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Software Development · head to head

Amp vs Cursor

A

Amp

Software Development

Amp is the frontier agent

From
$20/monthly
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cursor logo

Cursor

Software Development

The AI-first code editor

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Cursor has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Amp minimum $20/month subscription cost with limited orb hours (750); Cursor cannot work fully offline; AI features require internet connection
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Amp and Cursor actually diverge.

Attributes where Amp and Cursor differ
AttributeAmpCursor
Starting price$20/monthlyFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebWindows, Macos, Linux
FoundedUnknown2022

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Software Development).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Amp

Nothing recorded that Cursor does not also cover.

Only in Cursor

  • AI code completion
  • Natural language editing
  • Codebase chat
  • Multi-file editing
  • Code generation
  • Bug fixing assistance
  • Refactoring suggestions
  • AI pair programming

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Amp

  • Building and running parallel AI agents for automationnot Cursor
  • Accessing multiple AI models via single subscriptionnot Cursor
  • Developing AI applications with flexible compute modelsnot Cursor
  • Running high-capacity agent workloads in ultra modenot Cursor

Cursor

  • AI-assisted codingnot Amp
  • Code generationnot Amp
  • Bug fixingnot Amp
  • Refactoringnot Amp
  • Learning new codebasesnot Amp
  • Rapid prototypingnot Amp

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Amp

  • Minimum $20/month subscription cost with limited orb hours (750)
  • High-tier Gigawatt plan at $200/month required for ultra mode agents
  • Usage limits apply after included quotas are consumed each month
  • Each user limited to maximum of 2 simultaneous subscriptions

Cursor

  • Cannot work fully offline; AI features require internet connection
  • Local models require requests to route through Cursor's backend, not true localhost support
  • Free tier capped at 2,000 completions per month
  • Codebase indexing uploads code chunks to compute embeddings, with file caching handled server-side

Pricing, plan by plan

Amp

$20/monthly
  • Megawatt$20/monthly
    • All product features
    • 750 hours of orbs
    • Use your ChatGPT subscription
  • Gigawatt$200/monthly
    • Everything in Megawatt plus: 1
    • 000 hours of xxlarge orbs
    • $200 included agent usage
  • Education Discount$10/monthly
    • For students and teachers: full access at $10/month (50% off Megawatt)
  • Unconstrained$undefined/usage
    • Pay for what you use at standard rates
    • all agent modes
    • API pricing for model tokens and orbs

Cursor

Free
  • HobbyFree
    • 2,000 completions/month
    • 50 slow premium requests
    • Basic autocomplete
  • Pro$20/month
    • Unlimited completions
    • 500 fast premium requests
    • Composer multi-file editor
  • Pro+$60/month
    • 3x Pro limits on Agent requests
    • Priority feature access
  • Teams Standard$40/user/month
    • All Individual Pro features
    • Centralized billing
    • SAML/OIDC SSO

Which should you pick?

Choose Amp if

Nothing in the data separates Amp from Cursor on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Amp review

Choose Cursor if

  • You need ai code completion.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Windows, Macos, Linux.
  • You also want natural language editing.
Cursor review

Questions people ask

Is Amp or Cursor better?
Neither clearly leads. Amp starts at $20/monthly and Cursor at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Amp or Cursor?
Cursor has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20/monthly for Amp and Free for Cursor.
Does Amp or Cursor run on more platforms?
Amp runs on Web. Cursor runs on Windows, Macos, Linux.
Can I use Cursor for free?
Yes. Cursor has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Amp starts at $20/monthly.
What is Amp best used for?
Amp is most often used for building and running parallel ai agents for automation, accessing multiple ai models via single subscription, developing ai applications with flexible compute models, running high-capacity agent workloads in ultra mode. Of those, building and running parallel ai agents for automation and accessing multiple ai models via single subscription are not what Cursor is typically brought in for.
What can Amp do that Cursor cannot?
Cursor covers AI code completion, Natural language editing, Codebase chat, Multi-file editing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Amp: How much does Amp cost per month?

Amp offers two main monthly plans: Megawatt at $20/month (750 hours of orbs) and Gigawatt at $200/month (1,000 hours of xxlarge orbs). Students and teachers get a 50% education discount ($10/month). Source: https://ampcode.com/pricing

Source
Cursor: What's included in Cursor's free tier and what are its limits?

The free Hobby plan provides 2,000 completions per month and 50 slow premium requests, with access to basic autocomplete features. Codebase-wide indexing and the Composer multi-file editor are not available on the free plan.

Source
Amp: What usage is included in Amp subscriptions?

At minimum, Amp subscriptions include agent usage equal to the subscription cost per month. Depending on usage patterns, you may receive additional usage beyond the base guarantee. Megawatt includes 750 orb hours and Gigawatt includes 1,000 hours of xxlarge orbs.

Source
Cursor: Does Cursor require an internet connection to edit code?

While Cursor can open and edit files locally, its AI features including autocomplete, chat, agents, and codebase-aware reasoning require internet access to cloud-hosted models.

Source
Amp: Can I use my own ChatGPT subscription with Amp?

Yes, Amp subscribers who link a ChatGPT subscription pay no per-token fees and can use as many tokens as their third-party subscription allows, making it ideal for users who already have ChatGPT access.

Source
Cursor: Can I use Cursor with local models running on my machine?

Cursor can integrate with local models, but requests still route through Cursor's backend for prompt building. True localhost mode without external endpoints is not supported. The paid plan ($20+/month) is required to use local models.

Source
Cursor: What privacy controls does Cursor offer?

Cursor offers Privacy Mode (enabled on paid Team plans) which prevents customer data from being used for model training, with zero data retention agreements with all AI providers. When disabled, Cursor may use codebase data to improve features.

Source
Cursor: What are the differences between Pro and Pro+ plans?

Pro ($20/month) includes unlimited completions and 500 fast premium requests, while Pro+ ($60/month) provides 3x those request limits, priority feature access, and extended Agent capabilities.

Source
Cursor: Does Cursor support SSO and on which plan?

SSO with SAML/OIDC is included on Teams Standard ($40/user/month) and higher plans, with full team administration and audit logs.

Source
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