Cursor vs Claude Code
Cursor vs Claude Code (AI Code Editors & IDEs). Agent test scores: Cursor 8.4/10, Claude Code 9.3/10. Claude Code scored 0.9 higher overall in our separate rubric v0.1 tests (editions and tasks can differ — see Edition tested and the notes below). Pricing: Cursor — Via The X Subscription (prices exclude tax; checked 2026-11-06): Free $0 (limited); Plus $8/mo (Cursor models only; no third-party models; no own API keys); Premium $30/mo (4× Plus usage; third-party models at API list price from prepaid credit); Super $100/mo (15×); Ultra $200/mo (50×); Teams $30/$100/$200 per seat/mo. Annual: Plus $80/yr, Premium $300/yr, Super $1,000/yr, Ultra $2,000/yr. Legacy Pro $20/mo for existing subscribers only. Grok API on paid plans is billed separately and does not draw from the weekly Cursor-model pool.; Claude Code — Included in Claude Pro $20/mo ($17/mo annual, $200 upfront); Max from $100/mo (5x or 20x); or API pay-as-you-go.
Every fact on this page comes from our tool records and test logs. Last updated:
- VibeToolRank score
- 8.4/10
- Last tested
- 2026-10-16
- Runs
- 1 (single run)
- Outcome score
- 9/10
- Edition tested
- Cursor 3.25.6 for Linux, Free Hobby plan, Agent with default model Cursor Grok 4.6 Medium
- Free plan, as measured
- 2026-10-16, 1 Hobby run: no visible limit hit; Agent Stats 0/394 after one T1 todo app
- Free plan
- Yes: ongoing Free ($0) — limited Agent, Chat, and Tab with Cursor models (Grok and Composer); not a trial
- Price
- Via The X Subscription (prices exclude tax; checked 2026-11-06): Free $0 (limited); Plus $8/mo (Cursor models only; no third-party models; no own API keys); Premium $30/mo (4× Plus usage; third-party models at API list price from prepaid credit); Super $100/mo (15×); Ultra $200/mo (50×); Teams $30/$100/$200 per seat/mo. Annual: Plus $80/yr, Premium $300/yr, Super $1,000/yr, Ultra $2,000/yr. Legacy Pro $20/mo for existing subscribers only. Grok API on paid plans is billed separately and does not draw from the weekly Cursor-model pool.
- Pricing checked
- 2026-11-06
- VibeToolRank score
- 9.3/10
- Last tested
- 2026-11-01
- Runs
- 3 runs
- Outcome score
- 10/10
- Edition tested
- Claude Code CLI 2.1.314 with Anthropic Claude Sonnet 5.5 (claude-sonnet-5-5) via API key; OpenRouter free edition also tested the same day (also 9.3 — see FAQ)
- Free plan, as measured
- Not applicable for the Sonnet API edition (~$0.01/run). OpenRouter free edition used free-model quota at $0 the same day.
- Free plan
- No (not included in Claude Free)
- Price
- Included in Claude Pro $20/mo ($17/mo annual, $200 upfront); Max from $100/mo (5x or 20x); or API pay-as-you-go
- Pricing checked
- 2026-10-16
Side by side
| Field | Cursor | Claude Code |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | CursorAI-native code editor. | Claude CodeAnthropic's agentic coding tool for the terminal, IDE, desktop, and browser. |
| Pricing | CursorVia The X Subscription (prices exclude tax; checked 2026-11-06): Free $0 (limited); Plus $8/mo (Cursor models only; no third-party models; no own API keys); Premium $30/mo (4× Plus usage; third-party models at API list price from prepaid credit); Super $100/mo (15×); Ultra $200/mo (50×); Teams $30/$100/$200 per seat/mo. Annual: Plus $80/yr, Premium $300/yr, Super $1,000/yr, Ultra $2,000/yr. Legacy Pro $20/mo for existing subscribers only. Grok API on paid plans is billed separately and does not draw from the weekly Cursor-model pool. | Claude CodeIncluded in Claude Pro $20/mo ($17/mo annual, $200 upfront); Max from $100/mo (5x or 20x); or API pay-as-you-go |
| Free tier | CursorYes: ongoing Free ($0) — limited Agent, Chat, and Tab with Cursor models (Grok and Composer); not a trial | Claude CodeNo (not included in Claude Free) |
| Pricing verified | Cursor2026-11-06 | Claude Code2026-10-16 |
| Edition tested | CursorCursor 3.25.6 for Linux, Free Hobby plan, Agent with default model Cursor Grok 4.6 Medium | Claude CodeClaude Code CLI 2.1.314 with Anthropic Claude Sonnet 5.5 (claude-sonnet-5-5) via API key; OpenRouter free edition also tested the same day (also 9.3 — see FAQ) |
| Tested on | Cursor2026-10-16 | Claude Code2026-11-01 |
| Outcome score | Cursor9 | Claude Code10 |
| Speed score | Cursor8 | Claude Code10 |
| Cost score | Cursor9 | Claude Code7 |
| Developer experience score | Cursor7 | Claude Code8 |
| Reliability score | Cursor8 | Claude Code10 |
| Overall score | Cursor8.4 | Claude Code9.3 |
What our tests found
Cursor
In one agent turn with no follow-ups, Cursor built our T1 todo app as a single index.html in about 2.5 minutes and tested it in its built-in browser. We verified it ourselves in headless Chrome: add, complete, delete, filters, reload persistence and a 375px mobile layout all passed, and the only console error was a missing favicon. On Linux it needed --no-sandbox and showed a keyring dialog. Single run.desktop app, free plan
- Working todo app in one turn, about 2.5 minutes, with no follow-ups
- Every T1 check passed in our own headless browser test, including mobile
- Tested its own work in a built-in browser
- Free Hobby plan was enough for one T1; no visible quota limit hit (Agent Stats 0/394)
- On Linux it needed --no-sandbox and showed an OS keyring dialog on first launch
- The agent ran commands without asking for approval by default
- Free usage is published as Limited, not a hard public number; heavier Agent work needs a paid X Subscription plan
- Free and Plus do not include third-party models; Premium and above bill them at API list price from prepaid credit
Who it’s for: Developers who want an AI-first VS Code-style editor with a built-in agent on Cursor models. Use Free to evaluate Agent on those models. Plus adds a larger weekly Cursor-model pool and still has no third-party models and no own API keys. Premium and above is where the official docs put third-party models, Cloud Agents, Bugbot, and Origin.
Claude Code
Anthropic Sonnet 5.5 edition (headline): Claude Code CLI fixed our seeded cart bug in 3 of 3 runs (5.7–7.1s, 5 turns each). Test file untouched. Real API spend ~$0.035 for smoke + 3 runs at Sonnet 5.5 list prices ($2/$10 per MTok). Overall 9.3 (outcome 10, speed 10, cost 7, DX 8, reliability 10). Alongside: OpenRouter free-model edition the same day also scored 9.3 at $0 (cohere/north-mini-code:free; slower, free-tier cost 10) — docs/tests/claude-code/RESULTS.md. Opus not run.Anthropic Sonnet 5.5 API
- Fixed the seeded bug in 3/3 runs with Anthropic Sonnet 5.5 in about 6 seconds
- Real API cost about $0.01 per T3 run at Sonnet 5.5 list prices
- Did not modify the test file in any run
- OpenRouter free edition also available at $0 for CLI-loop testing (also 9.3)
- No Claude Free plan access — Anthropic models need Pro, Max, or API credits
- Cost score 7 reflects pay-as-you-go API, not a free tier
- Needs --dangerously-skip-permissions for unattended sandbox runs
- Opus edition not tested (Sonnet already maxed Outcome on this T3)
Who it’s for: Developers who want Anthropic's terminal agent on Sonnet/Opus (Pro, Max, or API). Headline score is Anthropic Sonnet 5.5 via API. A separate OpenRouter free edition (also 9.3) tests the CLI with a small free model only.
Verdict
Scores use rubric v0.1 from separate runs. Editions and tasks can differ (see Edition tested and What our tests found); some tests were a single run, which caps reliability scores. Overall: Cursor 8.4, Claude Code 9.3. Check the free-tier limits above against your project before choosing.
FAQ
Which is better, Cursor or Claude Code?
In our tests Claude Code scored higher overall (9.3/10 vs 8.4/10). Scores use the same rubric (v0.1) but came from separate runs; editions and tasks may differ (see Edition tested and test summaries), so check the per-dimension scores for what matters to you.
Is Cursor free?
Yes: ongoing Free ($0) — limited Agent, Chat, and Tab with Cursor models (Grok and Composer); not a trial (pricing checked 2026-11-06).
Is Claude Code free?
No (not included in Claude Free) (pricing checked 2026-10-16).
How much does Cursor cost compared with Claude Code?
Cursor: Via The X Subscription (prices exclude tax; checked 2026-11-06): Free $0 (limited); Plus $8/mo (Cursor models only; no third-party models; no own API keys); Premium $30/mo (4× Plus usage; third-party models at API list price from prepaid credit); Super $100/mo (15×); Ultra $200/mo (50×); Teams $30/$100/$200 per seat/mo. Annual: Plus $80/yr, Premium $300/yr, Super $1,000/yr, Ultra $2,000/yr. Legacy Pro $20/mo for existing subscribers only. Grok API on paid plans is billed separately and does not draw from the weekly Cursor-model pool.. Claude Code: Included in Claude Pro $20/mo ($17/mo annual, $200 upfront); Max from $100/mo (5x or 20x); or API pay-as-you-go.
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Scores come from our own tests and are never for sale; sponsored placements are always labelled. Some links are affiliate links (currently Railway). Disclosure