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Cline vs Codex CLI

Learn how Cline and Codex CLI differ in their key features, development activity, technology stack and community adoption, so you can decide which of these ai coding agents is best for you.

vs

Cline

AI
AI coding agent that runs inside VS Code and the terminal, supporting multi-file edits, bash execution, and any LLM provider via bring-your-own-key.
71,331stars+1,388(+2%)

Last 30 days

Screenshot of Cline

Codex CLI

AI
Terminal-based AI coding agent that inspects files, edits code, runs commands, and integrates into CI pipelines using OpenAI's Codex models.
133,262stars+3,879(+3%)

Last 30 days

Screenshot of Codex CLI

Detailed Comparison

Codex CLI appears to have several advantages over Cline, particularly in popularity and growth. Consider your specific needs regarding popularity, growth, activity, technology, maturity, licensing and features when making your decision.

Codex CLI wins
Community & Popularity

Codex CLI leads in popularity with 133,262 stars vs 71,331 stars for Cline. The 87% higher star count indicates stronger community adoption. In terms of developer contributions, Codex CLI has 21,107 forks, indicating strong developer engagement.

Codex CLI wins
Growth Momentum

Codex CLI is growing faster, adding 3,879 stars in the last 30 days (+3%) against adding 1,388 stars for Cline (+2%). Codex CLI is both larger and pulling further ahead.

Comparable
Development Activity

Both projects show recent activity, with Cline last updated 4 hours ago and Codex CLI 4 hours ago.

Comparable
Technology Stack

Both tools share common technology foundations, being built with JavaScript, CSS, Bash, Typescript, Python. However, they differ in their additional technology choices: Cline uses JSX, Ruby while Codex CLI leverages Rust, C, Objective-C, C++.

Comparable
Project Maturity

Both projects started around the same time, with Cline beginning 2 years ago and Codex CLI 2 years ago.

Comparable
Licensing

Both projects use the Apache-2.0 license, providing identical terms for usage and distribution.

Comparable
Use Cases & Features

Both tools serve similar use cases in AI Coding Agents.