Cursor free tier: how far you get
Cursor free tier: Free plan ($0): limited Agent, Chat, and Tab with Cursor models (Grok and Composer). Official pages publish Free usage as Limited, not a fixed daily or monthly number. Third-party models are not available on Free or Plus. On Premium and above they are billed at API list price from prepaid credit, separate from the included weekly Cursor-model pool. Own API keys are not included on Plus, and Free does not list an own-API-key option. Free is an ongoing plan, not a time-limited trial. Legacy Hobby accounts still work the same way for Cursor. Our 2026-10-16 Hobby test did not hit a visible limit (Agent Stats 0/394 after one T1 todo app). Pricing checked 2026-11-06 on cursor.com/pricing, cursor.com/docs/models-and-pricing, and cursor.com/help/account-and-billing/pricing.. In our 2026-10-16 test: 2026-10-16, 1 Hobby run: no visible limit hit; Agent Stats 0/394 after one T1 todo app.
Based on our own test on 2026-10-16 (1 (single run)) and the official pricing page (checked 2026-11-06).
What the free plan includes
Free plan ($0): limited Agent, Chat, and Tab with Cursor models (Grok and Composer). Official pages publish Free usage as Limited, not a fixed daily or monthly number. Third-party models are not available on Free or Plus. On Premium and above they are billed at API list price from prepaid credit, separate from the included weekly Cursor-model pool. Own API keys are not included on Plus, and Free does not list an own-API-key option. Free is an ongoing plan, not a time-limited trial. Legacy Hobby accounts still work the same way for Cursor. Our 2026-10-16 Hobby test did not hit a visible limit (Agent Stats 0/394 after one T1 todo app). Pricing checked 2026-11-06 on cursor.com/pricing, cursor.com/docs/models-and-pricing, and cursor.com/help/account-and-billing/pricing.
What our test used
2026-10-16, 1 Hobby run: no visible limit hit; Agent Stats 0/394 after one T1 todo app.
How far that gets you
Not enough data to estimate how many apps Free covers. Official Free limits are Limited, not a published numeric quota. In our single 2026-10-16 Hobby run, one T1 todo app did not trip a visible quota. Paid plans add a weekly shared usage pool for Cursor models (shared with Grok). We do not convert one T1 into a daily or monthly app count.
Who the free plan is for
Best for developers evaluating an AI-first VS Code-style editor on Cursor models without paying. Not ideal for third-party models on day one (Premium and above), Cloud Agents, Bugbot, or Origin (Premium and above), or your own API keys (not on Plus, and not listed on Free). Choose Free to try Agent, Chat, and Tab on Cursor models. Upgrade when you need a larger weekly Cursor-model pool, third-party models at API list price from prepaid credit, or team admin features.
Paid plans
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.
FAQ
Is Cursor free?
Yes: ongoing Free ($0) — limited Agent, Chat, and Tab with Cursor models (Grok and Composer); not a trial
How much did our test use on the Cursor free plan?
In our test (2026-10-16, 1 (single run)): 2026-10-16, 1 Hobby run: no visible limit hit; Agent Stats 0/394 after one T1 todo app.
How far does the Cursor free plan go?
Not enough data to estimate how many apps Free covers. Official Free limits are Limited, not a published numeric quota. In our single 2026-10-16 Hobby run, one T1 todo app did not trip a visible quota. Paid plans add a weekly shared usage pool for Cursor models (shared with Grok). We do not convert one T1 into a daily or monthly app count.
Is Cursor free or a trial?
Ongoing Free plan at $0 with limited Agent, Chat, and Tab on Cursor models — not a time-boxed trial. Legacy Hobby is the older free plan name (cursor.com/help/account-and-billing/pricing).
Does Free include Claude, GPT, or Gemini?
No. Third-party models are not available on Free or Plus. On Premium and above they are billed at API list price from prepaid credit, separate from the included weekly Cursor-model pool (cursor.com/docs/models-and-pricing).
Can I use my own API keys on Free?
No own-API-key option is listed on Free. Models & Pricing says Plus does not include your own API keys either (cursor.com/docs/models-and-pricing).
How much did our Cursor test use?
2026-10-16, 1 run, Hobby: no visible limit hit; Agent Stats 0/394 after one T1 todo app. We do not extrapolate that into apps per day or month.
How much does Cursor cost?
Via The X Subscription (checked 2026-11-06): Free $0; Plus $8/mo; Premium $30; Super $100; Ultra $200; Teams $30/$100/$200 per seat. Annual: Plus $80, Premium $300, Super $1,000, Ultra $2,000. Legacy Pro $20 for existing subscribers only. Third-party model usage on Premium and above is billed separately at API list price from prepaid credit. Grok API access on paid plans is billed separately and does not draw from the weekly Cursor-model pool.
Full Cursor review (8.4/10) · Best free tools in this category · Methodology