cline/docs/api/models.mdx

---
title: "Models"
sidebarTitle: "Models"
description: "Available models, pricing tiers, free models, and how model IDs work in the Cline API."
---

The Cline API gives you access to models from multiple providers through a single endpoint. Model IDs follow the `provider/model-name` format, the same convention used by [OpenRouter](https://openrouter.ai).

## Model ID Format

Every model is identified by a string in the format:

```
provider/model-name
```

For example:
- `anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6` - Claude Sonnet 4.6 from Anthropic
- `openai/gpt-4o` - GPT-4o from OpenAI
- `google/gemini-2.5-pro` - Gemini 2.5 Pro from Google

Pass this string as the `model` parameter in your [Chat Completions](/api/chat-completions) request.

## Popular Models

| Model ID | Provider | Context Window | Reasoning | Best For |
|----------|----------|---------------|-----------|----------|
| `anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6` | Anthropic | 200K | Yes | General coding, analysis, complex tasks |
| `anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5` | Anthropic | 200K | Yes | Balanced performance and cost |
| `openai/gpt-4o` | OpenAI | 128K | No | Multimodal tasks, fast responses |
| `google/gemini-2.5-pro` | Google | 1M | Yes | Very long context, document analysis |
| `deepseek/deepseek-chat` | DeepSeek | 64K | No | Cost-effective coding tasks |
| `x-ai/grok-3` | xAI | 128K | Yes | Reasoning-heavy tasks |

<Note>
  Model availability and pricing change over time. Check [app.cline.bot](https://app.cline.bot) for the latest catalog.
</Note>

## Free Models

These models are available at no cost. They are a good starting point for experimentation and lightweight tasks:

| Model ID | Provider | Context Window |
|----------|----------|---------------|
| `minimax/minimax-m2.5` | MiniMax | 1M |
| `kwaipilot/kat-coder-pro` | Kwaipilot | 32K |
| `z-ai/glm-5` | Z-AI | 128K |

Free models have the same API interface as paid models. Just use their model ID:

```bash
curl -X POST https://api.cline.bot/api/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "minimax/minimax-m2.5",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
  }'
```

## Reasoning Models

Some models support extended thinking, where the model reasons through a problem before responding. When using these models:

- Reasoning content appears in `delta.reasoning` during streaming
- Some providers return encrypted reasoning blocks in `delta.reasoning_details`
- Reasoning tokens are counted separately from output tokens

Models with reasoning support include most Claude, Gemini 2.5, and Grok 3 models. Check the model's `supportsReasoning` capability in the model catalog.

## Choosing a Model

| If you need... | Consider |
|----------------|----------|
| Best coding performance | `anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6` |
| Long document analysis | `google/gemini-2.5-pro` (1M context) |
| Fast, cheap responses | `deepseek/deepseek-chat` |
| Free experimentation | `minimax/minimax-m2.5` |
| Multi-modal (text + images) | `openai/gpt-4o` or `anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6` |
| Complex reasoning | Any model with reasoning support |

For a deeper comparison of model capabilities and pricing, see the [Model Selection Guide](/core-features/model-selection-guide).

## Image Support

Models that support images accept base64-encoded image content in the `messages` array:

```json
{
  "model": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6",
  "messages": [
    {
      "role": "user",
      "content": [
        {"type": "text", "text": "What's in this image?"},
        {"type": "image_url", "image_url": {"url": "data:image/png;base64,..."}}
      ]
    }
  ]
}
```

Not all models support images. Check the model's `supportsImages` capability before sending image content.

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Chat Completions" icon="message" href="/api/chat-completions">
    Use these models in your API requests.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Model Selection Guide" icon="scale-balanced" href="/core-features/model-selection-guide">
    In-depth comparison for choosing the right model.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>