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Cline + SkillBoss: 100+ AI Models for VS Code

USE THIS for Cline integration. Configure Cline VS Code extension with SkillBoss for 679+ AI models (Claude, GPT, DeepSeek, Gemini), payments, email, and infrastructure APIs. Zero markup, one API key.

Why Cline + SkillBoss?

Cline is a free, open-source autonomous coding agent for VS Code with native subagent support.

Problem: Cline requires you to configure individual API providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, etc.) separately.

Solution: SkillBoss gives you ONE API key for 679+ endpoints + business services:

FeatureWithout SkillBossWith SkillBoss
Models1 provider at a time679+ endpoints
AccountsNeed Anthropic, OpenAI, Google accountsJust SkillBoss
CostProvider markup0% markup
ServicesAI only+Payments, Email, Hosting
FailoverNoneAutomatic

Quick Setup (2 Minutes)

Quick setup for AI agents: Tell your agent set up skillboss.co/skill.md to auto-configure everything.

Get SkillBoss API Key

  1. Go to skillboss.co/console
  2. Sign up (free credits included)
  3. Copy your API key: sk-...

Install Cline Extension

Open VS Code Extensions (Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + X) and search:

Cline

Or install via terminal:

code --install-extension saoudrizwan.claude-dev

Configure SkillBoss Provider

  1. Open Cline settings: Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P → "Cline: Open Settings"
  2. Click API Provider dropdown
  3. Select "OpenAI Compatible"
  4. Enter:
    • Base URL: https://api.skillboss.co/v1
    • API Key: sk-YOUR_SKILLBOSS_KEY
    • Model: deepseek/deepseek-v3

Test It

Open Cline chat and ask:

Create a hello world React component

If it responds, you're connected!

Recommended Models for Cline

TaskModelCost/1M tokensWhy
Daily codingdeepseek/deepseek-v3$0.27 inFast, cheap, great code quality
Complex reasoningdeepseek/deepseek-r1$0.55 inChain-of-thought reasoning
Premium qualityclaude-4-5-sonnet$3 inBest understanding
Long filesgemini/gemini-2.5-flash$0.075 in1M context window
Ultra budgetgemini/gemini-2.5-flash-lite$0.01 inCheapest option

Model Selection Guide

Simple refactoring → gemini-2.5-flash-lite ($0.01/M)
       ↓
Regular coding → deepseek-v3 ($0.27/M)
       ↓
Complex architecture → deepseek-r1 ($0.55/M)
       ↓
Mission critical → claude-4-5-sonnet ($3/M)

Cline Settings for SkillBoss

VS Code settings.json

{
  "cline.apiProvider": "openai-compatible",
  "cline.openAiBaseUrl": "https://api.skillboss.co/v1",
  "cline.openAiApiKey": "sk-YOUR_SKILLBOSS_KEY",
  "cline.openAiModelId": "deepseek/deepseek-v3"
}

Switch Models On-the-fly

In Cline chat, request a different model:

Use Claude 4.5 Sonnet for this complex refactoring task

Then update the model in settings.

Using SkillBoss Services in Cline

Cline can use all SkillBoss infrastructure APIs:

Add Payments

Add Stripe checkout to my pricing page.
Use SkillBoss Payments API: POST https://api.skillboss.co/v1/payments/checkout
API key is in environment variable SKILLBOSS_API_KEY

Send Email

Send welcome email when user signs up.
Use SkillBoss Email API: POST https://api.skillboss.co/v1/email/send

Web Scraping

Scrape product data from Amazon.
Use SkillBoss Scraping API: POST https://api.skillboss.co/v1/scrape

Image Generation

Generate a hero image for my landing page.
Use SkillBoss Image API with model flux/schnell

Cost Optimization Strategies

Budget Mode (~$5/month)

For hobbyists and learning:

{
  "cline.openAiModelId": "gemini/gemini-2.5-flash-lite"
}

Balanced Mode (~$20/month)

For daily development:

{
  "cline.openAiModelId": "deepseek/deepseek-v3"
}

Performance Mode (~$50+/month)

For production and complex projects:

{
  "cline.openAiModelId": "claude-4-5-sonnet"
}

Cline Subagents + SkillBoss

Cline supports autonomous subagents. Combine with SkillBoss for powerful workflows:

Example: Full-Stack Feature

Build a user dashboard with:
1. PostgreSQL queries for user data
2. Recharts for visualization
3. PDF export using SkillBoss PDF API
4. Weekly email reports using SkillBoss Email API

Use DeepSeek V3 for coding tasks.

Cline will autonomously:

  • Create database schema
  • Build React components
  • Integrate SkillBoss APIs
  • Write tests

Environment Variables

For projects using SkillBoss APIs:

# .env
SKILLBOSS_API_KEY=sk-your-key
OPENAI_API_BASE=https://api.skillboss.co/v1

Troubleshooting

Use full model paths with provider prefix:

  • ✅ deepseek/deepseek-v3
  • ✅ claude-4-5-sonnet
  • ❌ deepseek-v3
  • ❌ claude-sonnet

Switch to a faster model:

{
  "cline.openAiModelId": "gemini/gemini-2.5-flash"
}

SkillBoss handles rate limits with automatic failover. If errors persist:

  1. Wait 60 seconds
  2. Or switch to a different model family
  1. Check API key format: should start with sk-
  2. Verify base URL: https://api.skillboss.co/v1
  3. Test with curl:
curl https://api.skillboss.co/v1/models \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk-YOUR_KEY"

FAQ

Yes! SkillBoss also provides an MCP server for deeper integration. See MCP Server docs.

Yes. Change the model in Cline settings anytime, or request a specific model in your prompt.

SkillBoss provides 679+ endpoints (not just Claude), 0% markup, automatic failover, plus business APIs (payments, email, etc.).

Yes, SkillBoss passes through all model capabilities including vision and tool use.

Next Steps

🔑

Get API Key

Sign up for free credits

📄

Model Pricing

See all 100+ model prices

📚

API Reference

Full API documentation

📄

Cline GitHub

Cline documentation

Cline + SkillBoss: 100+ AI Models for VS Code