By FreePortal Team · Reviewed by FreePortal Editorial Team · Last updated October 2026

How to Download and Install Cursor AI Code Editor Free Guide

Write, edit, and debug code faster with an AI that understands your entire project — not just the current file.

Is Cursor Free?

The Cursor editor itself is free to download and use, and there is a Free tier with limited Agent, Chat, and Tab-completion usage. Heavy daily AI use requires a paid plan. As of 2026, new individual plans are sold through The X Subscription: Plus at $8/month, Premium at $30/month, Super at $100/month, and Ultra at $200/month. Legacy plans — including the familiar Pro at $20/month — remain available for existing subscribers, but new users see the X Subscription tiers.

System Requirements

OS: Windows 10 or later; macOS 12 (Monterey) or later (Apple Silicon and Intel); 64-bit Linux (Debian/Ubuntu, RHEL/Fedora, or AppImage)
CPU: 64-bit processor (Intel, AMD, or Apple Silicon)
RAM: 8 GB recommended; 4 GB may work for light editing, but AI features and large projects benefit from 16 GB+
Storage: ~500 MB for the app, plus space for your code projects
Internet: Required for AI features and updates

How to Install Cursor

Go to the official site. Visit cursor.com.
Download your version. Click "Download for Windows", "macOS", or "Linux" — the site auto-detects your OS. On Linux, choose .deb, .rpm, or AppImage. The apt and yum packages are preferred over AppImage because they provide desktop icons, automatic updates, and CLI tools.
Run the installer. Open the downloaded file and follow the prompts. On Linux, chmod +x the AppImage first, then run it.
Launch Cursor. Open the app from your Start menu or Applications folder.

Getting Started with Cursor

Create an account. On first launch, sign up with your email or GitHub account — this syncs your settings and enables AI features.
Import your VS Code setup (optional). If you already use VS Code, Cursor offers to import extensions, themes, and keybindings on first launch. Accept it — you will not lose your setup.
Open a project. Go to File → Open Folder and select your code project. Cursor indexes your entire codebase so AI features understand cross-file context.
Use the AI shortcuts. Cmd+K (Ctrl+K on Windows/Linux) opens Inline Edit on your selection. Cmd+L (Ctrl+L) opens the Chat sidebar for questions. Cmd+I (Ctrl+I) opens Agent (formerly Composer) for multi-file edits.
Connect to GitHub (optional). Go to Settings → GitHub and link your account to sync repositories and review PRs directly in Cursor.

Free vs Paid: What's the Difference?

Cursor is not fully free — it has a free tier and paid plans. The pricing structure changed significantly in 2026.

Free ($0): Limited Agent requests, limited Chat usage, and limited Tab completions. Enough to evaluate the editor and for light use, but heavy AI days will hit the cap.
Plus ($8/month): Base usage of Cursor's own models; no third-party models. The entry paid tier under The X Subscription.
Premium ($30/month): 4× Plus usage; adds Cloud Agents, Bugbot code review, and access to third-party models (Claude, GPT, Gemini) at API list price from prepaid credit.
Super ($100/month): 15× Plus usage and priority model access at peak times.
Ultra ($200/month): 50× Plus usage and earliest access to new products and models.
Legacy plans: Hobby, Pro ($20/month), Pro+ ($60), and Teams Standard/Premium remain for existing subscribers. New users should expect the X Subscription tiers above.

If you are unsure, start on the Free tier. The editor itself is free; only AI usage is metered. Cursor's own guidance is to upgrade only when the included usage repeatedly blocks accepted work.

Useful Tips

🧠 AI understands context. Unlike basic code completions, Cursor indexes your entire project — it knows your variables, functions, and architecture.
⚡ Use Cmd+K for inline edits. Select code, press Cmd+K, and describe the change. Cursor rewrites the selection and shows a diff you can accept or reject.
💬 Use Cmd+L for chat. Ask questions like "Why is this function failing?" or "How do I add a login form?" — Cursor answers with code examples that reference your files.
🧩 Use Cmd+I for Agent. Multi-file edits: describe a refactor or feature and Cursor edits multiple files in one pass. Great for renaming across a project or adding a whole feature.
🔄 Import your VS Code setup. Cursor supports VS Code extensions and keybindings natively. Your settings sync from VS Code on first launch.
🌐 Use the terminal CLI. Run cursor path/to/file from your terminal to open a file in Cursor, or cursor . to open the current directory.
🔒 Privacy mode. Enable Privacy Mode in Settings to prevent your code from being used for training and to enforce zero data retention with model providers. Important for proprietary work.
📦 Use project rules (not .cursorrules). The old root-level .cursorrules file is deprecated. Use .cursor/rules/*.mdc files or an AGENTS.md at the project root to give the AI persistent instructions — code style, frameworks, patterns to avoid. This dramatically improves output quality and is respected in Agent mode.

Cursor vs VS Code + Copilot vs Windsurf

Cursor: Fork of VS Code with AI built into the editor at every level — Inline Edit, Chat, Agent, codebase indexing, and multi-file edits. Free tier with limits; paid plans from Plus $8/mo (X Subscription), with legacy Pro $20/mo for existing customers. Best for developers who want the most integrated AI experience.
VS Code + GitHub Copilot: Microsoft's IDE plus the Copilot add-on. Cheaper ($10/mo Pro), deeply integrated with GitHub, and best for teams already on GitHub. Less capable at multi-file agent-style edits than Cursor.
Windsurf: Codeium's AI-first IDE, now part of Cognition/Devin. Similar model to Cursor, with a free tier and paid plans around $20/mo. The "Cascade" agent is comparable to Cursor's Agent. Best if you want Cursor's model with a different pricing structure or a stronger code-map view.

All three are viable. Cursor has the most mature integrated AI experience, VS Code + Copilot is the safest enterprise choice and the cheapest paid entry, and Windsurf is a strong alternative if you want to compare agent quality before committing.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

🔑 "AI features unavailable" after install. You need to be signed in. Click the account icon in the bottom-right, sign in with GitHub or email, and the AI features should unlock immediately.
🐌 Cursor feels slower than VS Code. Cursor indexes your entire codebase on first launch, which can take several minutes on large projects. Wait for indexing to complete (progress shown in the bottom bar) before expecting normal speed.
🧩 Extensions not appearing after import. Cursor imports VS Code extensions on first launch only. If you missed it, go to Settings → General → Import VS Code settings and re-run the import.
💬 AI responses are truncated. Usually a context-window limit — the file or selection is too large. Break the task into smaller edits or use Cmd+L chat instead of Cmd+K inline for large files.
🚫 Quota hit on Free tier. Free-tier usage resets on a weekly cycle under the current system. If you rely on Cursor daily, Plus ($8/mo) or Premium ($30/mo) is the practical path — the Free tier is best for evaluation and light use.
📦 Project rules not applying. If you are still using a root .cursorrules file, migrate to .cursor/rules/*.mdc or AGENTS.md. Root .cursorrules is deprecated and may be ignored in Agent mode.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Cursor safe to use with proprietary code?

Yes, if you enable Privacy Mode in Settings. With Privacy Mode on, Cursor does not train on your code, maintains zero data retention (ZDR) agreements with model providers, and only temporarily caches encrypted file contents for latency — never permanently storing them. For enterprise use, Teams and Enterprise plans add enforced privacy mode, SSO, and contractual guarantees.

Does Cursor support my VS Code extensions?

Yes. Cursor is a fork of VS Code and supports the VS Code extension ecosystem. Extensions import automatically on first launch if you accept the VS Code setup import prompt.

Can I use Cursor offline?

The editor works offline, but AI features require an internet connection. Inline Edit, Chat, and Agent all route through Cursor’s backend, so AI features stop working offline.

What are the main keyboard shortcuts?

Cmd+K (Ctrl+K) = Inline Edit on selection. Cmd+L (Ctrl+L) = Chat sidebar. Cmd+I (Ctrl+I) = Agent (formerly Composer) for multi-file edits. Tab = accept autocomplete. These are the four you will use most.

Does Cursor replace VS Code?

Effectively yes, for most developers. Cursor is a VS Code fork with the same UI, extensions, and keybindings — but with AI built into the editor. You can keep VS Code installed alongside it and switch when you need AI or when you don’t.

Is Cursor good for beginners?

Yes — arguably better than VS Code for beginners, because the AI can explain errors, suggest fixes, and answer questions inline. The main risk is over-reliance; use the AI to learn, not to skip understanding.

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