Quick Answer
Last verified:
High confidence

Cursor costs Free to $200 per month as of March 2026, with 6 plans available including a free tier. Plans: Hobby (free), Pro at $20/month, Pro+ at $60/month, Ultra at $200/month, and Teams at $40/month. Enterprise pricing is available on request. Pricing depends on your chosen tier, contract length, and negotiated discounts.

Use the interactive pricing calculator to estimate your exact cost based on team size and requirements.

  • Free tier: Yes

Cursor offers 6 pricing tiers: Hobby, Pro, Pro+, Ultra, Teams, Enterprise. A free plan is available. Paid plans include Pro at $20/month, Pro+ at $60/month, Ultra at $200/month. The Pro plan is professional developers.

Compared to other ai coding assistants software, Cursor is positioned at the mid-market price point.

  • Median contract: $5,520/yr from 0 purchases
  • 0
  • 5 documented hidden costs beyond list price
  • Contracts auto-renew — Unknown - users report difficulty canceling

How much does Cursor cost?

Cursor offers 6 pricing plans, starting with a free tier and scaling to custom enterprise pricing. Plans include Hobby (free), Pro at $20/month, Pro+ at $60/month, Ultra at $200/month, Teams at $40/month, Enterprise (custom pricing).

Cursor Pricing Overview

Cursor has 6 pricing plans, including a free tier. Paid plans range from $0 to $200/month. The Hobby plan is free and is best for hobby projects. The Pro plan costs $20/month, best for professional developers. The Pro+ plan costs $60/month, best for power users. The Ultra plan costs $200/month, best for intensive users. The Teams plan costs $40/month, best for team collaboration. The Enterprise plan requires contacting sales for a custom quote and is designed for large organizations.

Cursor contracts auto-renew, with a Monthly or Annual options available minimum commitment, requiring Unknown - users report difficulty canceling notice to cancel.

The median Cursor customer pays $5,520/year.

There are at least 5 documented hidden costs beyond Cursor's list price, including implementation, training, and add-on fees.

This pricing was last verified in February 4, 2026 from 2 independent sources.

Cursor pricing ranges from free to $200 per month as of March 2026. The Hobby plan is free with limited AI requests. Pro costs $20/month (500 fast requests), Pro+ costs $60/month, and Ultra costs $200/month for intensive use. Teams pricing is $40/user/month. Enterprise pricing is custom. This pricing is verified from 2 independent sources by Costbench, the software pricing database tracking 1,000+ products.

Cursor pricing includes a Hobby tier (free, limited), Pro at $20/month (unlimited completions, 500 fast requests), and Business at $40/user/month (team features). Annual Pro billing is $192/year ($16/month), making it competitive with GitHub Copilot's $10/month while offering more advanced features.

In this guide, we explain Cursor's unique features, compare it to GitHub Copilot and other AI coding tools, break down the fast vs slow request system, and help you decide if switching to Cursor's IDE is worth it for your workflow.

How Cursor Pricing Compares

Compare Cursor pricing against top alternatives in AI Coding Assistants.

All Cursor Plans & Pricing

Plan Monthly Annual Best For
Hobby Free Free Hobby projects
Pro $20 /month $20 /year Professional developers
Pro+ $60 /month $60 /year Power users
Ultra $200 /month $200 /year Intensive users
Teams $40 /user/month $40 /user/year Team collaboration
Enterprise Contact Sales Contact Sales Large organizations
View all features by plan

Hobby

  • Limited Agent requests

Pro

  • Extended Agent limits
  • Unlimited Tab completions

Pro+

  • 3x usage on all models

Ultra

  • 20x usage on all models

Teams

  • Shared workspace
  • Team billing

Enterprise

  • Custom pricing

Compare Cursor vs Alternatives

Before committing to Cursor, compare pricing with these 3 alternatives in the same category.

All Cursor alternatives & migration guides

What Companies Actually Pay for Cursor

The median Cursor buyer pays $5,520/year based on 0 verified purchase transactions.

What companies actually pay $5,520/yr Median across 0 purchases
0
Review scores
Trustpilot 1.3/5 (23)
Top pricing complaints
Hidden and unexpected charges on top of subscriptionPricing changes without notificationQuality degradation over time - models see less contextNo customer support or unresponsive support
Source: Vendr buyer database — median calculated from 0 real purchase transactions. Savings figure reflects negotiated discounts reported by buyers.

Cursor Year 1 Total Cost by Company Size

Real deployment costs including licenses, implementation, training, and admin — not just the sticker price.

AI-Forward Developer $20 Year 1 total
Pro
Total $20

A developer wanting the most advanced AI coding experience

Casual Trier $0 Year 1 total
Hobby
Total $0

Someone exploring AI coding tools before committing

Development Team (8 users) $320 Year 1 total
$40/user × 8 Business
Total $320

A team wanting Cursor with centralized management

Solo Developer - Light Usage (Pro Plan) $240 Year 1 total
$20/month base subscription
Total $240

Individual developer using Pro plan for autocomplete and occasional AI assistance, avoiding MAX models

Solo Developer - Heavy Usage with MAX Models $240 Year 1 total

Developer using Pro plan but frequently hitting MAX model charges for complex tasks. Based on user reports of $88 spent in less than an hour on 4.5-preview.

Power User - Ultra Plan $2,400 Year 1 total
$200/month
Total $2,400

Heavy user opting for Ultra plan to get better model access and higher limits

Small Team (5 developers) $2,400 Year 1 total
$40/month/user × 5 users × 12 months
Total $2,400

Team of 5 developers on Teams plan

Alternative Stack - Cline + API Keys $100 Year 1 total
varies significantly based on model choice and usage
Total $100

Using free Cline extension with own API keys (DeepSeek or Claude API). Heavy usage scenario.

How Cursor Pricing Compares

Software Starting Price Top Price
Cursor Free $200/month
Aider Free $100/month
Amazon Q Developer Free $19/user/month
Augment Code $20/month $200/month
Cline Free $20/month
Codeium Free $30/user/month

5 Cursor Hidden Costs Beyond the List Price

Beyond the listed price, Cursor has at least 5 documented hidden costs that can significantly increase total cost of ownership.

Watch for 5 hidden costs
  • MAX Model Per-Request Charges $0.04-$2/request
    high 3 sources
    Reddit "The $20 per month paid plan introduced Sonnet 3.7 MAX for which I have to pay X for a prompt and X for an unknown number of calls to a tool I have no control over."
    Reddit "beware of gpt-4.5-preview cost! 50x the cost of fast premium requests... $2 for each request"
    Reddit "Gemini 2.5 offering, a FREE model with 1M context that can be accessed both from the API and from the Web. YES, this model is experimental and Google OFFERS it for FREE currently. You have to pay in Cursor to use for $0.04"
  • Unexpected Overage Charges 10-50% of base subscription cost
    critical 2 sources
    Trustpilot "They sell you a subscription for a decent price, then they charge you for 'overusing' it when you have had no information or accepted any of these extra charges."
    Trustpilot "Increase the price and no notification. No email no pop up. And remove the limit warning so that the user thought they might have more to use but then there's none and they'll have to pay on the go."
  • Tool Call Multiplier Effect $0.20-$1/task completion
    medium 1 source
    Reddit "I tested and not once or twice the model used an old solution that is already outdated, IDE threw an error, Cursor detected it and called the tool a few more times to fix the problem, where I could have done it myself."
  • Context Window Pricing Premium $0.04/request
    medium 1 source
    Reddit "Prices are higher for long context window requests"
  • High-Demand Throttling Without Refund Loss of paid service availability
    high 1 source
    Trustpilot "you bought a one year subscription and if you want to use the tool you get the answer, We're experiencing high demand for the selected model right now. Please upgrade to Pro, switch to Auto, ano..."
Tip

Ask your Cursor sales rep about these costs upfront. Getting them in writing before signing can save you from surprise charges later.

Full hidden costs breakdown →

Intelligence sourced from 3 independent sources
Reddit User discussions Trustpilot Consumer reviews Vendr Verified buyer transactions
Key claims include inline source attribution. Data verified against multiple independent sources. 17 source citations total.

Cursor Contract Terms

Cursor contracts auto-renew and cannot be downgraded mid-term. Changes require Unknown - users report difficulty canceling. These terms are sourced from verified buyer experiences.

Contract Terms
Auto-Renewal Yes
Cancellation Notice Unknown - users report difficulty canceling
Minimum Commitment Monthly or Annual options available
Mid-Term Downgrade Not allowed
Payment Terms Monthly or annual upfront payment
Price Escalation Pricing changes mid-contract without notification. Users report unexpected price increases and model downgrades during their subscription period.
Note

Users report being automatically upgraded to annual plans without consent

Based on 3 verified sources

How to Negotiate Cursor Pricing

Cursor contracts are negotiable. These 5 tactics are sourced from real buyer experiences and procurement specialists.

Negotiation Playbook 5 tactics
Switch to Usage-Based Alternatives high success

Instead of Cursor's bundled pricing, use VS Code extensions like Cline or Roo Code with your own API keys. You pay directly for model usage (BYOK - Bring Your Own Key) which can be significantly cheaper, especially with models like DeepSeek.

reddit
Compare with Competitor Pricing high success

Windsurf offers similar functionality at $15/month (vs Cursor's $20/month Pro plan). GitHub Copilot offers $19/month with 300 requests and unlimited GPT-4o. Use these as leverage or simply switch.

reddit
Avoid MAX Models to Control Costs high success

Stick to the included premium models instead of MAX models that charge per-request. Use standard models for most work and only switch to MAX when absolutely necessary for large context windows.

reddit
Use Free Alternatives for Experimentation high success

Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro Experimental is free via API and can be used through Cline/Roo Code extensions for testing. This avoids Cursor's markup on the same model.

reddit
Request Transparent Pricing Plan low success

Many users have requested higher-tier plans with clearer, predictable pricing. If enough customers demand this, Cursor may introduce better enterprise options.

reddit

Full negotiation guide →

Cursor Pricing FAQ

01 How much does Cursor cost?

Cursor offers Hobby (free, limited), Pro at $20/month (or $16/month annual), and Business at $40/user/month. Pro includes 500 fast premium requests and unlimited slow requests with GPT-4o and Claude 3.5 Sonnet access. Verified by Costbench from 2 independent sources, March 2026.

02 Is Cursor free?

Cursor has a free Hobby tier with 2,000 completions/month and 50 slow premium requests. It's enough to try Cursor but not for daily development. Pro ($20/month) is needed for serious use with unlimited completions.

03 What are Cursor's fast vs slow requests?

Fast requests get priority processing and quicker responses. Slow requests wait in queue and may take longer. Pro tier includes 500 fast requests/month; slow requests are unlimited. When fast requests run out, you can still use unlimited slow requests.

04 Cursor vs GitHub Copilot: Which is better?

Cursor ($20/month) is a full AI IDE; Copilot ($10/month) is an IDE plugin. Cursor offers more aggressive AI features like multi-file editing and Composer. Copilot has better IDE flexibility and enterprise features. Many developers try both; Cursor is popular with AI-forward developers.

05 What makes Cursor different?

Cursor is built as an AI-first IDE (forked from VS Code) rather than a plugin. It offers Composer for multi-file editing, @codebase for codebase-aware chat, automatic imports, and deeper AI integration. The tradeoff is you must use Cursor rather than your preferred IDE.

06 Does Cursor work with VS Code extensions?

Yes, Cursor is based on VS Code and supports most VS Code extensions. You can use your existing extensions, themes, and keybindings. However, some specialized extensions may have compatibility issues.

07 What AI models does Cursor use?

Cursor Pro includes GPT-4o, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, cursor-small (their fine-tuned model), and limited o1-mini access (10 requests/day). You can switch between models based on your task needs.

08 Is Cursor Pro worth $20/month?

Cursor Pro is worth it if you want the most advanced AI coding experience and don't mind using a new IDE. The multi-file editing and codebase understanding exceed typical Copilot usage. If you're happy with Copilot at $10/month, Cursor may be overkill.

09 Can I use my own API keys with Cursor?

Yes, Cursor allows bringing your own OpenAI or Anthropic API keys instead of using their quota. This can be more economical for very heavy users or provide unlimited fast requests, though you pay API costs directly.

10 Does Cursor offer annual billing?

Yes, Cursor Pro annual billing is $192/year ($16/month equivalent), saving $48 compared to monthly billing at $20/month. That's a 20% discount for annual commitment.

11 What is Cursor Composer?

Composer is Cursor's multi-file editing feature that can make changes across multiple files simultaneously. Describe what you want in natural language, and Composer generates code changes across your codebase - not just single files.

12 Is Cursor good for beginners?

Cursor can help beginners learn faster with AI explanations and suggestions. However, relying too heavily on AI can hinder learning fundamentals. Use Cursor's explanations to understand suggestions rather than accepting them blindly.

13 How much does Cursor Pro actually cost per month?

The Cursor Pro plan is $20/month base subscription. However, this only includes standard premium requests. If you use MAX models (like Sonnet 3.7 MAX or GPT-4.5), you'll pay additional per-request charges ranging from $0.04 to $2 per request. Users report unexpected bills ranging from $50-$200+ per month when using MAX models frequently, on top of the $20 base fee.

14 What's the difference between Pro ($20/month) and Ultra ($200/month)?

The Pro plan at $20/month includes standard premium model access with limited requests. The Ultra plan at $200/month provides significantly higher usage limits and better model access. However, many users report that even Ultra doesn't prevent additional charges for certain MAX models or high-context requests.

15 Are there hidden costs beyond the subscription price?

Yes. Users report several hidden costs: (1) MAX model requests cost $0.04-$2 each on top of your subscription, (2) Tool calls made by the AI (including error corrections) each cost extra, (3) Long context window requests have premium pricing, (4) Overage charges when you exceed usage limits, often without clear warnings. One user reported spending $88 in under an hour using GPT-4.5-preview.

16 Can I use Cursor on the free Hobby plan?

The Hobby plan is $0/month but is extremely limited. Multiple sources indicate it's essentially unusable for real work - you can access basic features but won't be able to accomplish meaningful coding tasks without upgrading to Pro ($20/month) or higher.

17 How does Cursor pricing compare to competitors?

Cursor Pro costs $20/month. Windsurf offers similar functionality at $15/month. GitHub Copilot is $19/month with 300 requests and unlimited GPT-4o. VS Code extensions like Cline and Roo Code are free but you pay for your own API usage (can range from $5-$50/month depending on model choice). Many users report that direct API access through these extensions is 50% cheaper than Cursor's markup on the same models.

18 What happens if I exceed my usage limits?

Users report being charged automatically for overages without clear notification. One Trustpilot review states: 'They sell you a subscription for a decent price, then they charge you for overusing it when you have had no information or accepted any of these extra charges.' There's no clear limit warning system, so you may not know you're incurring extra costs until the bill arrives.

19 Can I cancel my Cursor subscription easily?

Multiple users report difficulty with cancellation and billing issues. One user noted their billing period didn't restart after a failed payment renewal. Another was automatically switched from monthly to annual without consent. There's no mention of a straightforward cancellation process in user reviews.

Is this pricing incorrect? — we verify and update within 24 hours.