Cursor vs Claude Code
- Cursor starts cheaper: $8 a month against $20 for Claude Code.
- Only Cursor has a free plan.
- Only Claude Code lists an API.
- Cursor is acquired: by SpaceX (SpaceXAI), Aug 2026.
| Detail |  Cursor |  Claude Code |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | AI native VS Code based editor with agents, tab completion and cloud agents, now bundled with Grok via X Subscription. | Anthropic's agentic coding tool for terminal, IDEs, desktop and web that edits, runs and ships code. |
| Best for | Developers wanting an AI first IDE with agents | Developers delegating multi step coding tasks to an agent |
| Free | Limited agent and chat requests; no Claude/ | No free plan |
| Cheapest paid | $8 a month | $20 a month, $17 billed yearly |
| Billing | Per seat | Per seat |
| API | Not stated | Yes |
| Runs on | Desktop app, Web, Command line | Command line, Plugin or add on, Desktop app, Web, Phone app |
| Credits roll over | No Source | Not stated on their site |
| Trains on your data | Opt out Source | Not stated on their site |
| HIPAA | Not stated on their site | Yes Source |
| Status | Acquired: by SpaceX (SpaceXAI), Aug 2026 | Active |
| Visit | Visit Cursor Cursor (opens the tool's site) | Visit Claude Code Claude Code (opens the tool's site) |
Cursor plans
| Plan | Monthly | Billed yearly | Per | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Not listed | per account | Limited agent and chat requests |
| Plus | $8 | Not listed | per account | Baseline shared Grok usage pool (Cursor + Grok apps + X), weekly refresh; Claude/GPT not included |
| Premium | $30 | Not listed | per account | 4x Plus usage; cloud agents, automations, AI code review; third party models via top ups at API price |
| Super | $100 | Not listed | per account | 15x Plus usage |
| Ultra | $200 | Not listed | per account | 50x Plus usage |
| Teams | $30 | Not listed | per user | Pooled usage, '$30+' per seat |
| Enterprise | Not listed | Not listed | per user | contact sales |
From Cursor's pricing page, checked . Full Cursor listing
Claude Code plans
| Plan | Monthly | Billed yearly | Per | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | $0 | per user | Claude chat only; Claude Code not included |
| Pro | $20 | $17 | per user | Claude Code included with Pro usage limits ($200/yr) |
| Max | $100 | Not listed | per user | 5x or 20x Pro usage (from $100; 20x tier higher) |
| Team Standard | $25 | $20 | per seat | Claude Code included |
| Team Premium | $125 | $100 | per seat | Higher usage, Claude Code included |
| Enterprise | Not listed | $20 | per seat, min 20, plus usage at API rates | contact sales |
From Claude Code's pricing page, checked . Full Claude Code listing
We don't declare a winner: the right one depends on what you'll use it for and how much. Every fact above is from each tool's own pages; we earn a commission from neither of them.