Tom B.
Engineering Manager · SaaS · 51–200 employees
4.5
July 16, 2026
“How we evaluated agents before paying for any”
Used weekly for 6–12 months
We gave the team Cline and existing API keys for a month before committing budget. It cost about $9 a head and answered the question properly — three engineers took to agentic work and three did not. We then bought seats only for the three.
Pros
Zero procurement friction. Real agent capability, not a crippled trial.
Cons
Setup asks more of people than installing an extension and signing in. Two engineers needed help with API keys.
Problems it solves
Answered whether agents suited our team without a purchase order.