Cursor AI code editor — agent mode, CLI & student Pro

• Cursor

  This page

  Pricing

  • Free Hobby tier
  • Paid for higher limits

• GitHub Copilot

  Pricing

  • Free trial
  • Paid individual/team

• Claude Code

  Pricing

  • Usage-based
  • Claude/Anthropic billing

1. Cursor — official site
2. Cursor Docs — Models & Pricing
3. GitHub Copilot — official site
4. Claude Code — official site

Free tier

Yes

Pricing summary

Cursor offers free Hobby usage with limited agent and completion requests. Paid Pro and Business plans raise request limits and unlock higher-capacity models. Student upgrades follow campus promotions on the official students page—confirm live quotas there; dollar amounts change.

Reviewed on 20 August 2026 · Cursor Docs — Models & Pricing

• Agent and Plan mode

  Agent mode handles multi-step edits across files, while Plan mode breaks larger tasks into reviewable steps before changes land in your repo.

• Cursor CLI

  Cursor CLI extends the same AI workflows to terminal and automation setups—useful when you want headless or script-driven assistance outside the GUI editor.

• Model choice and context

  Pick models for different jobs—fast completions versus heavier reasoning—and monitor context usage so long threads stay within practical limits.

• VS Code familiarity

  Extensions, keybindings, and cmd-click (or ctrl-click) navigation behave like VS Code, including go-to-definition flows developers expect from a daily driver editor.

• Student and Pro tiers

  Verified students can apply for Cursor Pro student access through the official students program; paid Pro plans add higher request limits for production work.

• Official community resources

  Careers listings, changelog notes, marketplace integrations, and troubleshooting docs live on cursor.com and forum.cursor.com.

1. 1

   Install from the official site

   Download Cursor for macOS, Windows, or Linux from cursor.com, sign in, and import VS Code settings if you are switching editors.

2. 2

   Verify student eligibility early

   If you need Cursor Pro for students, complete verification on cursor.com/students before relying on Pro limits for coursework or internships.

3. 3

   Pick a workflow mode

   Use inline chat for small edits, Plan mode for scoped feature plans, and agent mode when the task spans multiple files or needs tool use.

4. 4

   Check service status before debugging

   When searches like “is Cursor down” spike, confirm outages on status.cursor.com before reinstalling or rotating API keys.

5. 5

   Use CLI where it fits

   Add Cursor CLI to CI or local scripts when you want the same models outside the desktop UI—see cursor.com/cli for current install steps.

• Professional software engineers

  Ship features faster with refactors, test scaffolding, and repo-aware answers without leaving the editor.

• Students and educators

  Learn patterns, debug assignments, and access student Pro pricing when eligible through the official verification flow.

• Founders and indie builders

  Prototype full-stack apps, iterate on UI copy, and run terminal commands with AI assistance in one workspace.

• Teams evaluating AI tooling

  Compare model behavior (for example Opus vs Sonnet trade-offs), context limits, and CLI fit before standardizing on a stack.

Freemium pricing

Cursor ships free usage tiers plus paid Pro plans; request limits, fast requests, and model access change with plan level and account status.

Careers and jobs

Open roles are listed at cursor.com/careers; applications and job details are handled on the official site.

Status and outages

Third-party “is Cursor down” searches usually map to status.cursor.com or brief provider incidents.

Performance troubleshooting

High CPU usage, slow indexing, or checkpoint restore issues are handled in official docs and forum threads.