kitio.aiCursor vs Theia IDE
A side-by-side look at pricing plans, free tiers, features, pros and cons, updated for 2026. Theia IDE is completely free, while Cursor is freemium.
At a glance
Best for
Pricing model
Starting price
Free plan
Made by
Based in
Rating
Key features
- Tab autocomplete
- Agent mode
- Codebase chat
- Bugbot PR review
- VS Code extensions
- Built-in AI assistance
- Any model, including local
- VS Code extension support
- Desktop and browser versions
- No telemetry on code
| Feature | Cursor | Theia IDE |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | AI code editor that edits across your whole codebase | Open-source AI-native IDE for desktop and browser |
| Category | Coding | Coding |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Free |
| Starting price | $8/mo | Free |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes, fully free |
| Made by | Anysphere (SpaceX) | Eclipse Foundation |
| Based in | United States | – |
| Rating | No ratings yet | No ratings yet |
| Key features |
|
|
Pricing compared
Theia IDE is completely free, while Cursor is freemium.
Free plan
Cheapest paid plan
Top plan
Free trial
6 plans
Free
Free
- Limited AI usage
- Limited agent requests
Plus
$8/mo
- Shared AI usage pool
- Grok models only
Premium
$30/mo
- 4x Plus usage
- Cloud agents and automations
- Bugbot code reviews
Super
$100/mo
- 15x Plus usage
- Priority model access at peak
Ultra
$200/mo
- 50x Plus usage
- Earliest access to products and models
Teams
$30/mo
- Per user
- Pooled usage
- Team admin controls
Prices in USD, checked Oct 28, 2026 or later. Plans change often, so confirm on each tool's site before you buy.
Pros and cons
Cursor
- Understands the whole repository
- Familiar VS Code interface
- Choice of AI models
- Third-party models cost extra
- Heavy on memory for large projects
- Plans changed several times in 2026
Theia IDE
- Free and fully open source
- Use any AI provider or local model
- Runs VS Code extensions
- You pay your own model provider
- Smaller community than VS Code
- Some extensions may not behave identically
Which one should you choose?
Choose Cursor if you want:
- Understands the whole repository
- Familiar VS Code interface
- Choice of AI models
Watch out: third-party models cost extra.
Choose Theia IDE if you want:
- Free and fully open source
- Use any AI provider or local model
- Runs VS Code extensions
Watch out: you pay your own model provider.
Cursor vs Theia IDE FAQ
What is the difference between Cursor and Theia IDE?
Cursor: AI code editor that edits across your whole codebase. Theia IDE: Open-source AI-native IDE for desktop and browser. Both are coding tools.
Is Cursor or Theia IDE cheaper?
Theia IDE is completely free, while Cursor is freemium.
Do Cursor and Theia IDE have free plans?
Cursor: Yes. Theia IDE: Yes, fully free.
Who makes Cursor?
Cursor is made by Anysphere (SpaceX), based in United States.
Who makes Theia IDE?
Theia IDE is made by Eclipse Foundation.
Which should I choose, Cursor or Theia IDE?
Choose Cursor if you value understands the whole repository and familiar vs code interface. Choose Theia IDE if you value free and fully open source and use any ai provider or local model.