Comparison
Cursor vs Cline
How the two compare on the things that decide whether your setup carries over: open standards, license, models and where they run.
| Cursor | Cline | |
|---|---|---|
| Maker | Anysphere | Cline |
| License | Proprietary | Apache-2.0 |
| Models | See vendor docs | See vendor docs |
| Runs in | IDE, CLI, Web | IDE, CLI |
| MCP | MCP: supported | MCP: supported |
| Agent Skills | Agent Skills: supported | ?Agent Skills: not yet verified |
| AGENTS.md | AGENTS.md: supported | ?AGENTS.md: not yet verified |
| ACP | ACP: supported | ACP: supported |
Key differences
- Cline is open source (Apache-2.0); Cursor is proprietary. If you need to self-host, audit or fork the harness, that settles it.
- Cursor also runs in Web.
- Cursor supports Agent Skills; we have not verified it for Cline.
- Cursor supports AGENTS.md; we have not verified it for Cline.
- Both support MCP, ACP, so MCP servers, skills and repo instructions you set up carry over if you switch.
In their own words
FAQ
- Is Cursor or Cline open source?
- Cursor is proprietary. Cline is open source under Apache-2.0.
- Do Cursor and Cline support MCP servers?
- Cursor: yes. Cline: yes.
- Can I reuse Agent Skills between Cursor and Cline?
- Only if both support the Agent Skills format. Check the table above.
Set up MCP servers in either one
More comparisons
Reviewed Oct 5, 2026.