Earl Grey
Cursor"Propina", a USD/MXN tip calculator for the Hacktoberfest/MLH Build a Mini App challenge. One prompt, one commit, live on GitHub Pages in 8 minutes
Limits comparison
Cursor vs Claude Code
Plans, usage limits, what happens at the limit, model scores, real build spend and use cases, side by side.
Data checked · every row links its source
The verdict, from the data
Cursor is in our AI IDEs group, Claude Code in Coding agents.
Better for you if…
Cursor
- Lower entry price: Plus at $8/mo vs Claude Code Pro (Claude) at $20/mo.
- Has a free plan (Free); Claude Code doesn't list one.
Better for you if…
Claude Code
No clear data edge in what we track.
It depends
- Model scores: Cursor lets you pick models from several labs, so the score depends on the model you choose.
- Usage per dollar: the two tools meter usage in different units, so we don't rank them on it.
- Reported build spend: Cursor median $200 (n=3), Claude Code median $100 (n=9).
Each line is computed from our plan, score and cost data. It isn't a quality ranking. Data checked .
Latest models
CursorMulti-model: you pick models from several labs. See the plan table for what each plan includes.
Claude Code · latest Claude modelsClaude Haiku 5.5 Oct 7, 2026 · Claude Sonnet 5.5 Sep 28, 2026 · Claude Opus 5.5 Sep 22, 2026 · Claude Fable 5.1
Release dates from the vendors' official pages, checked Oct 17, 2026. Older models are hidden from the score charts below.
Price
CursorClaude Code
Plans and limits
Cursor
| Plan | Price | Included | Resets | At the limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free partial | $0/mo | Agent and Chat with 'limited' usage (no numeric limit); Cursor models only, no third-party models | unverified (weekly refresh is documented for paid plans) | Not confirmed |
| Plus | $8/mo | Base weekly pool; Grok 4.7/4.6/4.5 + Composer 2.5 only; no Auto, Cloud Agents, Automations, Bugbot, Origin, third-party models or BYOK | Weekly | Buy a top-up |
| Premium | $30/mo | 4x Plus usage; third-party models at API list price | Weekly | Buy a top-up |
| Super | $100/mo | 15x Plus usage | Weekly | Buy a top-up |
| Ultra | $200/mo | 50x Plus usage | Weekly | Buy a top-up |
| Teams | $30, $100 or $200 per seat/mo | Each seat matches Premium/Super/Ultra weekly usage | Weekly | Buy a top-up |
| Enterprise partial | Custom | Pooled usage across Grok and Cursor; invoicing, SCIM, granular spend controls, audit logs | per contract | Not confirmed |
Sources: cursor.com · cursor.com · cursor.com · checked 2026-10-16
Claude Code
| Plan | Price | Included | Resets | At the limit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pro (Claude) | $20/mo monthly | Claude Code included; usage limits, no fixed message count | Rolling 5-hour session window + weekly limits (weekly size not published) | Usage-billed |
| Max 5x | $100/mo | 5x Pro per-session usage; $100/mo API credits | Session limit resets every 5 hours; weekly limit across all models resets at a fixed weekly time assigned to your account | Usage-billed |
| Max 20x | $200/mo | 20x Pro per-session usage; $200/mo API credits | Session limit resets every 5 hours; weekly limit across all models resets at a fixed weekly time assigned to your account | Usage-billed |
| Team Standard | $25/seat/mo | Claude Code included with every seat; shared pool with Claude | unverified | Not confirmed |
| Team Premium | $125/seat/mo | Claude Code included with every seat; shared pool with Claude | unverified | Not confirmed |
| Enterprise | $20/seat/mo + API-rate usage | Claude Code included with every seat; shared pool with Claude | unverified | Not confirmed |
Sources: claude.com · support.claude.com · support.claude.com · checked 2026-10-16
Model scores by category
Best non-preliminary score from each tool's current model lineup (newest generation only) on one board per category. Older models are left out. Bars run from the lowest to the highest score on that board. These are third-party model scores, not tool scores.
CursorClaude Code
LMArena WebDev Arena · Terminal-Bench 4.0 · Design Arena (All categories) · Android Bench 2.0 (long-horizon, 30 tasks)
What builders say they spent
Cursor$130–$419median $200 · n = 3 · paid
Claude Code$50–$130median $100 · n = 9 · paid
Estimate from user reports, p25–p75. How costs are counted →
Use cases
@chongdashu
CursorA multiplayer capture-the-flag 3D game "using Cursor" with Gemini 4 Argon
@sudoingX
CursorA Cursor agent running Opus 5.5 was blocked mid-deploy: "53 files edited … request blocked under anthropic's usage policy. no rule named"
@froessell
Claude CodeThree.js arena-shooter web game launched on CrazyGames
HamadMalikKhan
Claude CodeGave Claude Code a baseline website, ad accounts and a budget; the site is personalized per visitor with DeepSeek
yureki_lab
Claude CodeAudited and made 140 Celery background jobs idempotent after a double-charge incident
FAQ
Is Cursor or Claude Code cheaper?
Cursor's cheapest individual paid plan is Plus at $8/mo; Claude Code's is Pro (Claude) at $20/mo (checked 2026-10-16). Usage is metered differently, so cheaper doesn't mean more usage.
Does Cursor or Claude Code have a free plan?
Cursor: yes (Free). Claude Code: no free plan listed.
What happens when you hit the limit on Cursor vs Claude Code?
Cursor Plus: Buy a top-up. Claude Code Pro (Claude): Usage-billed.
Which scores higher on coding benchmarks, Cursor or Claude Code?
It depends on the model you use. At least one side is multi-model or both use the same model family, so the boards don't separate them.