Cursor vs Trae (2026): Pricing, Features & Which to Choose

Who comes out ahead

Based only on the facts in our directory. The right pick still depends on the job you need done.

Lower starting price
Trae
From $10/mo against from $20/mo
Free plan
Tie
Both have one
Higher rating
Cursor
4.7 against 4.2
Same job?
Yes
Both are Coding tools

Side by side

Compared on	Cursor	Trae
Our rating	4.7Better	4.2
Starts at	$20/mo	$10/moBetter
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Category	Coding	Coding
Plans	HobbyFree Pro$20/mo Pro+$60/mo Ultra$200/mo Teams$40/user/mo	From $10/mo
Key features	Multi-line Tab autocomplete predicting full edits Composer agent mode for multi-file changes Choice of multiple underlying AI models Built as a full VS Code fork, not a plugin Free tier with limited usage	VS Code fork with inline completion and chat SOLO Mode for autonomous full-project scaffolding Free access to premium models including GPT-4o and Claude Built by ByteDance, released January 2025 Paid tiers for higher usage starting around $3 a month
Pros	Widely regarded as the category's leading AI-native editor by adoption Composer handles genuinely complex, multi-file tasks well Model choice avoids lock-in to a single AI provider	Notably generous free access to premium underlying models SOLO Mode handles full project scaffolding autonomously Low-cost paid tiers relative to competitors
Cons	Higher usage requires a paid subscription fairly quickly Popularity has driven pricing changes some long-time users have pushed back on Fork-based editor requires migrating settings from plain VS Code	Telemetry data sharing with ByteDance affiliates has no opt-out Five-year data retention after account closure No local-only mode for privacy-sensitive work
Company	Anysphere, founded 2022	ByteDance, founded 2025

Prices come from each vendor's pricing page, last checked 20260629. Check the vendor before you buy.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Is Cursor better than Trae?

In our reviews Cursor scores 4.7 and Trae scores 4.2. The better pick depends on the job. Cursor: The AI-native editor most competitors now get compared against. Trae: ByteDance's free VS Code fork, with real data-retention tradeoffs to weigh.

Which is cheaper, Cursor or Trae?

Trae has the lower starting price: from $20/mo for Cursor and from $10/mo for Trae.

Do Cursor and Trae have free plans?

Yes, both have a free plan.

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