<!-- Canonical: https://www.agentlist.io/compare/claude-code-vs-cursor -->

# [Claude CodeAnthropic · cli-agent](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/claude-code)vs[CursorAnysphere · ai-ide](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/cursor)

Terminal agent vs AI IDE — the two most-discussed paid setups. Claude Code runs supervised tasks from the shell; Cursor keeps the agent inside a VS Code-style editor.

agentlist.io · spec diff · verified 2026-09-25 — list prices only, not benchmarks

SEC.01

## Spec diff

Claude CodeCursor

vendorAnthropicAnysphere

categorycli-agentai-ide

interfacescli · editor · apieditor · api

hostinglocallocal · cloud

pricingIncluded in Claude Pro $20/mo and Max ($100/$200); API pay-per-tokenHobby free; Pro $20/mo; Pro+ $60; Ultra $200; Teams $40/user

statusactively maintainedactively maintained

SEC.02

## Pick which

pick Claude Code if

You want a terminal-native agent that plans, runs, and commits — and you're fine without an IDE surface.

pick Cursor if

You want the agent in the editor with inline diffs, tab completion, and model switching.

watch out

They compose well — many teams run Cursor for editing and Claude Code for long supervised tasks.

SEC.03

## Feature notes

-   Claude Code
-   01Repo-wide reasoning
-   02Shell tools
-   03MCP
-   04Hooks and skills
-   05IDE extensions
-   06Fast mode (preview)

-   Cursor
-   01Tab completion
-   02Agent / Composer modes
-   03Project rules
-   04Model choice
-   05Cloud agents
-   06Code review helpers

FAQ

## Frequently asked

### Claude Code or Cursor — which should I pick?

Terminal agent vs AI IDE — the two most-discussed paid setups. Claude Code runs supervised tasks from the shell; Cursor keeps the agent inside a VS Code-style editor. Pick Claude Code if: You want a terminal-native agent that plans, runs, and commits — and you're fine without an IDE surface. Pick Cursor if: You want the agent in the editor with inline diffs, tab completion, and model switching.

### Is Claude Code or Cursor cheaper?

Claude Code: Included in Claude Pro $20/mo and Max ($100/$200); API pay-per-token. Cursor: Hobby free; Pro $20/mo; Pro+ $60; Ultra $200; Teams $40/user. List prices as of 2026-09-25; usage pools and seat terms change the real cost.

### Does Claude Code or Cursor run locally?

Claude Code hosting: local. Cursor hosting: local, cloud. Interfaces differ too: Claude Code exposes cli/editor/api, Cursor exposes editor/api.

### Are Claude Code and Cursor still maintained?

Claude Code: actively maintained. Cursor: actively maintained. Statuses are re-verified each catalog refresh (2026-09-25); see the changelog for the full history.

ALT

## More comparisons

-   [→Cursor vs Windsurf / Devin Desktop](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/cursor-vs-windsurf)
-   [→Claude Code vs Codex CLI](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/claude-code-vs-codex-cli)
-   [→GitHub Copilot vs Cursor](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/copilot-vs-cursor)
-   [→Aider vs Claude Code](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/aider-vs-claude-code)
-   [→Cline vs Roo Code](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/cline-vs-roo-code)
-   [→Devin vs Jules](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/devin-vs-jules)

A

## Claude Code

Claude Code is Anthropic's terminal-native coding agent: it plans, edits, runs commands, uses Git and MCP, and sustains long agentic loops.

[full spec sheet →](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/claude-code)

-   [↗ claude.com/product/claude-code](https://claude.com/product/claude-code)
-   [↗ claude.com/pricing](https://claude.com/pricing)

B

## Cursor

Cursor is a VS Code–based AI-native editor with repo-aware chat, multi-file edits, Composer/agent modes, and cloud background agents.

[full spec sheet →](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/cursor)

-   [↗ cursor.com/pricing](https://cursor.com/pricing)
-   [↗ cursor.com/docs/models-and-pricing](https://cursor.com/docs/models-and-pricing)

SRC

## Data

Fields come from the seed catalog, re-verified 2026-09-25. This page compares recorded specs — it does not rank performance. See the [changelog](https://www.agentlist.io/changelog) or the [JSON feed](https://www.agentlist.io/api/v1/systems).

---

Source: [Claude Code vs Cursor: spec comparison | agentlist.io](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/claude-code-vs-cursor). This is the public page rendered as Markdown; interactive controls require the website.