Side-by-side facts from official pages, checked 2026-10-15. Prices change often, so always confirm on the official site. Not sure which tool fits? Take the quiz.
| Cursor | Claude Code | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | AI-first code editor (VS Code-based) with agent, chat, cloud agents. | Anthropic's agentic coding tool for terminal/IDE, included in Claude paid plans. |
| Category | AI coding tools | AI coding tools |
| Free tier | Yes | No |
| Pricing | Free (limited); Plus $8/mo (Grok models only); Premium $30/mo; Super $100; Ultra $200. Pricing page now bundles Cursor with Grok/X features; third-party models billed at API list price. | Not in Free plan. Claude Pro $20/mo ($17/mo annual); Max from $100/mo. |
| Platforms | desktop | cli |
| Best for | existing codebases, full control over code, daily coding | autonomous multi-file changes, terminal users |
| Skill level | intermediate, advanced | intermediate, advanced |
| Latest release | Not verified yet | 2026-09-18: Claude Code v2.1.277 (AGENTS.md support) (source) |
| Rubric score | 56.0/100 | 45.0/100 |
| Source | official pricing | official pricing |
These "pick if" points come only from the listed facts. They don't judge output quality. Our scores follow the methodology. Read more: Cursor · Claude Code · Quiz