Cursor vs Vellum — Pricing, Plans, and Verified Costs (2026)
Cursor starts at $20/mo. Vellum starts at $30/mo. Cursor is $10/mo cheaper on the entry tier than Vellum.
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.
- 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.
- Vellum (Tiered) — Vellum bills on a fixed plan from $30/mo, so the listed price is what you pay regardless of volume.
Per-minute, per-credit and per-token rates exclude any downstream model, speech or telephony costs unless the vendor states otherwise.
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.
Personal AI assistant that runs your tasks in a hosted environment. Plans priced by 'computer size' (small/medium/large) and included storage (10/30/60 GB), with each tier bundling usage. Higher tiers add an Assistant email and dedicated subdomain. Custom Plan builds a bespoke fit for heavier workflows. Vellum pivoted to this consumer-friendly assistant product in 2026 after operating as an LLMOps platform earlier.
All plans compared
| Tier role | Plan | Cursor monthly | Cursor annual | Vellum monthly | Vellum annual |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free / starter | Hobby / Start Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Entry paid | Pro / Mighty | $20 | $16 | $30 | $30 |
| Mid tier | Pro+ / Super | $60 | $48 | $100 | $100 |
| Pro / power | Ultra | $200 | $160 | $200 | $200 |
| Teams | Teams / — | $40 | $32 | — | — |
| Enterprise | Enterprise / Custom | Custom | Custom | 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
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.
Vellum is worth it if… individuals who want a persistent AI assistant that can execute multi-step tasks, keep files in a hosted workspace, and be reached via a custom email or subdomain. Mighty $30 suits casual daily use; Super $100 adds email/subdomain features for prosumers; Ultra $200 targets power users who lean on the assistant heavily.
Bottom line: Choose based on how you want to pay — Cursor is hybrid, Vellum is tiered.
Choose Cursor over Vellum if…
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.
Choose Vellum if…
- You want fixed-price predictability (tiered, from $30/mo).
- You match the profile Vellum is built for: individuals who want a persistent AI assistant that can execute multi-step tasks, keep files in a hosted workspace, and be reached via a custom email or subdomain.
- You need a general-purpose developer & infrastructure option rather than a vertical-specific one.
At a glance
| Cursor | Vellum | |
|---|---|---|
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Entry price | $20/mo | $30/mo |
| Enterprise available | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing model | Hybrid | Tiered |
| Last verified | September 10, 2026 | September 20, 2026 |
| Full pricing | View full pricing | View full pricing |
Pricing last verified September 20, 2026. Tracked daily.