// head_to_head
Cline vs Cursor
Plans, included models and benchmark scores for Cline and Cursor, side by side — and which to pick for what.
All coding toolsPlans checked 2026-10-27
Cursor: SpaceXAI completed its acquisition of Cursor on August 14, 2026. The $8 Plus plan offers Grok models only.
Which to choose
- You want the strongest model for coding work: Cline. Its best included model, Claude Fable 5.1, scores 97.7 on LiveBench coding against 84.5 for SpaceXAI: Grok 4.7 on Cursor.
- You want the strongest model for long-horizon agentic work: Cline. Its best included model, Claude Fable 5.1, scores 77.9 on LiveBench long-horizon agentic against 46.1 for SpaceXAI: Grok 4.7 on Cursor.
- You don’t want a subscription: Cline. Cline has no paid individual plan; you pay only for model usage.
- You want to pay per token with your own API key: Cline. Cline accepts your own API key, so cost tracks usage instead of a plan’s limits.
- You want to switch between labs’ models: Cline. Cline works with any model you have a key for.
Side by side
| Cline | Cursor | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Cline (open source) | SpaceXAI |
| Where you use it | VS Code extension and CLI | AI code editor (VS Code fork) with cloud agents |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Paid from | Tokens only | $8/mo · Plus |
| Best coding model | Any model | 84.5SpaceXAI: Grok 4.7 |
| Best agentic model | Any model | 46.1SpaceXAI: Grok 4.7 |
| Own API key | Yes | No |
| Open source | Yes | No |
Cline plans and models
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Open Source | Free | Free extension and CLI; inference at cost or with your own key |
| Enterpriseteam | Customcustom | SSO, RBAC, centralised billing, SLA |
| Model | Coding | Long-horizon agentic | Same work via API |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Fable 5.1 | 97.7 | 77.9 | $6,540/mo |
| Claude Opus 5.5 | 96.3 | 72.8 | $2,672/mo |
| DeepSeek V4.1 Flash 1017 | 96.0 | 40.9 | $171.36/mo |
| GPT-6.1 Sol | 96.0 | 68.7 | $1,336/mo |
| Claude Sonnet 5.5 | 94.7 | 63.4 | $1,336/mo |
Any model you have a key for — you pay the provider directly at cost.
Cursor plans and models
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Limited chat and agent requestsModels not named by the vendor |
| Plus | $8/mo | Shared usage pool; Grok models only |
| Premium | $30/mo | 4× Plus usage; cloud agents and automations+ Third-party models at API list price |
| Super | $100/mo | 15× Plus usage; priority access at peak+ Third-party models at API list price |
| Ultra | $200/mo | 50× Plus usage; earliest access to new models+ Third-party models at API list price |
| Teamsteam | $30/moper user · from | Pooled usage, 4–50× Plus+ Third-party models at API list price |
| Model | Coding | Long-horizon agentic | Same work via API |
|---|---|---|---|
| SpaceXAI: Grok 4.7 | 84.5 | 46.1 | $1,240/mo |
Grok models are included; third-party models are billed separately at API list price.
Cline vs Cursor FAQ
Is Cline or Cursor cheaper?
Cline has no paid individual plan — you pay only for tokens.
Which is better if you want the strongest model for coding work?
Cline. Its best included model, Claude Fable 5.1, scores 97.7 on LiveBench coding against 84.5 for SpaceXAI: Grok 4.7 on Cursor.
Which is better if you want the strongest model for long-horizon agentic work?
Cline. Its best included model, Claude Fable 5.1, scores 77.9 on LiveBench long-horizon agentic against 46.1 for SpaceXAI: Grok 4.7 on Cursor.
Do Cline and Cursor have free plans?
Cline: yes. Cursor: yes.
Where these numbers come from
- Plans and prices — each vendor's own pricing page, checked 2026-10-27: Cline, Cursor. Usage allowances change often; check before you buy.
- Model scores — LiveBench coding and long-horizon agentic categories for the models each plan includes, live from the same data as the leaderboard. A tool's own agent loop matters too; these scores rate the model, not the tool.
- “Same work via API” — a heavy coding-agent month (40K tokens in, 4K out, 20K requests, 70% cached input) at OpenRouter list price, for comparing a subscription against paying per token.