# Open-source alternatives to Cursor

> 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.

Cursor: AI code editor. It offers Tab autocomplete, an Agent that edits code across files and runs terminal commands, chat about your codebase, MCP connections to other tools, and Cloud Agents (formerly Background Agents) that work in the cloud. Paid plans set how much AI usage you get; the Plus plan is limited to Grok models. Pricing: Free plan with limited AI use; Plus $8/month, Premium $30/month, Super $100/month, Ultra $200/month; third-party models billed separately by usage (checked 2026-10-21). Facts checked 2026-10-21.

## Projects

| Project | Use it instead? | Jobs | Runs locally | Commercial use | Paid services | Hardware |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [Gemini CLI](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/gemini-cli) | Personal use: Partly (Needs something paid: Paid Gemini API key, Vertex AI, or a Gemini Code Assist Standard/Enterprise licence). Business: Partly. | terminal-coding-agent, agent-run-commands, ide-integration, mcp-tool-connections, headless-ci-agent, agent-multi-file-edits, codebase-chat | Yes, the CLI runs in your terminal; the Gemini models themselves run on Google's servers | Allowed under Apache-2.0 | A paid service is required since June 18, 2026; the free Google-account tier moved to Antigravity CLI. No local model support | 4GB+ RAM for short sessions, 16GB+ for large codebases; needs Node.js 20+ and an internet connection |
| [Zed](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/zed) | Personal use: Yes. Business: Yes. | ai-code-editor, tab-autocomplete, agent-multi-file-edits, agent-run-commands, codebase-chat, mcp-tool-connections, git-commits-prs | Yes, a desktop editor installed on your computer | Allowed; GPL-3.0 is copyleft, so changes you distribute must stay GPL | Editor is free; AI works with your own API keys or local models (Ollama, LM Studio, llama.cpp); Zed Pro is optional for hosted models and Zed edit prediction | 64-bit OS; Windows needs a DirectX 11 GPU, Linux a Vulkan 1.3 driver, Macs from about 2015 on; local models need more |
| [OpenHands](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/openhands) | Personal use: Yes. Business: Yes. | terminal-coding-agent, agent-run-commands, ide-integration, mcp-tool-connections, git-commits-prs, headless-ci-agent, agent-multi-file-edits, cloud-background-agents | Yes; Agent Canvas and the agent server run on your machine by default, or on your own Docker host, VM or Kubernetes cluster | Yes, MIT allows commercial use | Not required with local models (LM Studio, Ollama, vLLM, SGLang); cloud model APIs and OpenHands Cloud are optional | No requirements given for Agent Canvas itself; the recommended local model needs a 24GB GPU or an Apple Silicon Mac with 64GB memory |
| [OpenCode](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/opencode) | Personal use: Yes. Business: Partly (Model weights: No single bundled model licence. OpenCode connects to models/providers; their individual…). | terminal-coding-agent, ide-integration, mcp-tool-connections, git-commits-prs, headless-ci-agent, agent-multi-file-edits | Yes, CLI and desktop app | Yes, MIT code | Needs a model provider: local models via Ollama, LM Studio or llama.cpp, or a paid API | No hardware requirements documented in the README or docs (checked 2026-10-21) |
| [OpenAI Codex CLI](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/codex-cli) | Personal use: Yes. Business: Yes. | terminal-coding-agent, agent-run-commands, ide-integration, mcp-tool-connections, headless-ci-agent, agent-multi-file-edits | Yes, a command-line agent that runs on your computer; cloud models run on OpenAI's servers unless you use --oss | Allowed under Apache-2.0 | Not required with local models (--oss with Ollama or LM Studio) or the limited ChatGPT Free plan; paid ChatGPT plans and OpenAI API keys are optional | Not documented in the README or CLI docs |
| [Continue](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/continue) | Personal use: Yes. Business: Yes. | terminal-coding-agent, agent-run-commands, ide-integration, mcp-tool-connections, headless-ci-agent, tab-autocomplete, agent-multi-file-edits | Yes, runs inside your IDE or terminal on your own machine | Apache-2.0 allows commercial use | Not required with local models via Ollama; cloud model API keys are optional | No stated needs for the extension or CLI; the Ollama guide asks for 8GB RAM minimum (16GB+ recommended) for local models |
| [Kilo Code](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/kilo-code) | Personal use: Yes. Business: Yes. | terminal-coding-agent, agent-run-commands, ide-integration, mcp-tool-connections, headless-ci-agent, tab-autocomplete, agent-multi-file-edits, codebase-chat, cloud-background-agents | Yes, the extension and CLI run on your machine; an optional hosted Cloud Agent also exists | MIT allows commercial use with attribution | Not required with local models via Ollama (no API key needed); Kilo Gateway credits, cloud model keys, Cloud Agent and Code Reviews are optional | No stated needs with cloud models; local models via Ollama need a GPU with 24GB+ VRAM or a Mac with 32GB+ unified RAM |
| [Cline](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/cline) | Personal use: Yes. Business: Yes. | terminal-coding-agent, agent-run-commands, ide-integration, mcp-tool-connections, git-commits-prs, headless-ci-agent, agent-multi-file-edits, cloud-background-agents | Yes, in your editor, terminal or desktop app; optional Cloud Agents run in Cline's hosted sandbox | Allowed under Apache-2.0 | Not required with local models (Ollama, LM Studio) or your own keys; Cline Provider, ClinePass and Cloud Agents are optional | No requirements documented for Cline itself (checked 2026-10-21); local models need much more |
| [goose](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/goose) | Personal use: Yes. Business: Yes. | terminal-coding-agent, agent-run-commands, ide-integration, mcp-tool-connections, git-commits-prs, headless-ci-agent, agent-multi-file-edits | Yes, desktop app and CLI run on your computer | Yes, Apache-2.0 allows commercial use | Not required with local models (Ollama, LM Studio, Docker Model Runner, Ramalama) or free tiers such as Groq; paid APIs are optional | No hardware requirements documented in the README or install docs (checked 2026-10-21) |
| [Aider](https://repoquarry.dev/projects/aider) | Personal use: Yes. Business: Yes. | terminal-coding-agent, agent-run-commands, git-commits-prs, headless-ci-agent, agent-multi-file-edits, codebase-chat | Yes, a command-line tool that runs in your project folder on your computer | Allowed under Apache-2.0 | Not required with local models (Ollama, LM Studio); cloud model APIs (Anthropic, OpenAI, DeepSeek and others) are optional | Not documented; the installer only needs Python |

## Common questions

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

Yes. Zed, Kilo Code, OpenHands, Continue and Cline 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 Zed (GPL-3.0-or-later), Continue (Apache-2.0) and Kilo Code (MIT). 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.

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Source: RepoQuarry (https://repoquarry.dev/alternatives/cursor). Data licence: CC BY 4.0. Quotes are from project documentation and belong to their authors.