This entry is compiled from primary sources: Cursor's official product documentation, release notes, and published pricing structures.
It has not been hands-on tested by us. Where a limit, a price or a requirement is stated below, it is the published figure at the time of writing rather than a measured result.
Anything we have not verified is left out instead of guessed at.
Cursor Review (2026) — What You Get for Free vs Pro Limits
Hobby TierVS Code ForkAnysphere Inc.
Cursor is an AI-native code editor created as a direct fork of Visual Studio Code. Rather than acting as a standard side-panel extension, Cursor integrates language models deep into the editing interface, enabling multi-file edits, inline code generation (Cmd+K / Ctrl+K), terminal error debugging, and deep codebase indexing.
Understanding Cursor's free tier requires noting that new signups receive a temporary 14-day Pro trial. Once the trial ends, your account transitions to the permanent Hobby Plan, which imposes monthly request caps.
What you get on Cursor's Free Hobby Plan
You can download and use Cursor for free on macOS, Windows, and Linux. The Hobby Plan includes:
- 2,000 Inline Autocompletions: Real-time single-line and multi-line code suggestions as you type.
- 50 Fast Premium Requests (Total): 50 fast credits for top models (Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4o) for AI chat and inline edits.
- 200 Slow Requests per Month: Queued requests for AI chat and editing after fast credits are spent.
- Full VS Code Compatibility: One-click import for all your VS Code extensions, keybindings, settings, and themes.
- Codebase Indexing (Symbol & Vector Search): Tag files, folders, or web docs with
@Filesor@Docsto give the AI context over your repository.
Where the free limits hit and Pro pricing starts
Active developers using Cursor for daily refactoring and code generation will exhaust the Hobby plan's 50 fast requests quickly. Upgrades include:
- Cursor Pro ($20/month or $192/year): Grants 500 fast requests per month for frontier models, unlimited slow requests, and 100 daily Cursor Tab completions.
- Cursor Business ($40/user/month): Adds central team admin controls, privacy mode enforcement, and SAML SSO integration.
Pros
- Seamless transition for VS Code users with identical extension ecosystem and keybindings.
- Powerful multi-file code editing (`Cmd+K`) and `@` file/folder context reference system.
- Inline terminal error diagnostics and automated command generation.
- Generous 2,000 monthly inline code completions on the free Hobby plan.
Cons
- 50 fast AI requests on the free plan run out fast during heavy debugging sessions.
- Slow request queue can experience response latency during server peak hours.
- Paid Pro plan costs $20/mo per developer.
Best alternatives
- GitHub Copilot — Mainstream AI pair programmer with 2,000 free monthly completions (code).
- Codeium — 100% free unlimited AI code completion extension for VS Code and JetBrains (code).
- Continue.dev — Open-source extension supporting local LLMs via Ollama or custom API keys (code).
FAQ
What is included in Cursor's free Hobby plan? Cursor's free Hobby plan includes 2,000 inline autocomplete completions, 50 fast requests for frontier AI models, and 200 slow requests per month.
Is Cursor compatible with existing VS Code extensions? Yes. Cursor is built as a direct fork of VS Code, allowing one-click import of all your VS Code extensions, themes, settings, and keybindings.
How much does Cursor Pro cost when free limits are reached? Cursor Pro costs $20 per month, granting 500 fast requests per month and unlimited slow requests for leading AI models like Claude 3.5 Sonnet.