AI-assisted coding tools are becoming increasingly popular. Cursor AI, an innovative code editor and Integrated Development Environment (IDE), has gained attention for its powerful AI capabilities. A common question among developers is: “Is Cursor AI free?” Let’s delve into the pricing structure and offerings of Cursor AI to provide a clear understanding.
The Short Answer: Yes, But With Limitations
Cursor AI does offer a free version, but it comes with certain limitations. The company provides a tiered pricing structure that includes both a free plan and a paid subscription option.
Cursor AI’s Free Tier
Cursor AI’s free plan, also known as the “Hobby” plan, includes the following features:
- A two-week trial of the Pro features
- 2000 Copilot++ completions
- 50 slow premium requests
- 200 uses of the cursor-small model
This free tier is designed to give developers a substantial taste of Cursor AI’s capabilities without any financial commitment.
What You Get with the Free Version
Even with the free version, users can access some of Cursor AI’s core features:
- AI-powered code autocomplete
- Multi-line edit suggestions
- The ability to chat with your codebase
- Basic debugging support
- Access to the user-friendly interface
These features alone can significantly enhance a developer’s productivity and coding experience.
Limitations of the Free Version
While the free tier is generous, it does come with some limitations:
- Restricted number of AI completions and requests
- Limited access to premium AI models
- No access to some advanced features available in the Pro plan
The Pro Subscription Plan
For developers who require more extensive features and usage, Cursor AI offers a Pro plan priced at $20 per month. This plan includes:
- Everything in the Free plan
- Unlimited Copilot++ completions
- 500 fast premium requests per month
- Unlimited slow premium requests
- Unlimited cursor-small uses
- 10 Claude Opus uses per day
The Pro plan also provides access to premium models like GPT-4, GPT-4o, and Claude 3.5 Sonnet, with different usage limits for fast and slow requests.
Why Isn’t Cursor AI Completely Free?
It’s important to understand that running large language models, which power Cursor AI’s advanced features, incurs significant costs. The subscription model helps cover these expenses, allowing Cursor to maintain and improve its service quality sustainably.
Commercial Use of Generated Code
An important point to note is that all code generated by Cursor AI is free to use, even commercially, regardless of whether you’re on the free or paid plan. This policy provides flexibility for developers and businesses using the tool.
Privacy Considerations
Cursor AI offers a privacy mode where they don’t store any of your code. This feature is available across all plans, ensuring that your intellectual property remains secure.
Conclusion: Is Cursor AI Worth It?
Whether Cursor AI is worth it depends on your specific needs as a developer:
- For casual users or those wanting to try out AI-assisted coding, the free tier offers a robust set of features to get started.
- For professional developers or teams working on larger projects, the Pro plan’s unlimited features and access to premium models could significantly boost productivity, potentially justifying the monthly cost.
Ultimately, Cursor AI’s free tier provides a substantial entry point for developers to experience AI-assisted coding. For those who find value in the tool and require more extensive features, the Pro plan offers a comprehensive set of capabilities at a competitive price point.
Remember, the best way to determine if Cursor AI meets your needs is to try the free version and assess its impact on your coding workflow. With no initial financial commitment required, exploring Cursor AI’s capabilities is a risk-free endeavor for any curious developer.