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Developer Tools · head to head

Refact vs Cursor

Refact logo

Refact

Developer Tools

Autonomous AI coding agent for development tasks

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Cursor logo

Cursor

Software Development

The AI-first code editor

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Refact requires configuration for optimal performance; Cursor cannot work fully offline; AI features require internet connection
  • They diverge on capability: Refact covers Autonomous agent workflows, Cursor covers AI code completion.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Refact and Cursor actually diverge.

Attributes where Refact and Cursor differ
AttributeRefactCursor
Pricing modelFreemium with paid tiersUnknown
PlatformsVS Code, WebWindows, Macos, Linux
CategoryDeveloper ToolsSoftware Development
Founded20232022

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

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 Refact

  • Autonomous agent workflows
  • IDE chat
  • Real-time code completions
  • GitHub integration
  • Database integration
  • On-premise deployment
  • Multi-LLM support
  • 25+ language support

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.

Refact

  • Autonomous code generation for development tasksnot Cursor
  • End-to-end bug fixes and refactoringnot Cursor
  • Multi-language software development accelerationnot Cursor
  • Enterprise development with data privacy requirementsnot Cursor

Cursor

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

Where each one falls short

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

Refact

  • Requires configuration for optimal performance
  • On-premise deployment adds operational complexity
  • Free tier limited by daily agent request quota
  • Coin system adds complexity to cost calculation

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

Refact

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Limited daily agent usage
    • Unlimited completions
    • 2,000 coins for agent and chat
  • Pro$10/month
    • 40 daily agent requests
    • 64k context window
    • 10,000 coins monthly
  • Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • On-premise deployment
    • Custom coin allocation
    • Fine-tuning support

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 Refact if

  • You need autonomous agent workflows.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on VS Code, Web.
  • You also want ide chat.
Refact 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 Refact or Cursor better?
Neither clearly leads. Refact starts at Free and Cursor at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Refact or Cursor?
Refact starts at Free and Cursor at Free.
Does Refact or Cursor run on more platforms?
Refact runs on VS Code, Web. Cursor runs on Windows, Macos, Linux.
Can I use Refact for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Refact best used for?
Refact is most often used for autonomous code generation for development tasks, end-to-end bug fixes and refactoring, multi-language software development acceleration, enterprise development with data privacy requirements. Of those, autonomous code generation for development tasks and end-to-end bug fixes and refactoring are not what Cursor is typically brought in for.
What can Refact do that Cursor cannot?
Refact covers Autonomous agent workflows, IDE chat, Real-time code completions, GitHub integration. Cursor covers AI code completion, Natural language editing, Codebase chat, Multi-file editing.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Refact: How many programming languages does Refact support?

Refact supports 25+ programming languages including Python, JavaScript, Go, Rust, Java, C++, and many others.

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
Refact: Can I deploy Refact on-premises?

Yes. Refact offers on-premise deployment options for organizations requiring complete data control and privacy.

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
Refact: What LLMs does Refact support?

Refact works with multiple LLMs including Claude, GPT-4, and open-source models, giving you flexibility in model selection.

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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