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Open-source alternatives to Cursor

Cursor does 7 jobs: code in an AI-first editor, multi-line tab completion and next-edit prediction, let an agent plan and edit across many files, run terminal commands and tests from the agent, ask questions about your whole codebase, connect tools and data through MCP, run agents in the cloud in the background. Most projects replace one or two of them, so pick the job you actually need.

Quick answer

Facts checked 21 Oct 2026

We track 10 open-source alternatives to Cursor, but none currently has confirmed commercial use, local running and no paid services together. None of the 10 projects we track covers all 7 Cursor jobs, so most people combine two or more.

Your requirements

Where will it run?
Can I use it commercially?

Checks code and model licences. Includes projects with conditions, such as share-alike or revenue limits, marked amber. Unknowns are hidden.

Paid services needed?
What hardware do you have?
Operating system

10 projects

Aider

Aider-AI/aider

Free, open-source AI pair programmer for the terminal that edits code in your Git repo using cloud model keys or local models.

Replaces Let an agent plan and edit across many files + Run terminal commands and tests from the agent + Ask questions about your whole codebase (partly) Not: code in an AI-first editor, multi-line tab completion and next-edit prediction, connect tools and data through MCP, run agents in the cloud in the background
Use it instead of paying for Cursor?
Personal use
Confirmed: Yes
For a business
Confirmed: Yes
Runs locally
Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use
Confirmed: Yes · Apache-2.0
Paid services
Partial: Optional only
Hardware
Unknown: Unknown
Setup
Confirmed: Easy
7 of 8 facts sourced · checked today GitHub ↗ View details

Cline

cline/cline

Open-source coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains, the terminal and a desktop app, using your own model keys or local models via Ollama or LM Studio.

Replaces Let an agent plan and edit across many files + Run terminal commands and tests from the agent + Connect tools and data through MCP + Run agents in the cloud in the background (partly) Not: code in an AI-first editor, multi-line tab completion and next-edit prediction, ask questions about your whole codebase
Use it instead of paying for Cursor?
Personal use
Confirmed: Yes
For a business
Confirmed: Yes
Runs locally
Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use
Confirmed: Yes · Apache-2.0
Paid services
Partial: Optional only
Hardware
Unknown: Unknown
Setup
Confirmed: Easy
7 of 8 facts sourced · checked today GitHub ↗ View details

OpenAI Codex CLI

openai/codex

OpenAI's open-source terminal coding agent; sign in with a ChatGPT plan or API key, or run local models through Ollama or LM Studio.

Replaces Let an agent plan and edit across many files + Run terminal commands and tests from the agent + Connect tools and data through MCP (partly) Not: code in an AI-first editor, multi-line tab completion and next-edit prediction, ask questions about your whole codebase, run agents in the cloud in the background
Use it instead of paying for Cursor?
Personal use
Confirmed: Yes
For a business
Confirmed: Yes
Runs locally
Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use
Confirmed: Yes · Apache-2.0
Paid services
Partial: Optional only
Hardware
Unknown: Unknown
Setup
Confirmed: Easy
7 of 8 facts sourced · checked today GitHub ↗ View details

Continue

continuedev/continue

Open-source coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains and the terminal that works with your own API keys or local models via Ollama. No longer maintained.

Replaces Multi-line tab completion and next-edit prediction + Let an agent plan and edit across many files + Run terminal commands and tests from the agent + Connect tools and data through MCP (partly) Not: code in an AI-first editor, ask questions about your whole codebase, run agents in the cloud in the background
Use it instead of paying for Cursor?
Personal use
Confirmed: Yes
For a business
Confirmed: Yes
Runs locally
Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use
Confirmed: Yes · Apache-2.0
Paid services
Partial: Optional only
Hardware
Confirmed: See details
Setup
Confirmed: Easy
8 of 8 facts sourced · checked today GitHub ↗ View details

Gemini CLI

google-gemini/gemini-cli

Google's open-source terminal coding agent for Gemini models; since June 2026 it needs a paid Gemini API key or a Code Assist licence.

Replaces Let an agent plan and edit across many files + Run terminal commands and tests from the agent + Ask questions about your whole codebase + Connect tools and data through MCP (partly) Not: code in an AI-first editor, multi-line tab completion and next-edit prediction, run agents in the cloud in the background
Use it instead of paying for Cursor?
Personal use
Partial: Partly Needs something paid: Paid Gemini API key, Vertex AI, or a Gemini Code Assist Standard/Enterprise licence
For a business
Partial: Partly
Runs locally
Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use
Confirmed: Yes · Apache-2.0
Paid services
No: Required
Hardware
Confirmed: CPU works
Setup
Confirmed: Easy
8 of 8 facts sourced · checked today GitHub ↗ View details

goose

aaif-goose/goose

Open-source AI agent with a desktop app and CLI that runs on your machine, connects to MCP extensions and works with any model, including Ollama.

Replaces Let an agent plan and edit across many files + Run terminal commands and tests from the agent + Connect tools and data through MCP (partly) Not: code in an AI-first editor, multi-line tab completion and next-edit prediction, ask questions about your whole codebase, run agents in the cloud in the background
Use it instead of paying for Cursor?
Personal use
Confirmed: Yes
For a business
Confirmed: Yes
Runs locally
Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use
Confirmed: Yes · Apache-2.0
Paid services
Partial: Optional only
Hardware
Unknown: Unknown
Setup
Confirmed: Easy
7 of 8 facts sourced · checked today GitHub ↗ View details

Kilo Code

Kilo-Org/kilocode

MIT-licensed coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains and the terminal, with 500+ cloud models at provider rates or local models via Ollama.

Replaces Multi-line tab completion and next-edit prediction + Let an agent plan and edit across many files + Run terminal commands and tests from the agent + Ask questions about your whole codebase + Connect tools and data through MCP + Run agents in the cloud in the background (partly) Not: code in an AI-first editor
Use it instead of paying for Cursor?
Personal use
Confirmed: Yes
For a business
Confirmed: Yes
Runs locally
Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use
Confirmed: Yes · MIT
Paid services
Partial: Optional only
Hardware
Confirmed: See details
Setup
Confirmed: Easy
8 of 8 facts sourced · checked today GitHub ↗ View details

OpenCode

anomalyco/opencode Actively maintained: 100+ people committing, active 12 of the last 12 weeks.
★ 219k active today

Open-source AI coding agent for the terminal, with a desktop app and IDE extension, that works with any model provider or a local model.

Replaces Let an agent plan and edit across many files + Connect tools and data through MCP (partly) Not: code in an AI-first editor, multi-line tab completion and next-edit prediction, run terminal commands and tests from the agent, ask questions about your whole codebase, run agents in the cloud in the background
Use it instead of paying for Cursor?
Personal use
Confirmed: Yes
For a business
Partial: Partly Model weights: No single bundled model licence. OpenCode connects to models/providers; their individual…
Runs locally
Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use
Confirmed: Yes · MIT
Paid services
Partial: Optional only
Hardware
Unknown: Unknown
Setup
Confirmed: Easy
7 of 8 facts sourced · checked today GitHub ↗ View details

OpenHands

OpenHands/OpenHands

Self-hosted control center and CLI for AI coding agents, running OpenHands or Claude Code and Codex with any model, including local LLMs.

Replaces Let an agent plan and edit across many files + Run terminal commands and tests from the agent + Connect tools and data through MCP + Run agents in the cloud in the background (partly) Not: code in an AI-first editor, multi-line tab completion and next-edit prediction, ask questions about your whole codebase
Use it instead of paying for Cursor?
Personal use
Confirmed: Yes
For a business
Confirmed: Yes
Runs locally
Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use
Confirmed: Yes · MIT
Paid services
Partial: Optional only
Hardware
Partial: See details
Setup
Confirmed: Medium
8 of 8 facts sourced · checked today GitHub ↗ View details

Zed

zed-industries/zed

Fast open-source code editor with a built-in AI agent, MCP support and edit prediction; use your own API keys, Ollama or LM Studio, or Zed's paid models.

Replaces Code in an AI-first editor + Multi-line tab completion and next-edit prediction + Let an agent plan and edit across many files + Run terminal commands and tests from the agent + Ask questions about your whole codebase + Connect tools and data through MCP (partly) Not: run agents in the cloud in the background
Use it instead of paying for Cursor?
Personal use
Confirmed: Yes
For a business
Confirmed: Yes
Runs locally
Confirmed: Yes
Commercial use
Confirmed: Yes · GPL-3.0-or-later
Paid services
Partial: Optional only
Hardware
Confirmed: See details
Setup
Confirmed: Easy
8 of 8 facts sourced · checked today GitHub ↗ View details

Common questions about Cursor alternatives

Is there a free, open-source alternative to Cursor?

Yes. Kilo Code, Zed, OpenCode, Continue and OpenHands are free to download and run on your own computer without paid API keys. Each covers only part of what Cursor does, so check which job you need.

Can I do code in an AI-first editor locally without a Cursor subscription?

Yes, with Zed (GPL-3.0-or-later). Check the hardware notes and licence conditions on each page before you start.

Can I do multi-line tab completion and next-edit prediction locally without a Cursor subscription?

Yes, with Continue (Apache-2.0), Kilo Code (MIT) and Zed (GPL-3.0-or-later). Check the hardware notes and licence conditions on each page before you start.

Which Cursor alternatives can I use commercially?

Confirmed: Aider, Cline, OpenAI Codex CLI, Continue, Gemini CLI, goose, Kilo Code, OpenCode, OpenHands and Zed. This is not legal advice; read each licence.

Does any open-source project replace all of Cursor?

Not as of 2026-10-21. Code in an AI-first editor, multi-line tab completion and next-edit prediction, let an agent plan and edit across many files, run terminal commands and tests from the agent, ask questions about your whole codebase, connect tools and data through MCP and run agents in the cloud in the background are covered by different projects.

Guides

Local AI coding agents and app builders →Open-source AI coding agents and app builders that work with a local model through Ollama or LM Studio, so there's no API bill. Sourced and dated.

Open-source alternatives to Claude Code and Cursor →Free, open-source alternatives to Claude Code and Cursor, compared on licence, local model support, platforms and setup. A source and a date for every fact.

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