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Cline vs CursorPricing compared

Cline and Cursor charge for AI coding in opposite ways. Cline is a $0 open-source extension where you bring your own API key and pay the model provider for what you use. Cursor is an AI editor with a $0 Hobby plan and a flat $20 a month for Pro, with model access included. Which is cheaper depends on how much you use the agent.

Prices checked Page updated

Cline and Cursor prices, side by side

USD, list prices
Cline
Cursor
$0 planThe whole extension; you pay the model providerHobby: no card needed, limited Agent requests
Main paid optionOptional ClinePass: $9.99/monthPro: $20/month before tax
Heavy usePay per token, no capPro Plus $60 or Ultra $200/month
Student priceNone listedNone listed; students start on Hobby

Read from each tool's official pricing page. Prices checked .

Cline pricing and dealsCursor pricing and deals

The price difference, in detail

With Cline, the tool itself never costs anything: you connect Anthropic, OpenAI, Google or another provider and pay their per-token rates, or add ClinePass at $9.99 a month for a bundle of open-weight models. That makes a light month very cheap, and a heavy month as expensive as the tokens you burn.

Cursor turns that into a subscription. Hobby is $0 with no card but limited Agent requests; Pro is $20 a month before tax, Pro Plus $60 and Ultra $200 for more usage, and Teams $40 per user. Neither tool lists a student price. Cursor's students page points to Hobby and occasional campus promotions, and in India Cursor sells a Start plan at ₹649 a month with tax included.

Which one fits you

  • Pick Cline if you code in bursts, already have an API key, or want to choose your own models and pay only for what you use.
  • Pick Cursor if you use the agent every day and would rather pay one predictable $20 a month than watch an API bill.

The tradeoffs

  • Cline

    The extension is $0 and you pay provider rates, so a quiet month costs very little, but a heavy month has no cap

  • Cursor

    Pro is a flat $20 a month (before tax), with Pro Plus at $60 and Ultra at $200 for more usage

  • Both

    Cline adds an optional ClinePass at $9.99 a month for bundled open-weight models (GLM, Kimi, DeepSeek, Qwen)

  • Both

    Cursor has a cheaper Start plan in India at ₹649 a month, tax included; Cline's price depends only on your provider

Live deals on Cline and Cursor

Official trials, promos and discounts we have checked on each tool's own page, with the date.

No live deal on Cline that we have checked right now. Cline pricing and cheaper plans.

Questions about Cline and Cursor

Is Cline or Cursor cheaper?

Cline has the lower entry price. Paid plans for Cline start at $9.99 a month and for Cursor at $20 a month. Those are list prices: yearly billing, student pricing and live deals can change which one costs you less, and the table above shows each.

Do Cline and Cursor have a $0 plan?

Yes, both. Cline and Cursor each have a plan that costs $0, so what matters is whose limits you hit first. The side-by-side table above lists what each one includes.

Can Cursor replace Cline?

They are direct alternatives: we list both under Coding. Whether Cursor replaces Cline for you comes down to the tradeoffs above and which plan limits you would run into first.

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