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Why people leave Cursor

Why are people leaving Cursor? Cursor's $8 Plus plan is an introductory plan, and only Grok models are available on it. On Premium and above, third-party models are billed at API list price. So here are 7 Cursor alternatives, with every price checked.

The short answer

The short answer. The best Cursor alternative overall is GitHub Copilot, at $10 a month. The best free plan is Windsurf, with unlimited Tab completions. The best open-source pick is Cline, licensed Apache 2.0. Cursor itself starts at $8 a month. Zekai checked these prices on vendor pages on November 14, 2026.

Cursor price and free plan in 2027

Cursor's price and free plan. The Free plan costs $0, with limited AI usage, limited agent requests and limited chat requests. Plus is $8 a month, but it is an introductory plan, and only Grok models are available on it. From Premium up, third-party models are billed at API list price.

GitHub Copilot: AI inside the IDE you already use

GitHub Copilot: best as a plugin inside the IDE you already use. Pro costs $10 a month. The free plan gives 2,000 completions a month, with limited chat and agent use. It runs in Visual Studio Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Xcode, Vim, Neovim and Eclipse, and Pro includes third-party agents like Claude Code and Codex. Switch if you want AI help in your existing IDE. Stay with Cursor if you prefer one editor built around agents.

Claude Code: terminal-first agentic coding

Claude Code: terminal-first agentic coding with Claude. It comes with the Claude Pro plan, at $17 a month, billed yearly. It is not sold separately, and the free plan does not include it. Usage limits reset every 5 hours and every week. Switch if you want an agent in the terminal that shares one subscription with Claude chat. Stay with Cursor if you want a graphical editor with inline edits and tab completion.

Windsurf: unlimited completions on the free plan

Windsurf: an editor with an unlimited-completion free plan. Free keeps unlimited Tab completions and inline edits, with a light quota for agents. Pro is $20 a month, and adds free use of Cognition's own SWE-2 model, plus Devin Cloud agents. Switch if you want a free editor with unlimited completions and a flat paid tier. Stay with Cursor if you need more than a light agent quota.

Zed: fast native editor, bring your own keys

Zed: a fast native editor where you bring your own keys. The Personal plan is $0 forever, with unlimited use through your own API keys or external agents. Pro is $10 a month, with unlimited edit predictions and $5 of tokens, then usage billing. Switch if you will supply your own model keys and want the lowest fixed price. Stay with Cursor if you want one subscription that bundles model usage.

Cline: open-source agent inside VS Code

Cline: the open-source agent inside VS Code. It is free under Apache 2.0, and you pay model providers directly. It asks for approval on every file edit and command, and works with Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, OpenRouter, or local models through Ollama and LM Studio. Switch if you want a free agent you can audit. Stay with Cursor if you want a bundled editor and plan.

Kilo Code: open-source agent with 500+ models

Kilo Code: an open-source agent with more than 500 models. It is MIT licensed, and runs in VS Code, JetBrains and a command line, with models at provider pricing and a web-based Cloud Agent. Switch if you want one agent across your IDE and terminal, with many models. Stay with Cursor if you would rather have a single polished editor.

Aider: git-native pair programming in the terminal

Aider: git-native pair programming in the terminal. It is open source under Apache 2.0. Aider maps your whole codebase, commits each change to git with a clear message, and can lint and test after every edit. Switch if you live in the terminal and want every AI change committed. Stay with Cursor if you review diffs in a graphical editor.

Cost for a team of 5

Cost for a team of 5. If each of 5 people buys the entry paid plan, GitHub Copilot costs $50 a month, Zed $50, and Claude Code $85, against $40 for Cursor Plus. Remember, Cursor Plus runs Grok models only. Team and business plans can cost more per seat. Change the team size in the Zekai Cost Finder.

Which one should you pick?

Which one should you pick? For most developers, GitHub Copilot. For a free editor, Windsurf. And for open source, Cline.

Live table and price alerts

The live table, the team cost finder and price alerts are on zekaiwork.com, slash alternatives, slash Cursor. Prices change, and Zekai tells you when they do.