 licence terms. Choose Cline if its feature set, stack or Apache-2.0 licence fits better. Both are self-hostable.