Overview
Developer-focused AI editor with its own frontier models (Grok 4.6 jointly trained with xAI, Composer 2.5), agent requests, cloud agents, and Bugbot code review.
Key features
- Cursor Grok 4.6 — jointly trained by Cursor and xAI; flagship coding model in-editor
- Composer 2.5 — price-efficient agentic model ($0.50/$2.50 per 1M tokens standard)
- Agent requests with extended limits; effort levels and Fast mode on Pro and up
- Cloud agents, automations, MCPs, skills, hooks
- Bugbot agentic code reviews (usage-based on Pro, included on Teams)
- Grok Bot access on Teams plans
Trial checklist
Use a real task involving feature prototypes—not a demo prompt. Verify whether tab completion that predicts multi-line edits across files materially reduces editing or setup time. Record output quality, time to a publishable result, and total plan usage. Pay particular attention to requires engineering review so factor that into your monthly budget. Repeat the same task in at least one alternative before deciding.
Terminal-Bench 2.1 · Cursor CLI + Grok 4.5 · high effort
Maintainer-verified configuration snapshot, re-hashed byte-identical on 2026-09-14, 2026-09-21, 2026-09-28, 2026-10-05, 2026-10-12, 2026-10-19, 2026-10-26 and 2026-11-09. Agent, model, effort and integrity metadata are inseparable from the score. The Terminal-Bench 2.1 board is closed to new submissions and carries no later Cursor entry, and the current Terminal-Bench 4.0 board lists no Cursor configuration at all, so this remains the most recent published Cursor reading and is only valid for the 2.1 task set. Reward-hack disqualifications: 9.0%. Source [10] ↗
Pricing
Current official summary: Cursor is listed under The X Subscription tiers (cursor.com/pricing, checked 2026-11-03): Free $0, Plus $8/mo, Premium $30/mo, Super $100/mo, Ultra $200/mo. Teams is listed at $30+/user/month. The standalone Pro and Pro Plus tiers do not appear on the page. xAI documentation (docs.x.ai/x-subscription/pricing, checked 2026-10-13) states existing Cursor, SuperGrok and X Premium plans continue and switching is optional.
Open verification questions
- The public Terms assign Anysphere's rights in Suggestions but do not provide a blanket warranty that generated code is non-infringing or expressly guarantee commercial suitability.
The official Terms state that Anysphere will not use Content to train, or allow a third party to train, AI models unless the user explicitly agrees. The Privacy Policy identifies limited exceptions for security review, explicitly submitted feedback, or explicit training consent. Privacy Mode is available on free and paid individual plans; Cursor says that when enabled it will not train on the user's data and applies contractual and technical controls to model providers. Users retain their rights in Inputs, and Anysphere assigns to users any right, title, and interest it has in Suggestions. Official documentation describes Cursor as a coding agent for understanding codebases, planning and building features, fixing bugs, reviewing changes, and using integrations, MCP, rules, skills, hooks, cloud agents, and CLI workflows. Re-checked 2026-10-13: the standalone Pro, Pro Plus and Teams tiers that the 2026-08-25 check reported are no longer rendered on cursor.com/pricing. The page now shows the unified The X Subscription ladder (Free $0, Plus $8/mo, Premium $30/mo, Super $100/mo, Ultra $200/mo), reported on 2026-10-12 as a bundle of Cursor, Grok and X Premium. xAI's own subscription documentation states that existing Cursor, SuperGrok and X Premium plans continue and that switching is optional, so legacy subscribers are not repriced. Previous digest retained here for reference only: Free with limited agent requests and Composer access; Pro $20/mo; Pro Plus $60/mo; Ultra $200/mo; Teams $40/user/mo; Enterprise custom (checked 2026-08-25). Re-checked 2026-11-03: Free, Plus, Premium, Super, and Ultra prices are unchanged, and Teams is listed at $30+/user/month. Pro and Pro Plus still do not appear.
Pricing changes often — verify current plans on the official site before buying. Dated snapshots: Pricing Watch.
Use cases
- Feature prototypes
- Refactors
- Debugging
- Test generation
- Scaffolding new features across multiple files
- Writing tests for legacy code before refactoring
Pros
- Own-model stack: Grok 4.6 + Composer 2.5 give generous included usage at low cost
- Full agentic loop: editor agents, cloud agents, Bugbot review, team marketplace
- Frontier third-party models also available in a separate usage pool
Cons
- Best features (effort levels, Fast mode, Bugbot) sit above the free plan
- Third-party models incur a Cursor Token Rate surcharge on team plans
- Usage-based overages can add up for heavy agent users
Who Cursor is for
Cursor is aimed at teams and individuals who need ai-assisted coding in an editor with agent modes, cloud agents, and cursor's own grok/composer models. It is designed for development workflows where output quality, adoption effort, and operating cost all matter. Compare alternatives first if you require self-hosting, unusually deep customization, or tighter policy controls than the official plan provides.
Buying decision
| Keep it when | AI-assisted coding in an editor with agent modes, cloud agents, and Cursor's own Grok/Composer models is the job you repeat. |
|---|---|
| Test first when | Best features (effort levels, Fast mode, Bugbot) sit above the free plan. |
| Before you pay | Run the trial checklist and check the current plan limit on the official pricing page. |
Verdict
The call: Cursor has an AIToolsEssentials editorial score of 4.6/5. Own-model stack: Grok 4.6 + Composer 2.5 give generous included usage at low cost. Price this before you renew: best features (effort levels, fast mode, bugbot) sit above the free plan.
Run one real task from your work this week. That tells you more than this review.
How Cursor compares
In development, Cursor sits next to Bolt.new, CCC (Claude Command Center), GitHub Copilot and 4 others. The useful part is own-model stack: grok 4.6 + composer 2.5 give generous included usage at low cost. The part to price first is best features (effort levels, fast mode, bugbot) sit above the free plan. Read the side-by-side before you pay for a second seat.
How we evaluated
The AIToolsEssentials rating is an editorial score—not an external benchmark. It summarizes job fit, likely output quality, ease of adoption, and operational cost using published product information, benchmark context where the exact model is identifiable, and the repeatable trial checklist above. Benchmarks never determine the final product rating by themselves. See our editorial methodology, evidence ledger, and benchmark evidence policy.
Frequently asked questions
What models does Cursor offer?
Cursor's own pool includes Grok 4.6 and Grok 4.5 (jointly trained with xAI) plus Composer 2.5, its price-efficient agentic model. Frontier models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and xAI are available in a separate pool billed near API rates.
How much is Cursor?
Free tier with limited agent requests and Composer access; Pro $20/mo, Pro Plus $60/mo, Ultra $200/mo, Teams $40/user/mo, Enterprise custom.
What is Composer 2.5?
Cursor's own agentic coding model, tuned for long-horizon tasks via reinforcement learning. Standard pricing is $0.50 input / $2.50 output per million tokens; Fast mode is $3 / $15.
Cite or embed this audit
The badge links to this review. It is a dated price receipt, not a ranking and not a paid placement.
