Short verdict: Claude Code has no separate price — it comes with Claude Pro at $20 ($17 yearly), so one subscription covers a general assistant and a coding agent. Cursor Pro costs the same but is a full editor that lets you choose models from several labs.

Choose Claude Code if

  • You prefer working in the terminal or inside your current editor.
  • You want one subscription for chat, writing and coding.
  • You'll pay yearly: Claude Pro at $17/month.

Choose Cursor if

  • You want a visual editor with completions, agent and review in one place.
  • You want to switch models depending on the task.
  • You don't need a general writing assistant outside coding.

If you hit limits every day

The top tiers are similar: Claude Max at $100 or $200, and Cursor Pro+ at $60 or Ultra at $200 — Cursor has a $60 middle step. Don't pay for both; pick the tool you spend most of your day in.

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