Cursor

What is Cursor?

Job it does: Cursor is an AI-first code editor (VS Code-based) for multi-file agent edits across a real repo. You architect; the agent proposes patches, refactors and tests inside the IDE — unlike pasting snippets into a chatbot.

Who should skip: skip if you only need occasional coding help (ChatGPT/Claude in the browser is enough), if your company forbids cloud AI on source code, or if you are not willing to review agent diffs before merge. Cursor is for people who live in an editor daily.

Current price (verified 28 Oct 2026): new subscriptions are sold through The X Subscription: Free $0 · Plus $8/month (Cursor/Grok models only) · Premium $30 · Super $100 · Ultra $200 per month; Teams $30/$100/$200 per seat. Legacy Cursor Pro/Pro+/Ultra keep working for existing customers. Source: Cursor docs: Models & Pricing.

Update (5 Nov 2026): Cursor launched Build Live Apps — cloud agents can scaffold a web app, provision Postgres and auth behind Cursor SSO, run security checks, and deploy a shareable link. Available on all paid plans with cloud agents enabled (Cursor changelog: Build Live Apps).

Concrete limitation: agents can make overconfident edits. Treat every multi-file change as untrusted until you review the diff. Third-party models (Claude, GPT, Gemini) are not in the weekly pool — on Premium and above they bill at API list price from the first request. OpenAI is winding down its contract supplying OpenAI models to Cursor, with a proposed end date of 12 November 2026 (Cursor may end access sooner; the final date is still to be confirmed). After that, OpenAI says you can still use GPT models in Cursor’s local Chat and Agent with your own OpenAI API key or a compatible gateway, or use the Codex extension inside Cursor — but not in Tab, Auto, Cloud Agents, Automations, the CLI or the Cursor API/SDK (OpenAI; OpenAI Help: Using OpenAI models in Cursor).

Named alternatives: Claude Code for terminal/agentic Anthropic workflows; GitHub Copilot (Pro $10/month) for Claude/GPT/Gemini models in JetBrains, Visual Studio or Xcode; Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf, Pro $20/month). Editor score 4.9/5 · Listing checked 6 Nov 2026 (editorial check against vendor docs, not a hands-on test).

• Multi-file AI agent editing across large codebases
• Developers who want the most capable AI coding tool
• Solo developers and startups building fast

• Production deployment without code review
• Highly regulated industries without audit

Decision notes — Cursor (checked 28 Oct 2026)

Every fact below comes from the vendor’s own pricing, help or release-notes pages, checked 28 Oct 2026. Editorial listing check, not a hands-on test.

Exact price

• Since October 2026 new subscriptions are sold through The X Subscription (Grok + Cursor + X) (Cursor docs: Models & Pricing; cursor.com/pricing).
• Free $0 — limited Agent and Chat usage.
• Plus $8/month ($80/year) — Cursor’s own models only (Grok 4.7/4.6/4.5, Composer 2.5) at fixed settings.
• Premium $30/month ($300/year, 4× Plus usage) · Super $100/month (15×) · Ultra $200/month (50×). Teams $30, $100 or $200 per seat.
• Legacy Cursor plans (Pro, Pro+, Ultra, Teams seats) keep working for existing customers.

Usage limits

• One weekly usage pool for Cursor models, shared with Grok Chat, Imagine, Voice and Grok Bot; it refreshes weekly. Beyond it you buy prepaid top-ups at listed per-model rates.
• Third-party models (Claude, GPT, Gemini) are never in the pool: on Premium and above they bill at API list price from the first request, paid from prepaid credit. Teams/Enterprise add a $0.25 per 1M-token Cursor Token Rate.

Plan limitations

• Plus has no Auto, Cloud Agents, Automations, Bugbot, third-party models or your own API keys.
• Individual plans only get Auto “Cost” mode; Balance/Intelligence routing is Teams/Enterprise.
• Subscriptions are sold only directly by X Subscription Corp — no resellers.
• OpenAI models are due to leave Cursor’s built-in model list (proposed date 12 Nov 2026); afterwards GPT needs your own API key or gateway and works only in local Chat and Agent (OpenAI Help: Using OpenAI models in Cursor).

Who should skip it — and what to use instead

• You want Claude, GPT and Gemini models covered by one flat fee → GitHub Copilot Pro $10/month, which lists those models on every plan and meters them in AI credits (GitHub Copilot plans).
• You work in JetBrains, Visual Studio or Xcode → GitHub Copilot supports those editors.
• You don’t want an X/Grok bundle → Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf), Pro $20/month (devin.ai/pricing).
• You prefer a terminal agent → Claude Code with Claude Pro ($20/month, or $17 billed annually).

Pricing Plans

Pros & Cons