When you compare a flat‑rate IDE subscription to per‑token AI pricing, the numbers jump out: Cursor’s Ultra tier is $200 per month, while Anthropic’s Opus 5.5 model costs $0.2 per output token. That split tells you whether you prefer a bundled developer experience or a granular usage model.
Fixed seats versus per‑token meters
Cursor lists four static plans – Pro at $20, Pro+ at $60, Ultra at $200, and Teams at $40 – each delivering the full editor, AI completions and built‑in debugging without any extra metering. Anthropic blends seat fees with usage fees. Seats include Pro at $17/month, Standard seats at $20 or $25/month per user, Premium seats at $100 or $125/month per user, and an Enterprise tier at $20/month per user. On top of those seats, model calls are priced per token: Haiku 4.5 at $0.1, Opus 5.5 at $0.2, Fable 5.1 at $0.25, plus Managed Agents at $0.08, Web search at $10, and Code execution at $0.05 for additional hours.
How the numbers sit side by side
| Plan | Cursor | Anthropic |
|---|---|---|
| Entry‑level seat | Pro $20 | Pro $17/month |
| Mid‑tier seat | Pro+ $60 | Standard $20‑$25/month per user |
| High‑capacity seat | Ultra $200 | Premium $100‑$125/month per user |
| Team bundle | Teams $40 | Enterprise $20/month per user |
| Per‑token model | — | Haiku $0.1, Opus $0.2, Fable $0.25 |
| Add‑ons | — | Managed Agents $0.08, Web search $10, Code execution $0.05 |
If you are a solo developer who values a predictable monthly bill and an integrated coding environment, Cursor’s $20 Pro plan or $200 Ultra plan give you everything without watching token counters. If your workload spikes on large Claude prompts or you need fine‑grained access controls, Anthropic’s seat‑plus‑usage model lets you pay only for the compute you actually consume, scaling from a $17 Pro seat up to premium tiers with higher usage caps. In short, choose Cursor for a bundled IDE with fixed costs; choose Anthropic when flexible, high‑volume model access and per‑user permissions are paramount. Pricing verified on 2026-09-25.