Bolt vs Cursor — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Cursor starts at $20/mo. Bolt uses custom pricing — request a quote to compare.
How pricing works
These two tools don't price the same way, so the headline numbers below aren't directly comparable until you plug in your own volume.
- Bolt (Hybrid) — Bolt is hybrid: a fixed subscription plus metered usage on top. Your real bill moves with volume, not seat count.
- Cursor (Hybrid) — Cursor is hybrid: a fixed subscription from $20/mo plus metered usage on top (Pro). Your real bill moves with volume, not seat count.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
AI-native web development environment from StackBlitz. Prompt in natural language, generate full-stack apps that run in a browser-based WebContainer sandbox with instant preview. Token-metered pricing model — each AI generation consumes tokens from your monthly allocation. Pricing: Free (1M tokens/mo), Pro $25/mo (10M tokens, scales to $50 for 26M and $200 for 120M), Teams $30/user/mo. Annual billing saves up to 28%. Positioned as the fastest way to prototype full-stack apps entirely in the browser — no local setup, no separate hosting.
AI-first code editor built on VS Code, and the reference product in the AI-coding category. Every paid plan includes a credit pool equal to the subscription price, consumed by AI operations at underlying LLM token cost. Pricing: Hobby free, Pro $20/mo, Pro+ $60/mo, Ultra $200/mo, Teams $40/user/mo, Enterprise custom. Annual billing ~20% off. Powers Anysphere's growth to $500M+ ARR.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Bolt monthly | Bolt annual | Cursor monthly | Cursor annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Free / Hobby | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Pro | $25 | $18 | $20 | $16 |
| Mid tier | Pro (50) / Pro+ | $50 | $36 | $60 | $48 |
| Pro / power | Pro (200) / Ultra | $200 | $144 | $200 | $160 |
| Teams | Teams | $30 | $22 | $40 | $32 |
| Enterprise | — / Enterprise | — | — | Custom | Custom |
Tier names differ across vendors. Rows are aligned by tier role, not name. Full tier structures on each tool's page.
What each is best for
Bolt is worth it if… developers and prototypers who want browser-native, full-stack AI app generation without ever leaving the tab. The WebContainer runtime differentiates it from Lovable and v0 — apps actually execute in the browser, not just render as previews.
Cursor is worth it if… developers who want an AI-native editor where autocomplete, chat, and agent-mode Composer feel like extensions of the IDE — not bolted on. The credit-pool model is the interesting pricing innovation: your $20 subscription IS your $20 of AI usage, so heavy Claude Opus users burn faster than lighter GPT-5 mini users.
Bottom line: Similar positioning, closer to a preference call than a strategic one.
Choose Bolt over Cursor if…
Choose Bolt if…
- You're fine with a base subscription plus metered usage on top (custom pricing).
- You match the profile Bolt is built for: developers and prototypers who want browser-native, full-stack AI app generation without ever leaving the tab.
- You need a general-purpose developer & infrastructure option rather than a vertical-specific one.
Choose Cursor if…
- You want the most mature agentic editor with the deepest model line-up.
- You're a developer who lives in the editor and wants long-context, multi-file edits.
- You want predictable seat pricing with usage-based headroom when you need it.
At a glance
| Bolt | Cursor | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | Custom | $20/mo |
| Enterprise available | No | Yes |
| Pricing model | Hybrid | Hybrid |
| Last verified | September 20, 2026 | September 10, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 20, 2026. Tracked daily.
