Compiled from official documentation, checked October 16, 2026

Cursor vs Claude Code: documented features compared

Q: Can I use Claude models in Cursor?

Cursor’s pricing page says third-party models are available in Cursor, billed separately at API list price on Premium and above. The Plus plan includes Grok models only.

Q: Do Cursor and Claude Code read the same rules file?

Both can read AGENTS.md. Cursor reads it alongside .cursor/rules; Claude Code reads it when no CLAUDE.md exists, or through an @AGENTS.md import.

Cursor is an AI-first code editor with an agent mode; Claude Code is an agentic tool that runs in your terminal, IDE extensions and a desktop app. Both document support for stdio and remote MCP servers with OAuth, plugin marketplaces and AGENTS.md. They differ in where config lives, how rules are scoped, and how plans and model access are priced.

How this comparison was made: we have not run hands-on tests or benchmarks of either agent. Every row summarises the vendor’s own documentation and links to it. Prices are list prices as published on the date above and can change.

	Cursor	Claude Code
Form factor	AI-first code editor plus CLI source	Terminal CLI, VS Code and JetBrains extensions, desktop app source
Add an MCP server	Customize page, Cursor Marketplace (Add to Cursor), or mcp.json source	claude mcp add (use --transport http for remote servers) source
MCP config location	.cursor/mcp.json (project) or ~/.cursor/mcp.json (global) source	.mcp.json (project) or ~/.claude.json (user/local) source
Remote MCP auth	OAuth for SSE and Streamable HTTP; static client credentials via an auth block source	OAuth sign-in from /mcp inside a session source
Rules / instructions	.cursor/rules/*.mdc (description, globs, alwaysApply) and AGENTS.md, incl. nested source	CLAUDE.md and .claude/rules/*.md (paths); AGENTS.md when no CLAUDE.md exists source
Plugins	Cursor Marketplace; team marketplaces source	Plugin marketplaces (official claude-plugins-official) source
Individual pricing	Free $0, Plus $8 (Grok models only), Premium $30, Super $100, Ultra $200/mo; third-party models billed separately at API list price source	Included in paid Claude plans: Pro $20/mo (US), Max 5x $100/mo, Max 20x $200/mo source

Which fits your setup?

Cursor may suit you if you want the agent inside a full editor, glob-scoped .mdc rules, and one-click MCP installs from the Cursor Marketplace.
Claude Code may suit you if you prefer a terminal-first agent that also runs in your existing IDE, CLAUDE.md conventions, and Claude plugins from Anthropic’s marketplace.

Based on documented features, not our own testing. See how SaaS tools are supported in each: Cursor tools · Claude tools

AGENTS.md vs CLAUDE.md vs Cursor rules

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How to add an MCP server to Cursor

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Claude Code vs OpenAI Codex: documented features compared

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MCP config generator for every agent

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Frequently asked questions

Is Cursor or Claude Code better?

We have not tested them hands-on, so we do not rank them. According to their docs, both support MCP with OAuth, plugins and AGENTS.md. The documented differences are form factor (editor vs terminal-first), rules format and pricing model.

Can I use Claude models in Cursor?

Do Cursor and Claude Code read the same rules file?

Sources

https://cursor.com/docs/context/mcp · checked 2026-10-16
https://cursor.com/docs/context/rules · checked 2026-10-16
https://cursor.com/pricing · checked 2026-10-16
https://code.claude.com/docs/en/mcp · checked 2026-10-16
https://code.claude.com/docs/en/memory · checked 2026-10-16
https://code.claude.com/docs/en/plugins · checked 2026-10-16
https://support.claude.com/en/articles/11049741-what-is-the-max-plan · checked 2026-10-16
https://support.claude.com/en/articles/8325606-what-is-the-pro-plan · checked 2026-10-16