Our verdict: Cursor is a VS Code-based editor built around an AI agent that reads your project and writes changes for you. The editor itself is free, but the free plan only includes limited agent and chat requests, so regular AI use needs a paid plan. If you want AI without a subscription, use Zed or VS Code with your own keys.
About Cursor
Cursor is made by Anysphere. It is a fork of Visual Studio Code, so it runs most VS Code extensions, themes and key bindings, and it can import your VS Code settings on first launch.
The free plan includes limited agent and chat requests. Paid plans are sold through X Subscription Corp: Plus at $8 per month with Grok models only, Premium at $30, Super at $100 and Ultra at $200 per month with larger usage pools, and Teams from $30 per user per month. Third-party models are billed separately at API list price. A Privacy Mode keeps your code from being used for training.
What it does well
- AI agent. Describe a task and the agent edits several files, runs commands and shows a diff to review.
- Tab completion. Predicts multi-line edits as you type.
- Codebase chat. Ask questions about your project and get answers that reference your files.
- VS Code compatibility. Imports VS Code extensions, settings and key bindings.
- Privacy Mode. When enabled, code data is not used for training by Cursor or its model providers.
Who it is for
Good fit
Developers who want an AI agent built into their editor and are willing to pay for heavy use.
Look elsewhere
People who want unlimited free AI, a fully open-source editor, or no cloud processing of their code.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Strong AI agent built into the editor
- Runs most VS Code extensions
- Imports VS Code settings in one step
Cons
- Free plan has only limited AI requests
- Paid plans range from $8 to $200 per month, and third-party models cost extra
- Code is sent to cloud models for AI features
How to install Cursor
The download button gets the latest 64-bit user installer, which needs no administrator rights. A system-wide installer is on the official download page. You need to sign in to use AI features. Turn on Privacy Mode in the settings if you work on private code.
Questions about Cursor
Is Cursor free?
The editor is free to download and the free plan includes limited agent and chat requests. Paid plans cost $8, $30, $100 or $200 per month, and Teams starts at $30 per user per month.
Is Cursor based on VS Code?
Yes. Cursor is a fork of Visual Studio Code and supports most of its extensions and settings.
Does Cursor train on my code?
Not when Privacy Mode is enabled. Cursor states that code data is then not used for training by Cursor or its model providers.
