Cline vs Codex CLI in 2026

Q: Is AgentHydra free to use?

AgentHydra is free, with no account and no subscription . It is open source under the MIT License . The facts here give no other price for AgentHydra. To use it on Windows, install with a one-line PowerShell script, download a build from GitHub Releases, or run it from source with Bun .

Q: Does Cline cost anything?

The facts given here state no dollar price for Cline . They describe what Cline does, including coordinated changes across large codebases , terminal commands with output reacting , and an SDK for building AI agents and integrations , but say nothing about a fee. Check its own pages if you need the cost.

Q: Does Codex CLI cost anything?

The facts given here state no dollar price for Codex CLI . They describe its commands, including /init for an AGENTS.md file , /review for reviewing changes , and /status for the session configuration , but say nothing about a fee. Check its own pages if you need the cost.

Cline and Codex CLI compared, with AgentHydra for seeing and controlling sessions, on what each does and what to check before choosing.

By SupaKeeper · 2026-10-28

SupaKeeper is published by LunarWerx, which makes some of the tools compared here.

Cline is an autonomous coding agent available as an SDK, IDE extension or CLI assistant ^[1]. Codex CLI lets you inspect code, make changes, run commands and automate repeatable work without leaving the terminal ^[2]. AgentHydra is a tool that shows the sessions on your machine ^[3]. Cline can make coordinated changes across large codebases, keep imports, types and behavior consistent, run terminal commands and react to their output, and offers an SDK for building AI agents and integrations ^[4] ^[4] ^[1]. Codex CLI is a terminal tool whose /init command writes an AGENTS.md file with instructions, whose /review command checks changes for issues, and whose /status command shows the current session configuration ^[2] ^[2] ^[2]. AgentHydra shows the Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions on your machine in one searchable list that updates live while they run ^[3]. Pick by the need: work in a codebase and terminal points to Cline, work in the Codex CLI points to Codex CLI, and a single live view of running sessions points to AgentHydra.

Option	What its sources say it does	Cost	Account or install
Cline	Described as an autonomous coding agent as an SDK, IDE extension, or CLI assistant ^[1]; an open source agent runtime for editor, terminal, or embeddable use ^[4]; available as a desktop app, CLI, IDE extension, and SDK ^[4]; can understand a codebase and answer questions about files, dependencies, and behavior ^[4]; can make coordinated changes across large codebases ^[4]; can execute terminal commands and react to output ^[4]; has a CLI supporting terminal UI, headless mode, shell commands, and CLI-specific flows ^[1]; an SDK for building AI agents and integrations ^[1]; extensions through MCP and plugins ^[4]; a desktop app for macOS and Windows ^[1]; supports Claude, GPT, Gemini, local models, and OpenAI-compatible endpoints ^[4]; runs scripts, cron jobs, and CI pipelines ^[4]	not published	not published in the facts
Codex CLI	Lets a user inspect code, make changes, run commands, and automate repeatable work in the terminal ^[2]; installs with a standalone installer for macOS and Linux ^[2]; offers sign-in with ChatGPT on first run ^[2]; an interactive use or a codex exec mode for workflows and pipelines ^[2]; /init creates an AGENTS.md file with instructions ^[2]; /review reviews changes and finds issues ^[2]; /status shows current session configuration ^[2]; /model chooses the model and reasoning effort ^[2]; /permissions chooses what Codex may do ^[2]; codex resume reopens a recent chat or searches local chats ^[2]; can add live web search and images to a run ^[2] ^[2]	not published	not published in the facts
AgentHydra	Shows Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions on your machine in one searchable list, updated live while they run ^[3]; replies into a Claude chat or sends one message to several sessions ^[3]; moves a Claude chat with history to another account ^[3]; splits a task's pieces across Claude Code CLI sessions on your accounts, and moves a worker to another account when one nears its limit ^[3]; shows cost at API list prices by day, model, project and account ^[3]; pairs failed shell commands with fixes ^[3]; lists accounts with plan and quota and manages Claude Desktop instances ^[3]; lets other AI tools use its features ^[3]; packs a task and repository for a ChatGPT handoff ^[3]; prints cost as JSON from the command line ^[3]	free, no account or subscription ^[3]	Windows tray app, with unverified macOS and Linux builds ^[3]; open source under MIT ^[3]; PowerShell one-line install, GitHub Releases build, or source with Bun ^[3]

The short answer

Cline can make coordinated changes across large codebases, keeping imports, types and behavior consistent ^[4]. It can execute terminal commands and react to output as it appears ^[4], and its page describes an SDK for building AI agents and integrations ^[1]. Codex CLI is used in a terminal: its /init command writes an AGENTS.md file with instructions ^[2], its /review command checks changes for issues ^[2], and its /status command shows the current session configuration ^[2]. AgentHydra shows the Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions on your machine in one searchable list that updates live while they run ^[3]. Pick by the need: a developer working in a codebase and terminal has a tool in Cline, a developer working in the Codex CLI has a tool in Codex CLI, and a developer who wants one live view of running sessions has a tool in AgentHydra.

What Cline and Codex CLI are built for

Cline's own page describes it as an autonomous coding agent ^[1], and Codex CLI's page describes a tool for inspecting code, making changes and running commands ^[2]. Cline can make coordinated changes across large codebases while keeping imports, types and behavior consistent ^[4]. It can execute terminal commands and react to the output as it appears ^[4]. Its page describes an SDK for building AI agents and integrations, powered by the same engine that runs its CLI, desktop app and editor plugins ^[1]. Codex CLI lets you inspect code, make changes, run commands and automate repeatable work without leaving the terminal ^[2]. Its /init command creates an AGENTS.md file that holds instructions for Codex ^[2]. Its /review command reviews changes and finds issues ^[2]. Its /status command shows the current session configuration ^[2]. The table below adds what each source states beyond these points, such as how Cline is available and which models Codex CLI works with.

What AgentHydra is built for

AgentHydra is made by the team that publishes this site. It shows the Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions on your machine in one searchable list that updates live while they run ^[3]. It lets you type a reply into a Claude session's own desktop chat, or send one message to several sessions ^[3]. It can move a Claude chat, history included, to another of your accounts ^[3]. It splits a task's pieces across Claude Code CLI sessions on your accounts, and moves a worker to another account when one nears its limit ^[3]. It shows cost at API list prices by day, model, project and account ^[3]. It pairs each failed shell command with the command that fixed it, and can copy those pairs out as a rules file for your agents ^[3]. It lists each Claude and Codex account with its plan and 5-hour and weekly quota, and can open, focus, quit, create and delete Claude Desktop instances ^[3]. It lets other AI tools use its features, including checks that tell an agent which account it is on and how much quota is left ^[3].

Pricing and fees

AgentHydra is free, with no account and no subscription ^[3]. It is open source under the MIT License ^[3]. The facts given here state no price for Cline or for Codex CLI, so none is published here. No source in these facts describes any account, trial or discount for Cline or Codex CLI, so none is stated. The only price given in these facts for any of the three is free for AgentHydra ^[3]. If you need the cost of Cline or Codex CLI for your own use, check their own pages, since the facts here do not state one.

Setting it up and daily use

On Windows, AgentHydra installs with a one-line PowerShell script, or you can download a build from GitHub Releases or run it from source with Bun ^[3]. Its tray app needs Windows; macOS and Linux builds exist but have not been verified ^[3]. It is free with no account or subscription to set up ^[3]. Codex CLI installs with a standalone installer for macOS and Linux ^[2], and on first run it offers sign-in with ChatGPT or another available sign-in method ^[2]. The facts here give no install steps for Cline, so check its own pages for how it is installed. The facts also say nothing more about routine daily use of any of the three, so check each tool's own pages for anything further.

Things to check before you choose

Ask what you need the tool to do on your machine. AgentHydra lists the Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions you run and shows them live ^[3], while Cline works inside a codebase and runs terminal commands ^[4] ^[4] and Codex CLI works in the terminal ^[2]. Ask what setup you already have. The facts here state no install steps for Cline or Codex CLI, so check their own pages for how each is installed. Ask what leaves your machine. AgentHydra is free and open source ^[3] ^[3], and the facts here say nothing about where its data goes. Ask what platform you are on. macOS and Linux builds of AgentHydra's tray app exist but are not verified ^[3], and the facts here give no platform limits for the other two.

How to choose

Match the tool to the work at hand. A developer who runs sessions and wants one place to see them has AgentHydra, which lists Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions live in one searchable view ^[3]. A developer who changes large codebases has Cline, which can make coordinated changes and keep imports, types and behavior consistent ^[4]. A developer who works in the terminal with the Codex CLI has Codex CLI, whose /init, /review and /status commands cover instructions, changes and session setup ^[2] ^[2] ^[2]. All three are reasonable: Cline and Codex CLI each do the coding work their pages describe, and AgentHydra adds no fee and no account on top of the sessions you already run ^[3].

Frequently asked questions

Is AgentHydra free to use?

AgentHydra is free, with no account and no subscription ^[3]. It is open source under the MIT License ^[3]. The facts here give no other price for AgentHydra. To use it on Windows, install with a one-line PowerShell script, download a build from GitHub Releases, or run it from source with Bun ^[3].

Does Cline cost anything?

The facts given here state no dollar price for Cline ^[1]. They describe what Cline does, including coordinated changes across large codebases ^[4], terminal commands with output reacting ^[4], and an SDK for building AI agents and integrations ^[1], but say nothing about a fee. Check its own pages if you need the cost.

Does Codex CLI cost anything?

The facts given here state no dollar price for Codex CLI ^[2]. They describe its commands, including /init for an AGENTS.md file ^[2], /review for reviewing changes ^[2], and /status for the session configuration ^[2], but say nothing about a fee. Check its own pages if you need the cost.

Can AgentHydra show Codex CLI sessions?

AgentHydra shows the Claude Code, Codex and OpenCode sessions on your machine in one searchable list that updates live while they run ^[3]. It also lists each Claude and Codex account with its plan and 5-hour and weekly quota ^[3], so a developer can see sessions and quota in one place.

How is AgentHydra installed on Windows?

On Windows, install AgentHydra with a one-line PowerShell script, or download a build from GitHub Releases or run it from source with Bun ^[3]. Its tray app needs Windows; macOS and Linux builds exist but have not been verified ^[3]. It is free with no account to set up ^[3].

Free, with no account or subscription. ^[3]

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