Tongyi Qianwen vs Cline
Compare Tongyi Qianwen and Cline: free credits, features, and ratings. Which one is right for you?
Category
LLM
Coding Assistant
Rating
β 4
β 4.5
Free Credits
2.5 Max generates watermark-free images and videos for free
999999 unlimited
Refresh Period
one-time
none
Resolution
N/A
N/A
Watermark
No
No
Commercial Use
No
Yes
Paid From
API $0.12/million tokens
Free (BYOK)
Tongyi Qianwen
Alibaba's model family, from lightweight 0.5B to flagship 235B. Qwen3 series is the all-rounder among open-source models. Free to use, cheap API. Supports multimodal (text, image, video, code).
Pros
- βGenerous new user credits
- βAffordable API
- βAlibaba ecosystem
- βStrong multimodal
Cons
- βAverage creativity
- βReasoning not as good as DeepSeek
Key Features
Qwen3 full series open sourceMultimodal support (text/image/video/code)0.5B to 235B multiple sizes200K context windowTool calling capabilityAgent framework support
Cline
Open-source AI coding assistant for VS Code, JetBrains, and CLI. Supports 200+ models including Claude, GPT, Gemini. Launched ClinePass in June 2026 with curated models like GLM 5.1 - no API key needed. Free to use with your own API key. 63K+ GitHub stars.
Pros
- βFully open source, Apache 2.0 license
- βModel-agnostic, use any provider
- βActive community, fast updates
- βMulti-platform: terminal, IDE, web
- βAuto error detection and fixing
Cons
- βRequires your own API key
- βComplex tasks burn tokens fast
- βMany config options, learning curve for beginners
Key Features
VS Code ExtensionJetBrains PluginCLI Terminal ModeKanban Multi-Agent BoardPlan/Act Dual Mode200+ AI Model SupportMCP Server ExtensionsAuto Linter Error FixClinePass Model Service (GLM 5.1 etc.)