Cursor tutorial: setup, strengths, costs, mistakes, prompts

One lesson in tabs. Facts come from the official page; where it blocked us, we say so.

Setup

Install

Download Cursor from cursor.com and open your project folder. It's a code editor with AI built in.

Pick a plan

Free ($0), Plus ($8/mo, Grok models only), Premium ($30/mo), Super ($100/mo), Ultra ($200/mo), Teams $30+/user/mo, excluding tax (cursor.com/pricing).

Add project rules

Write project rules (stack, style, "run tests before saying done") so every request starts with them.

Good & bad at

Good at

Edits across many files with a diff to review
Answering "where is X handled?" in a big codebase
Agent runs that execute commands and tests

Careful with

Large unreviewed diffs
Agents declaring success without running tests: ask for the test output

Cost control

How usage works

The usage pool is shared across Cursor and Grok and refreshes weekly; third-party models bill separately at API list price (Cursor).

Cheaper habits

Small, specific requests
Point it at the right files instead of letting it search everything
Stop an agent that loops on the same error

Common mistakes

Buying from resellers

Cursor warns reseller subscriptions may be fraudulent. Buy on cursor.com.

No git commit before big changes

Commit first so you can undo.

Prompt examples

Bug fix

"The checkout total is off by the tax amount when a coupon is applied. Repro: cart $100, coupon 10%, tax 8%. Expected $97.20. Find the cause, fix it, add a test, run the tests, show the output."

Why: repro, expected value, and proof.

Official facts

Cursor's pricing page lists Free ($0), Plus ($8/month), Premium ($30/month), Super ($100/month), Ultra ($200/month) and Teams ($30+/user/month). The AI usage pool is shared across Cursor and Grok, and it refreshes weekly. Plus includes Grok models only. Third-party models are billed separately at API list price. Prices exclude tax.

Steps: 1) Install Cursor. 2) Open your project. 3) Ask the agent for one small change, then review the diff.

Source: https://cursor.com/pricing. Checked Oct 28, 2026 against the official pages linked here. Plans change, so confirm on the official page before you pay.