Authorization

Cline connects to AI models through a provider. You have three common paths:

• Cline (usage-billing) (recommended): sign in with Google/GitHub/email, no API key setup.
• ClinePass: a $9.99/month subscription provider that offers 2-5x the usage on popular open coding models compared to standard API rate.
• Bring Your Own Key (BYOK): use your own provider credentials (cloud or local runtimes).

Menu

• IDE Setup
• CLI Setup

IDE Setup

Open Cline Settings

Click the settings icon (⚙️) in the Cline panel.

Select Provider

Choose your desired provider from the API Provider dropdown.

Authenticate

• Cline (usage-billing): Click Sign In and complete OAuth.
• ClinePass: Select ClinePass, click Sign In, and subscribe if prompted.
• BYOK cloud provider: Paste your API key into the API Key field.
• Local runtime (Ollama/LM Studio): no key needed; ensure runtime is running.

Select Model

Choose your desired model from the Model dropdown.

Provider Options

Cline (usage-billing)

• One sign-in, no key management
• Built-in billing and free model options
• Access to multiple providers from one account

Add credits in Cline settings or at app.cline.bot/dashboard.

ClinePass

• Flat $9.99/month subscription
• 2-5x the usage on popular open coding models compared to standard API rate
• Curated open coding models including GLM, Kimi, DeepSeek, and MiMo

Subscribe from the ClinePass dashboard, then select ClinePass as your provider in Cline. See the ClinePass guide for included models and reference pricing.

BYOK (cloud + local)

Cloud Providers

Local Models

Run models on your own hardware for complete privacy and zero per-request costs.

Local models require sufficient hardware (especially GPU memory). See Running Models Locally for requirements.

CLI Setup

# Authenticate from the terminal
cline auth

# Shorthand
cline a

Runs the same auth flow as IDE setup.

Troubleshooting