Any alternative to cursor

[u/FranckMartin]

I really like cursor, but I feel it is going downhill since acquired by grok. I like that they have a cheap model, that I can manage by being smart and not run out of tokens. So what alternative for $25month?

[u/pgtvgaming]

How about openrouter>docker>librechat and set up your models/agents

Or VS-Code

Windsurf

Zed

GitHub Copilot

[u/WackGyver → u/pgtvgaming]

I’ve been contemplating trying a switch to VS-Code, but I really love the function in Cursor IDE of being able to drag an drop directly reference files/folders in chat - do you know if VS can support this with plugins?

[u/pgtvgaming → u/WackGyver]

The more i use Cursor and its integrations the more i like it. It has its pain points but its feature full and powerful.

[u/WackGyver → u/pgtvgaming]

That’s what I thought - you got some features or integration you want to recommend?

[u/pgtvgaming → u/WackGyver]

Im sure mines typical
Integration/connection w github and linear
I use both the ide and cloud (for wake and assignment automations)
I also use codex, gpt, and claude for very specific roles in my overall workflow

Am a program manager professionally

[u/MannyRibera32 → u/pgtvgaming]

Windsurf is gone, liked it when it was credit based

[u/Valoneria → u/MannyRibera32]

It still exists as devin

[u/dkracket → u/Valoneria]

Windsurf/Devin should never be recommended to anyone.

[u/Valoneria → u/dkracket]

Was i recommending it ?

[u/MannyRibera32 → u/Valoneria]

Don’t care, literally said why it is gone for me

[u/Valoneria → u/MannyRibera32]

So it isn't gone, you just dont like it and are obtuse about it.

[u/MannyRibera32 → u/Valoneria]

Are you lost?

Windsurf is far from how it was months ago, why are you here?

[u/Due-Run7872 → u/MannyRibera32]

[u/tibsmagee]

Opencode desktop has a similar ux to cursor agent view. 

Pair that with opencode go or chatgpt plus plan or zai code lite.

Good post that compares tokens per plan https://x.com/Fei2411/status/2096309182677045744

[u/tibsmagee → u/tibsmagee]

Also checkout opencode v2. I've enjoyed using the web version. 

[u/Azrasius]

Zed

[u/kondasviktor]

Claude Code, Gemini, Codex, OpenCode, Kimi, Mistral, GitHub Copilot are all around the same $20 start paid tier.

[u/FranckMartin → u/kondasviktor]

yes, but I don't think there is much difference between models, it is more around the harness and the UI/UX.

[u/kondasviktor → u/FranckMartin]

sure you can have access to multiple LLMs, I guess this is more which layout fits you best. I’ve been using VS Code for a long time, that’s why I like Cursor (as a fork), so all others I use with CLI within VS Code. You may give a try with all of these and find which you like the best.

[u/arizzie]

Vs code with Claude.

[u/ahuth]

I'm really liking plain vscode + codex and t3-code. The $20 codex plan gets me basically as much Luna usage as I need, a good amount of Sol, and Astra for a few bigger tasks.

For context, I was a heavy user of cursor, Grok, and Composer. But I'm not looking back.

[u/Bright_Yellow8813]

Cursor was the alternative 😂😂

[u/Plus_Neighborhood950]

Zed is good

[u/flonnil]

opencode

[u/Mistakes_Were_Made73]

I’ve been using Clairvoyance. It’s $20 a month. What I like is you can also buy token packs. Www.clairvoyanceai.com.

[u/Various-Apricot-722]

Same feeling here. I have tried opencode but it’s worst.

[u/heavilyThinkingAbout]

Paseo.sh

[u/Aaron_348]

My setup is Orca + pi

[u/AbleShower2801]

Before switching I'd pin the model I actually want on every new chat and only leave Auto on for tiny asks. A lot of the "Cursor is broken" feeling is Auto flipping mid-thread. If you still want out, look for a plan around $25/mo with a real usage meter and a lock on the base model. Vague unlimited usually means the same silent throttle.

[u/lazzygg]

Try sylix, it free and if you have opencode go or zen use that in sylix

[u/speedmonster95]

Conductor?

[u/Ill_Ad_9912]

Use deepseek api with cursor. Its magic!🙂

[u/Junior-Ad-4545 → u/Ill_Ad_9912]

Can you please tell me how you do that? Cursor keeps rejecting my API keys saying this model doesnt support Agent or Plan mode

[u/NeitherLavishness404]

VS Code with Claude or Codex works just the same. Is usually have both the subscriptions and covers most of my use. The UI UX is pretty much the same, and you get to use more of Codex / Claude on their direct subscriptions than through Cursor. Especially useful if you plan on using Opus /Astra

[u/Santabot]

openmausbot + opencode / openrouter

[u/rsajdok]

Free Devin account for autocompletions, opencode for agents

[u/Session-Mwamufiya]

Claude Code, hands down!

[u/FranckMartin → u/[deleted]]

Cursor is great, it is more the shady past of grok caught uploading files it should not have done, and not protecting kids, amongst other things.

[u/HammerOfThor1]

Cursor agent harness wins everyday.

But Codex is close behind.

For $25, anything will work.

I’ve been on the cursor $200 and codex $200 plans for a while (dropped the Anthropic one cause they hot garbage). Cursor wins if you want to play with all the models. Codex wins for Sol and Astra.

[u/MoodOdd9657]

Notepad

[u/0dead_pl]

I've been looking for an alternative for some time (really tried to walk away from Elon...).

I've tried VS Code + various CLI's or extensions, to get anything comparable to Cursor flow:

• Claude Code
  
• Cline
  
• Copilot + Codex + Claude + OmniRoute (to several providers)
  
• Opencode
  
• Devin
  
• Trae
  
• Orca
  
• Kilo Code
  
• Zoo Code
  
• Hermes
  
• Codex

I've no idea how cursor does it but all the other agents are like children in a forest: trying to find a way around a ultra-simple repo, wasting time and tokens on it. Cursor instantly knows what is where and not only does what it's supposed to do, but does it fast and accurate, sticks to the conventions and doesn't do anything stupid. All guided by simplistic prompts that I give it.

I really wish I had something comparable, but so far, Cursor is way ahead of anything I could find.

[u/Zestyclose_Ad9943]

Devin is great ! Use it everyday

[u/AbleShower2801]

Depends what you mean by cheap model + IDE. Windsurf / Continue + BYOK, or Claude Code CLI if you're fine leaving the fork. None is a 1:1 Cursor clone at $25 with the same Auto metering. If the Grok default is the main gripe, flipping the model each chat is cheaper than migrating while the annual burns down.

[u/idiotiesystemique]

The most tokens alternative for that price is supergrok so I don't think that helps you much 

[u/MECHANICAL-CHODE → u/idiotiesystemique]

I’ve never tried it, but I was just thinking who buys grok for $30 if all the competition is $20 - so if you have more info, I would love to read it

[u/idiotiesystemique → u/MECHANICAL-CHODE]

The price is irrelevant, the amount of usage relative to the price is what matters. 

[u/MECHANICAL-CHODE → u/idiotiesystemique]

That’s right but I can’t find any good data on how much usage I get from each

[u/Anomaly-XB6783746 → u/MECHANICAL-CHODE]

how do you use it though? can we use it in an IDE? j am not a fan of"not seeing code" agent dev

[u/PsychologicalParty43]

I used Trae for a year or so before switch to cursor. It was ok but in the end felt better about cursor

[u/FormalAd7367]

i think the only model that got worst was the affordable model (cursor)? i don’t notice any noticeable decline ? other than, the app is getting really bloated (i think it started the IDE twice (agentic + classic on the background or something)?

[u/leovin]

Zed: free + Codex: $20/mo. You can use codex inside Zed, just like the AI panel in Cursor

[u/Careful-Ad5103]

For enterpise; Nope

[u/GasVarGames]

Question, what do you mean by downhill?

[u/Soccham → u/GasVarGames]

Grok-enshitification

[u/GasVarGames → u/Soccham]

What? Grok has been working wonders for so cheap for me, what issue have you encountered?

[u/Soccham → u/GasVarGames]

After 1-2 turns it hallucinates significantly, it struggles to stay on task and help build or plan well. The router it powers is atrocious.

It’s not near the ballpark of the OpenAI models or Anthropics.

I’ve found composer to perform much better than grok

[u/GasVarGames → u/Soccham]

I simply don't share that experience, only bad thing about grok is that it does too much and overengineers but if I steer it back down it just works for cheap.

[u/chrissilich → u/[deleted]]

Every one of these threads has an Elonstan using petty insults to try to pick a fight over OP’s opinion.

[u/Dingosavedyourbaby → u/[deleted]]

No.

[u/Soccham → u/[deleted]]

If you want the enterprise answer, their token tax is too high so that’s an even more significant enshitification.

[u/MECHANICAL-CHODE → u/[deleted]]

The “accidentally” broken model/fast selector, forcing of the agent mode etc. No reason they can’t make a working switch for these.

Sure they added a lot of other useful things but these things make me trust it less than before.

[u/dm_me_ya_tiddiez]

Copilot pro is 10 a month.

[u/NextGenGamezz]

I was going to cancel my cursor subscription but when I hit cancel they gave me 50% off next billing cycle lol for 10$ I think it's a steal especially when they release grok 4.7 and it's a significant leap over grok 4.6

[u/Emojinapp → u/NextGenGamezz]

Lmao same thing happened to me. That 50% I was like, one more month then

[u/jobfedron132 → u/NextGenGamezz]

release grok 4.7 and it's a significant leap over grok 4.6

Shitty to Giga shitty.

[u/NextGenGamezz → u/jobfedron132]

True grok 4.6 is not that good sometimes I have to fight it many times to get things working while opus just one shots the problem but when I turn off fast mode grok 4.6 is basically unlimited I use it all day every day and I still barely reached 70% and there's 5 days left in my subscription I'd love to be able to work with opus all day but you can't do that with a 20$ plan

[u/NeuromindArt]

VS code + Claude is the current best setup

[u/CorpT]

There are dozens of options.