Comparison
Aider vs Cursor
Aider: Free terminal coding agent, with Git built in. Cursor: The most popular code editor with AI built in.
| Aider | Cursor | |
|---|---|---|
| Rating | 4.4 | 4.6 |
| Price | Free Free and open source (Apache 2.0). You only pay for the API of the model you use, or nothing if you run it locally with Ollama. | Freemium Pro from $20/month. Free plan (Hobby) with limits. |
| Free plan | ||
| API available | ||
| Open source | ||
| In Spanish | ||
| No watermark | — | — |
| Platforms | Windows · Mac · Linux | Windows · Mac · Linux |
Aider
- Free and open source, no subscription
- Every AI edit is a reviewable Git commit
- Works with more than 75 providers, including local models
- You have to bring your own API key and pay for tokens
- No graphical interface: everything happens in the terminal
Cursor
- Very polished AI experience built into the editor
- Compatible with VS Code extensions
- Agent mode for complete tasks
- The free plan runs out quickly
- Fairly resource-hungry