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AI coding

Free and open-source Cursor alternatives

Cursor (The AI code editor) is a commercial product. These 2 tools do the same job and are free to use or to self-host.
Short answer: the best free alternatives to Cursor are Cline and Zed. Cursor starts at $20/user/mo (Pro). Self-hosting is free; you pay only for the server (a small VPS is about $4–6/mo). Licenses and prices checked 2026-10-01.
  1. 1
    Cline

    Open-source autonomous coding agent for your IDE

    Coding agent for VS Code; bring your own model key.

    Open source (Apache-2.0) ·★ 70k GitHub stars · last commit 2026-10-07 · details

  2. 2
    Zed

    High-performance code editor with AI built in

    Fast open-source editor with AI built in; hosted AI has paid plans.

    Open source (GPL-3.0 / AGPL-3.0) ·★ 91k GitHub stars · last commit 2026-10-07 · details

Want paid options too? See all Cursor alternatives or the full free alternatives list.

FAQ

Is there a free alternative to Cursor?+

Yes. Cline and Zed do the same job for free; Cline and Zed are open source.

What is the best open-source alternative to Cursor?+

Zed is the most starred on GitHub (91k stars). Fast open-source editor with AI built in; hosted AI has paid plans.

Open source: OSI-approved license. Free to self-host: the code is public and free to run yourself, with limits in the license.