Cursor is an AI coding tool built around an editor, a command line tool and agents that can work in the cloud. Many developers know it as a standalone product with a simple monthly plan. That picture is out of date. According to the vendor’s pricing documentation, Cursor is now sold as part of a bundle called The X Subscription, which combines Grok, Grok Bot, Cursor and X Premium on one plan.
This review covers what Cursor documents about its features, how the new plan structure works, what the data and privacy settings mean, and who should look at it. It is written for people choosing a coding assistant, including non-developers who manage a technical team and need to understand the cost model.
How we researched this: we did not run hands-on tests for this article. It is based on the vendor’s own documentation and public sources, checked on 11 November 2026. Features and prices change, so confirm details on the vendor’s site before you buy.
Key takeaways
- The premise has changed: xAI announced The X Subscription on 12 October 2026, and Cursor’s own pricing page now sells Cursor plans under that name, with Grok and X included.
- Listed plans are Free, Plus ($8 per month), Premium ($30), Super ($100) and Ultra ($200), plus Teams and Enterprise. Older Cursor plans such as Pro at $20 remain for existing subscribers.
- Usage comes from a weekly pool shared across Cursor and Grok. Third-party models are billed at API list price from prepaid credit and are not in the pool, and are only available from Premium upwards.
- Privacy depends on Privacy Mode. Cursor says that with it on, data is not used for training by Cursor or model providers. With it off, Cursor says it may use data to train its models.
- Cloud Agents run in isolated virtual machines, need Premium or higher, and are the one feature Cursor says stores code, only while the agent runs.
What it is
Cursor describes itself through a set of surfaces: an editor (Cursor IDE), a command line interface, an SDK, and agents. Its documentation says Agent is included in every plan, and that cloud agents and automations are available from the Premium plan upwards. Its release notes show regular releases; the latest entries we read were dated 20 to 22 October 2026 and covered the IDE, the Agents Window, the CLI and the SDK.
The change to a bundle
On 12 October 2026, xAI announced The X Subscription, a single plan that bundles Grok, Grok Bot, Cursor and X Premium. The announcement says existing SuperGrok, Cursor and X Premium subscribers can keep their plans or switch, with a prorated refund for the old plan. Cursor’s help centre confirms that Cursor is sold as part of The X Subscription and describes its older plans as legacy plans for existing subscribers. If you search for Cursor pricing from older articles, expect numbers that no longer match the vendor’s page.
The vendor’s pricing page mixes Cursor pricing with X and Grok branding, so read it carefully and confirm what you are buying.
Who it is for
From the documentation, Cursor is aimed at people who write or review code for a living and want an agent that can edit across a codebase, run in the background and open pull requests. It also targets teams that want central billing, usage analytics, single sign-on and a shared marketplace for rules, skills and plugins.
- Individual developers who want an editor with agents and are comfortable with usage-based extras.
- Engineering teams who want Cloud Agents that run in the cloud and return pull requests, screenshots and logs.
- Organisations with compliance needs, who can look at the Enterprise tier with pooled usage, SCIM, audit logs and invoice billing.
It is less suited to people who only want occasional code snippets, or who do not want an AI vendor bundled with a social media subscription.
Key features (documented)
| Feature | What Cursor documents | Plan availability |
|---|---|---|
| Agent and chat | Agent, Chat and Tab completions with Cursor models | Every plan, with limited use on Free |
| Auto | Automatic model selection with Cost, Balance and Intelligence modes | Premium and above; Balance and Intelligence need Teams or Enterprise with Cursor Router |
| Cloud Agents | Agents in isolated virtual machines with a full development environment | Premium and above |
| Automations, Bugbot, Origin | Automations, AI code reviews (Bugbot) and code hosting (Origin) | Premium and above |
| Third-party models | Models from other vendors at API list price from prepaid credit | Premium and above |
| Team features | Central billing, usage analytics, SSO, team marketplace | Teams and Enterprise |
Cloud Agents in more detail
Cursor’s documentation says Cloud Agents run in isolated virtual machines. They clone your repository from GitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps or Bitbucket Cloud, work on a separate branch and push changes back for review. They can build and test software, use a desktop and browser, and connect to MCP servers. You can start them from the desktop app, the web, the iOS app, Slack, GitHub or Bitbucket comments, Linear or the API. Outputs include pull requests, screenshots, videos and logs. For readers new to the idea, our guide to AI agents explained for non-technical readers covers the basics.
Models
The documentation lists Cursor models in the weekly pool (Grok 4.7, Grok 4.6, Grok 4.5 and Composer 2.5) and third-party models outside it, including models from Anthropic, Google and OpenAI. Model names and rates change often, so we do not reproduce the full list here.
Pricing model
Checked on 11 November 2026, prices in US dollars excluding tax. Confirm on Cursor’s pricing page.
| Plan | Monthly | Annual | Included usage and key points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | n/a | Limited Agent and Chat usage |
| Plus | $8 | $80 | Cursor models only, fixed settings; no Auto, Cloud Agents or third-party models |
| Premium | $30 | $300 | 4x Plus usage; adds Auto, Cloud Agents, Automations, Bugbot, Origin and third-party models |
| Super | $100 | $1,000 | 15x Plus usage; priority model access at peak times |
| Ultra | $200 | $2,000 | 50x Plus usage; earliest access to new products and models |
| Teams | $30, $100 or $200 per seat | n/a listed | Seat tier matches Premium, Super or Ultra; Plus is not offered for teams |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom | Pooled usage, invoicing, SCIM, audit logs |
How usage is metered
- Paid plans share a weekly usage pool for Cursor models across Cursor and Grok, including Agent, CLI, Cloud Agents and Grok apps.
- Third-party models are not in the pool. They are billed at API list price from prepaid credit, from the first request.
- When the pool runs out, you can wait for the weekly reset, use credit or upgrade. Cursor says requests are not downgraded in quality or speed.
- You can enable Auto Top-up and set a monthly additional usage limit.
- Teams and Enterprise can pay a Cursor Token Rate of $0.25 per million tokens on eligible third-party models on top of API pricing. Individual plans do not.
Legacy plans
Existing subscribers can keep older plans: Hobby (free), Pro ($20), Pro+ ($60), Ultra ($200), and Teams Standard ($40 per user) and Premium ($120 per user). They use two monthly usage pools and on-demand usage rather than top-ups. A UK or EU buyer should also check local currency and tax treatment, and read how to read an AI tool’s pricing page before comparing.
Strengths
- Breadth of surfaces. Editor, CLI, SDK, web and mobile entry points, and Slack and ticket-tool triggers are documented.
- Background work. Cloud Agents can run in parallel without keeping your laptop online, according to the docs.
- Choice of models. Cursor’s own models plus third-party models, so you are not tied to one vendor’s model.
- Clear spend controls. Cursor says you are asked to set a spend limit when you first start a Cloud Agent, and you can set monthly additional usage limits.
- Published security statements. The pricing page lists SOC 2, ISO 27001, ISO 42001 and AIUC-1 certifications. We could not confirm the details of these from an independent source.
Limits and cautions
| Caution | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Plan structure has just changed | The bundle was announced on 12 October 2026. Reviews and videos from earlier months may describe plans that no longer apply to new customers. |
| Usage is hard to forecast | A weekly pool, prepaid credit for third-party models and multiple model rates make monthly cost depend on how you work. |
| Cheapest paid plan is narrow | Plus excludes Auto, Cloud Agents and third-party models. |
| Bundled with other products | You are buying Grok and X Premium too, which may not matter to you or may be a reason to look elsewhere. |
| Agents change code | Any agent can produce wrong or insecure code. Review pull requests before merging. |
Security cautions for Cloud Agents
Cursor’s documentation recommends adding secrets through the Cloud Agents dashboard instead of saving environment files in snapshots, because snapshots can save local environment files if you include them. You can restrict outbound domains and connect to private networks. Teammates can view a run only if they are on the same team and have their own repository access.
Privacy and data
Cursor’s data use page distinguishes Privacy Mode on and off.
| Setting | What Cursor says |
|---|---|
| Privacy Mode on | Customer data is not used for training by Cursor. Cursor says it has zero data retention agreements with model providers, who say they will not store or train on the data. Providers may run abuse classifiers, and flagged data may be stored for investigation. |
| Privacy Mode off | Cursor may use and store codebase data, prompts, editor actions and code snippets to improve its AI features and train its models. |
| File caching | File contents are cached temporarily to reduce latency, encrypted, and not permanently stored. |
| Cloud Agents | The only feature that stores code: encrypted repository copies kept only while the agent runs. |
Other points from the enterprise documentation: Privacy Mode is on by default for Enterprise teams and admins can enforce it. Some Claude models (the Fable series) are an exception to zero retention, because Anthropic retains inputs and outputs for harm-prevention reviews, and Enterprise and Privacy Mode customers must approve this before use. We could not confirm from the pages we read what the default setting is for individual plans, so check the setting yourself on day one. Even with your own API key, Cursor says requests still pass through its backend. For company policy, see how to protect company data when using AI tools.
Alternatives
- GitHub Copilot if you want an assistant inside the editors and GitHub workflow you already use. See our GitHub Copilot review.
- A general assistant with a coding tool, such as Claude with Claude Code, if you prefer a vendor that sells its own models. See our Claude review.
- A free tier first, if you want to check how an agent behaves on your own repositories before paying.
Who should and should not use it
Best for you if
- You want an agent-first editor and are happy to manage a usage-based budget.
- You value choosing between several model vendors in one tool.
- Your team needs Cloud Agents and can set spend limits and review output.
Look elsewhere if
- You want one flat price and no extras.
- You do not want a bundle that includes Grok and X Premium.
- Your policy forbids code leaving your network, unless Enterprise controls and self-hosted options meet it.
Questions to ask before buying
- Which plan tier do I need, given that Plus excludes Auto, Cloud Agents and third-party models?
- What is my realistic monthly spend, including prepaid credit for third-party models?
- Is Privacy Mode on for every user, and can an admin enforce it?
- Do I accept the retention exception for certain Claude models?
- If I am on a legacy plan, what do I lose or gain by switching?
- What is the refund position if I switch from an existing Cursor, SuperGrok or X Premium plan?
Test on a real repository using how to test an AI tool before you pay for it, and review generated code as you would any contributor’s.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cursor still $20 a month?
The legacy Pro plan was listed at $20 per month for existing subscribers. For new customers, Cursor’s page lists the X Subscription plans, where Premium is $30 per month. Check the live page.
What is The X Subscription?
A plan announced by xAI on 12 October 2026 that bundles Grok, Grok Bot, Cursor and X Premium.
Does Cursor train on my code?
Cursor says it does not when Privacy Mode is on, and that it may when Privacy Mode is off.
Do I need Premium for Cloud Agents?
Cursor’s documentation says Cloud Agents require Premium or higher, Teams, Enterprise or a legacy paid plan.
Can I use third-party models?
Yes, from Premium upwards, billed at API list price from prepaid credit and not included in the weekly pool.
Does AI-written code need review?
Yes. Read how to check AI output for mistakes and apply normal code review.
Conclusion
Cursor remains a feature-rich AI coding environment on paper, but the way you buy it has changed. The vendor now sells it inside a bundle, with a weekly usage pool, separate billing for third-party models and a privacy setting that matters a great deal. Read the current pricing page, confirm Privacy Mode, and set spend limits before running agents.
For a wider method, start with how to choose an AI tool and compare it with the GitHub Copilot review. This is not a recommendation that Cursor is better or worse than any other tool, because we did not test it.
Sources
- Pricing and plans (Cursor Help), accessed 11 November 2026
- Models and pricing (Cursor docs), accessed 11 November 2026
- Cursor pricing page, accessed 11 November 2026
- Introducing The X Subscription (xAI), 12 October 2026, accessed 11 November 2026
- Cloud Agents (Cursor docs), accessed 11 November 2026
- Data use and privacy overview (Cursor), accessed 11 November 2026
- Privacy and data governance (Cursor docs), accessed 11 November 2026
- Release notes (Cursor docs), accessed 11 November 2026
