Super
$100/mo
Annual: $1,000/yr
Limits 15x Plus weekly usage; priority model access at peak times.Source: cursor.com · checked 2026-10-16
Cursor vs Claude Code pricing (Oct 2026)
Cursor starts at $8/mo, Claude Code at $20/mo. Only Cursor has a free plan. Every plan from both vendors, the limits each one actually publishes, and what changed recently, with a source on every line.
The short answer
Verdict from the data
- Cheaper to start
- Cursor. Cursor Plus is $8/mo; the cheapest Claude Code plan, Claude Code via Claude Pro, is $20/mo ($12 more).
- Free plan
- Only Cursor. Claude Code has no free plan.
- Top of the ladder
- Cursor Ultra at $200/mo vs Claude Code via Claude Max 20x at $200/mo.
- Paying yearly
- Cursor takes up to 17% off (Plus); Claude Code takes up to 15% off (Claude Pro).
- Hard numbers
- Neither vendor publishes exact allowances, so the limits below are quoted, not counted.
- Latest move
- Cursor, 12 Oct 2026: Cursor moves into The X Subscription: new Plus $8 / Premium $30 / Super $100 / Ultra $200 plans with a weekly pool.
Pick Cursor if you want the lowest monthly bill and you need to start at $0. Beyond price and free access, the deciding factor is which models and features you need; we track the money, not the model quality.
Head to head
| Fact | Cursor | Claude Code |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Free tier | No free tier |
| Cheapest plan | Plus · $8/mo | Via Claude Pro · $20/mo |
| Top plan | Ultra · $200/mo | Via Claude Max 20x · $200/mo |
| Plans tracked | 5 | 4 |
| Yearly discount | up to 17% | up to 15% |
| Allowance periods | Weekly | 5-hourWeekly |
| Latest change | plan restructure | None logged |
| Last checked |
Closest price match: Cursor Super vs Claude Code via Claude Max 5x
Via Claude Max 5x
$100/mo
Limits 5x Pro per-session allowance; five-hour session + general weekly limit + separate weekly Fable limit, shared with Claude.Source: support.claude.com · checked 2026-10-16
Every plan side by side
| Tool | Plan | Price | Limits as stated & source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cursor | Plus | $8/mo | Base weekly usage pool for Cursor models, shared across Grok and Cursor; refreshes weekly. Only Grok models; third-party models not available. Absolute pool size not published. Source: cursor.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Cursor | Premium | $30/mo | 4x Plus weekly usage. Third-party models at API list price from prepaid credit. Adds Cloud Agents, Bugbot, Origin hosting. Source: cursor.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Cursor | Super | $100/mo | 15x Plus weekly usage; priority model access at peak times. Source: cursor.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Cursor | Ultra | $200/mo | 50x Plus weekly usage; earliest access to new products/models. Source: cursor.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Cursor | Teams | $30/mo | Each seat matches the weekly usage of the matching individual tier; third-party models at API list price + $0.25/M token Cursor Token Rate. Source: cursor.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Claude Code | Via Claude Pro | $20/mo | Five-hour session limit and weekly limit, shared with Claude chat (web/desktop/mobile). Usage credits can be enabled to continue past limits. Counts not published. Source: support.claude.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Claude Code | Via Claude Max 5x | $100/mo | 5x Pro per-session allowance; five-hour session + general weekly limit + separate weekly Fable limit, shared with Claude. Source: support.claude.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Claude Code | Via Claude Max 20x | $200/mo | 20x Pro per-session allowance; same limit structure as Max 5x. Source: support.claude.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Claude Code | API (pay-as-you-go) | Usage billed at API token rates | No subscription limit; pay per token. Source: claude.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
Free plans
| Tool | Free? | What you get for $0 & source |
|---|---|---|
| Cursor | Free tier | Free plan $0/month: 'Limited agent requests', 'Limited Chat requests'. No third-party models (Claude/GPT/Gemini) on Free. Exact request counts not published. Source: cursor.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
| Claude Code | No free tier | Not included in the Free Claude plan (pricing table: Claude Code 'No' on Free). Can alternatively be used pay-as-you-go with API credits via a Console account. Source: claude.com · checked 2026-10-16 |
Recent price and limit changes
-
plan restructureCursor moves into The X Subscription: new Plus $8 / Premium $30 / Super $100 / Ultra $200 plans with a weekly pool
New customers now buy Cursor as part of The X Subscription (Grok + Cursor + X). Usage moves from two monthly pools to one weekly pool shared with Grok; third-party models (Claude, GPT, Gemini) are no longer included and bill at API list price on Premium and above. Legacy Pro ($20), Pro+ ($60), Ultra ($200) continue for existing subscribers.
-
limit changeCursor Pro switches from 500 requests/month to $20 of frontier-model usage at API rates
Cursor later apologized (July 4, 2025) for the unclear rollout and offered refunds for unexpected charges between June 16 and July 4.
Questions people ask
Which is cheaper, Cursor or Claude Code?
Cursor is cheaper to start: Cursor Plus costs $8/mo, against $20/mo for Claude Code via Claude Pro. At the top end, Cursor Ultra is $200/mo and Claude Code via Claude Max 20x is $200/mo.
Is Cursor or Claude Code free?
Cursor: Yes. Free plan $0/month: 'Limited agent requests', 'Limited Chat requests'. No third-party models (Claude/GPT/Gemini) on Free. Exact request counts not published. Claude Code: No. Not included in the Free Claude plan (pricing table: Claude Code 'No' on Free). Can alternatively be used pay-as-you-go with API credits via a Console account.
How do the usage limits compare at the closest price?
Cursor Super ($100/mo): 15x Plus weekly usage; priority model access at peak times. Claude Code via Claude Max 5x ($100/mo): 5x Pro per-session allowance; five-hour session + general weekly limit + separate weekly Fable limit, shared with Claude.
Is it cheaper to pay yearly?
Cursor: up to 17% off when billed yearly (Plus: $6.67/mo instead of $8). Claude Code: up to 15% off when billed yearly (Claude Pro: $17/mo instead of $20).
When did Cursor and Claude Code last change their pricing?
12 Oct 2026, Cursor: Cursor moves into The X Subscription: new Plus $8 / Premium $30 / Super $100 / Ultra $200 plans with a weekly pool. 16 Jun 2025, Cursor: Cursor Pro switches from 500 requests/month to $20 of frontier-model usage at API rates.
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