Tag
Editor plugins
IDE / VS Code / JetBrains extension. 9 reviewed tools: 8 free or open source, 1 paid or paid-led.
Order: free and open source first, then hosted products with a real free tier, then paid-led; catalog order inside each group, with quiet or archived repos last. Not a score, and no tool pays for its place.
9 tools
- ClineVS Code extension for human-in-the-loop AI coding
Free / OSS · Apache-2.0 · 70.5k GitHub stars
VerdictMaximum control for developers who approve everything.
CatchHuman-in-the-loop means constant interruptions. Large tasks require many approvals. The pace is slower than autonomous alternatives.
- Kilo CodeMIT OSS IDE+CLI agent; active Cline/Roo line + MCP marketplace
Free / OSS · OSS/MIT · 27.7k GitHub stars
VerdictMIT IDE+CLI agent with MCP marketplace. Roo’s active heir, not a second OpenCode.
CatchPitch IDE+platform, not “another OpenCode.” Gateway/account is convenience; BYOK stays. Marketplace and modes are the differentiator vs plain CLI harnesses. Enterprise governance rides Anaconda — evaluate if that middle layer matters for your org.
- TabbyApache-2.0 self-hosted coding assistant; IDE plugins, your GPU
Free / OSS · Apache-2.0 · 33.9k GitHub stars
VerdictApache-2.0 self-host coding assistant. Free forever community core; pay only when you need the ee/ team SKUs.
CatchVs Continue (IDE assistant) and Ollama (model runtime): Tabby is the self-host *assistant server*, not just weights and not a cloud agent seat. `ee/` is separately licensed — Team/Enterprise features are not the Apache core. You own GPU, upgrades, and model quality.
- AgentVerse OSApache personal cloud OS for you + coding agents on one Ubuntu box
Free / OSS · Apache-2.0 · 981 GitHub stars
VerdictApache personal agent cloud when you will run Ubuntu+Tailscale yourself; skip if you wanted a managed IDE or a simple CLI harness.
CatchVs Coder, Umbrel, and Pi: this is a full personal cloud OS for agents, not a workspace control plane alone, a home NAS app store alone, or a coding harness. Alpha 0.2 on a single-person test box — no multi-user accounts yet; needs Ubuntu + ZFS/Incus/Tailscale ops weight. Bring your own Claude Code/Codex subscriptions inside workspaces.
- AIO SandboxApache one container: browser+shell+files+VS Code+Jupyter+MCP
Free / OSS · Apache-2.0 · 6.2k GitHub stars
VerdictApache self-host all-in-one sandbox when one shared FS with browser+IDE+MCP beats a managed microVM — lock the API key and read the seccomp note before exposing it.
CatchVs E2B, Daytona, and CubeSandbox (Thu managed/microVM sandbox lane): this is a self-host all-in-one container workstation, not hosted Firecracker sandboxes, a managed workspace SaaS, or a KVM density control plane. Quickstart docs use `--security-opt seccomp=unconfined`; set `SANDBOX_API_KEY` or API/Jupyter/VNC stay open by default.
- mcp-audit-toolMIT static audit of MCP client configs — poisoning, rugs, secrets
Free / OSS · OSS/MIT · 431 GitHub stars
VerdictMIT MCP client-config auditor when you gate `.cursor/mcp.json` before connect — not Cisco MCP Scanner servers and not HOL Guard runtime policy.
CatchPackage: README PyPI badge may lag — install from the MIT git repo / pipx, not the unrelated PyPI name `mcpaudit` (different project). Vs mcp-scanner / hol-guard / skillspector: MCP Scanner audits MCP servers/tools; HOL Guard is runtime local allow/block; SkillSpector gates skills — mcp-audit-tool’s catch is client-config static audit. ★ still small; pin a commit; findings are leads, not proof.
- MCP for BlenderMIT Blender MCP — prompt-driven 3D scenes from any agent client
Free / OSS · OSS/MIT · 31.6k GitHub stars
VerdictMIT Blender MCP when agents should block out 3D scenes and pull free assets — not CAD; disable default telemetry and treat code-exec like a shell.
CatchExec: `execute_blender_code` runs arbitrary Python inside Blender — save your work and do not point it at production files you can’t lose. Telemetry: a minimal anonymous usage record (install ID, tool name, success, timing, versions, OS) is sent by default; content capture is opt-in; set `DISABLE_TELEMETRY=true` to stop it all. Keyless AI 3D generation is a paid Premium line (tiers listed from $10). Third-party, not made by Blender. Vs cli-anything (generic app→CLI hub) and text-to-cad (parametric CAD/STEP): this is the scene/asset loop for Blender itself.
- MCP for UnityMIT MCP server that lets AI assistants drive the Unity Editor
Free / OSS · OSS/MIT · 15.1k GitHub stars
VerdictThe most complete free bridge between coding agents and the Unity Editor — commit before you prompt.
CatchNeeds Python 3.10+ via uv alongside Unity. An agent with editor access can make a mess of a scene or project, so keep the project in version control and review changes. Maintained and sponsored by Aura, whose paid Unity/Unreal assistant is pitched in the README; the MCP server itself is free. Not affiliated with Unity Technologies.
- CursorThe AI-first code editor that understands your codebase
Paid-led · Freemium
VerdictThe best all-in-one AI coding experience. Worth the editor switch.
CatchYou are switching editors—VS Code extensions mostly work, but not all. Cursor closes, your background agents stop. The context can drift on very large refactors; you will need to guide it back.
FAQ
- What is the top free pick among Editor plugins?
- Cline leads the Stack Gems list for Editor plugins. Verdict: Maximum control for developers who approve everything.
- How many Editor plugins does Stack Gems review?
- 9: 8 free or open source, 1 paid or paid-led. Each review has a verdict and an honest Catch; no tool pays for its spot.
- Which Editor plugins can I self-host for free?
- Cline, Kilo Code, Tabby, AgentVerse OS, AIO Sandbox, mcp-audit-tool, MCP for Blender and MCP for Unity.
- Which Editor plugins have the most GitHub stars?
- Cline (70.5k), Tabby (33.9k), MCP for Blender (31.6k), per GitHub on 2026-10-19. Stars measure attention, not fit; read the Catch.
- What is the catch with Cline?
- Human-in-the-loop means constant interruptions.