Claude Desktop vs Cline
Claude Desktop is listed under Clients & hosts, Cline under Clients & hosts. Each name links to the product's own site.
 Cline | ||
|---|---|---|
| Category | Clients & hosts | Clients & hosts |
| Pricing | Freemium | Open source |
| Public code | No | Yes |
| Tags | claude, anthropic, desktop, client | cline, vscode, coding-agent, open-source |
| Website | claude.ai | github.com |
What Claude Desktop does
Anthropic's desktop app for Claude. It was the first MCP client, and it can run local MCP servers and install desktop extensions that bundle them.
What Cline does
Open source coding agent that runs as an IDE extension or CLI. It can connect to MCP servers, and it can also help you create new ones, then add them to its own tool list.
Other options
See all Clients & hosts, or alternatives to Claude Desktop and Cline.