Cursor IDE is free to start on the Hobby tier, but serious daily agent use often needs a paid plan. A student discount exists separately and must be verified on Cursor’s site. India’s Start plan costs ₹649/month tax inclusive for Cursor Models only. Pro begins at $20/mo before tax with both model pools and paid extras. There is no honest “fully unlimited free forever” claim—check live Hobby caps before promising them to a team.
Free versus freemium
Hobby covers installation and limited usage so you can learn Tab and Agent. It is not the same as VS Code’s fully free model with optional paid Copilot. Cursor’s business is subscriptions layered on a VS Code fork.
When marketing says free, read the Hobby footnote on the pricing page. Answer stakeholders with three buckets: Hobby free, student-verified discount, and paid Start or Pro for real throughput. Do not promise unlimited free agents; point people at the live Hobby meter instead of a remembered blog number.
Paid rungs after Hobby
Start (India): ₹649/month tax inclusive, Cursor Models only, no Fast mode, Grok effort fixed medium. Pro/Pro+/Ultra: $20/$60/$200 before tax with both pools and paid features like unlimited Tab, extended agents, Bugbot, and Cloud Agents.
Student offers can reduce paid cost after verification. Do not promise unlimited free agents; point people at the live Hobby meter instead of a remembered blog number. Clarify that free Cursor still keeps files on disk like VS Code, while paid tiers mainly change models and limits.
How to answer “is it free?” at work
- Yes to try: Hobby.
- Maybe discounted: student verification.
- No for full Other Models: need Pro+.
Clarify that free Cursor still keeps files on disk like VS Code, while paid tiers mainly change models and limits. Answer stakeholders with three buckets: Hobby free, student-verified discount, and paid Start or Pro for real throughput. Do not promise unlimited free agents; point people at the live Hobby meter instead of a remembered blog number. Write the intended model pool and plan name into your notes before the session so you do not discover a Start exclusion mid-task. Keep git status clean before agent runs, and recheck Cursor pricing when your seat or model needs change.
Related on this site
Frequently asked questions
-
Is there a free trial besides Hobby?
Hobby is the ongoing free tier. Any time-boxed trials should be confirmed in your account or on Cursoru2019s site at signup. Do not assume a universal multi-week Pro trial. Point managers at Hobby versus paid cards so nobody assumes VS Code-style free forever.
-
Can students get Cursor free?
Students may receive a discount after verification. Whether that reaches zero cost depends on the live offer. Check Cursoru2019s student flow rather than social media screenshots. Point managers at Hobby versus paid cards so nobody assumes VS Code-style free forever.
-
Is Start cheaper than Pro in India?
Start is u20b9649 tax inclusive for Cursor Models only. Pro is $20/mo before tax with broader access. Convert with tax and compare features, not only the headline number. Point managers at Hobby versus paid cards so nobody assumes VS Code-style free forever.
-
Does free Cursor keep files local?
Yes. Cursor is a VS Code fork; files stay on disk for normal local work on Hobby the same as on paid plans. Point managers at Hobby versus paid cards so nobody assumes VS Code-style free forever. Verify the live Cursor account meter before you promise capacity.
Sources
Bdeb Technology builds websites, WordPress systems, and tools on top of models like these. A written quote comes back within 24 hours.