Cursor Alternatives That Use the AI Plan You Already Pay For

If you want a Cursor alternative that runs on the AI plan you already pay for, look at Claude Code (Claude paid plans), OpenAI Codex (ChatGPT plans), Zed, OpenCode and T3 Code, plus the Safeguard CLI. Cursor itself accepts your own API keys, but its docs say those keys only work with chat models.

Safeguard is an alternative you can switch to without losing what you already pay for. Bring the Claude, ChatGPT or Codex plan you already pay for and use it inside the Safeguard CLI. Safeguard adds no extra charge for that usage; your plan's own usage limits and terms still apply. You can also connect Claude or ChatGPT to the Safeguard MCP server and use Safeguard from the chat you already use.

Every third-party fact below comes from that tool's own docs, repository or pricing page. There are no rankings; the right tool depends on which plan you hold.

What Cursor does when you bring your own key

Cursor's docs describe it as "a coding agent for building ambitious software." It ships as an editor and as a CLI. The CLI installs with curl https://cursor.com/install -fsS | bash on macOS, Linux and WSL, or irm 'https://cursor.com/install?win32=true' | iex in Windows PowerShell, and you start it with agent. It has Agent, Plan and Ask modes and a print mode (agent -p) for CI.

Cursor's API keys page is the one to read if you want to keep paying a provider directly. The facts from that page:

• Providers. You can add keys for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Azure OpenAI or AWS Bedrock in Cursor Settings, Models.
• Chat models only. "Custom API keys only work with chat models. Tab completion continues using Cursor's built-in models."
• Routing. Requests go through Cursor's servers for prompt building. The page says the key is sent with each request and is not kept after the request completes.
• Data retention. "Cursor's Zero Data Retention policy does not apply when you use your own API keys." Data handling then follows your provider's policy.
• Billing. On individual plans your provider bills the model cost. On Teams and Enterprise plans, the page says requests still carry a per-token Cursor rate on top of the provider's bill for the model.

Two more facts matter if you want to stay in Cursor's editor but use a plan you hold elsewhere. Anthropic's Claude Code docs offer an install link for the Claude Code extension in Cursor, and the OpenAI Codex README names Cursor among the editors its IDE extension supports. Each extension signs in through its own vendor.

An API key is not the same as a plan

A subscription plan, such as Claude Pro or ChatGPT Plus, is something you sign in to with your account. An API key is usage-based access billed per token. Zed's docs put it plainly: "Claude Pro and Max subscriptions are separate from Anthropic API credits." OpenAI's Codex docs say the same in the other direction: "When you sign in with an API key, Codex uses standard API pricing instead of included ChatGPT plan credits."

To use the plan you already pay for, pick a tool that signs in with that plan. An API key spends API credits, which is a separate bill.

Cursor alternatives, tool by tool

Each entry covers what the tool is, how it runs, its licence and one thing to know before adopting it. Open-source licences were confirmed on each project's own page.

Claude Code

Anthropic describes Claude Code as "an agentic coding tool that reads your codebase, edits files, runs commands, and integrates with your development tools." It runs in the terminal, as a VS Code extension (also installable in Cursor), as a JetBrains plugin, in the desktop app and on the web at claude.ai/code. You log in with a Claude Pro or Max subscription, Claude for Teams or Enterprise, a Claude Console account, or a cloud provider, and Claude's pricing page says "Claude Code is included in all paid plans." One thing to know: if ANTHROPIC_API_KEY is set and you approve it, Claude Code uses that key instead of your subscription, and /status shows which credential is active.

OpenAI Codex

Codex CLI is "a coding agent from OpenAI that runs locally on your computer," and its repository is Apache-2.0. The README recommends signing in with your ChatGPT account "to use Codex as part of your Plus, Pro, Business, Edu, or Enterprise plan." There is an IDE extension for VS Code, Cursor and Windsurf, a desktop app (codex app) and Codex cloud, which requires ChatGPT sign-in. Read the approvals page first: network access is off by default, sandbox modes are read-only, workspace-write and danger-full-access, and --yolo removes both sandbox and approvals, which the docs mark as not recommended.

Zed

Zed is "a high-performance, multiplayer code editor from the creators of Atom and Tree-sitter," for macOS, Linux and Windows. Its source is "licensed primarily under GPL-3.0-or-later, with Apache-2.0 components where marked." Zed has a page for people who "already pay for ChatGPT, Claude, Copilot, or another subscription": ChatGPT Plus and Pro work through its ChatGPT Subscription provider with no separate OpenAI API key, and Copilot Chat can act as a model provider. For Claude Pro and Max the docs say there is no direct Zed provider path; Claude Agent runs as an external agent that "owns its own authentication and billing," and the docs add that "Zed does not charge for External Agents."

OpenCode

OpenCode calls itself "the open source AI coding agent." It runs as a terminal UI and a desktop app in beta, under the MIT licence, and its providers page lists 75 or more LLM providers plus local models. The same page offers a ChatGPT Plus or Pro sign-in through your browser and a GitHub Copilot subscription option, and /connect stores API keys in ~/.local/share/opencode/auth.json. Know this before you connect a Claude plan: the page says plugins exist to use Claude Pro or Max models with OpenCode and that "Anthropic explicitly prohibits this." More in our OpenCode alternatives guide.

T3 Code

T3 Code describes itself as an "agent harness control surface" for agents on your own machine. It has a local web app (t3), an Electron desktop app and mobile apps for iOS and Android, under the MIT licence. Rather than holding its own model account, it drives agent CLIs you have already installed and signed in to, such as codex login, claude auth login and agent login for Cursor's CLI. The README is candid that "We are very very early in this project. Expect bugs." Our T3 Code alternatives post covers it in more depth.

Cline

Cline is "the open source coding agent in your IDE, terminal, & desktop," with a VS Code extension, a JetBrains plugin, a CLI (npm i -g cline) and a desktop app for macOS and Windows. It is an API-key tool: Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, OpenRouter, Bedrock, Vertex, Ollama, LM Studio and any OpenAI-compatible API. The licence is Apache 2.0, but the repository says "Currently we are not open-sourcing JetBrains plugins." By default, "Every file edit and terminal command requires your approval."

Visual Studio Code with your own key

The Code - OSS repository is MIT licensed, and the README says Visual Studio Code is a distribution of it "released under a traditional Microsoft product license." VS Code's language model docs say bring-your-own-key models "work without signing into a GitHub account and without a Copilot plan," with built-in providers including Azure, Anthropic, Gemini and OpenAI. The limit to know: "BYOK applies to the chat experience and utility tasks only," so inline suggestions still need a GitHub account.

Comparison table

Facts only, from each project's own pages. "Plan sign-in" means signing in with a subscription you already hold; "API keys" means usage-based access billed by the provider.

Which option fits the plan you hold

Matched on what each tool says it supports, not on any quality test.

• You pay for Claude Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise. Claude Code is included in those plans, and it runs in the terminal, the desktop app, the web and as an extension in VS Code, Cursor and JetBrains.
• You pay for ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Edu or Enterprise. Codex signs in with those plans across its CLI, IDE extension and desktop app. Zed and OpenCode also offer ChatGPT Plus and Pro sign-in.
• You pay for GitHub Copilot. OpenCode and Zed both document a Copilot subscription path, and VS Code is Copilot's home editor.
• You hold API keys, not a plan. Cline, Zed, OpenCode and VS Code all take provider keys, and Cursor does for chat models.
• You want security in the same assistant. The Safeguard CLI takes your Claude, ChatGPT or Codex plan and adds your vulnerability data to the conversation. For more on the two big plans, see our Claude vs ChatGPT for coding comparison.

Moving off Cursor, step by step

Setup walkthrough

1. Inventory your Cursor setup. Note your project rules, MCP servers, the keys under Cursor Settings, Models, and any CI job that calls agent -p.
2. Take a baseline scan. Before a new agent touches the repository, run safeguard scan --dir . and keep ./output/vuln.json as your starting point.
3. Decide plan or key. If you want to use a subscription, pick a tool that signs in with it. If you want usage billing, pick a tool that takes your key.
4. Install the new tool with the vendor's own command. For example:

# Claude Code (macOS, Linux, WSL)
curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

# Codex CLI
npm install -g @openai/codex

# OpenCode
curl -fsSL https://opencode.ai/v2/install | bash

5. Sign in with your plan and confirm it. In Claude Code, run /status to see which credential is active, and unset ANTHROPIC_API_KEY if you meant to use your subscription. In Codex, choose the ChatGPT sign-in when you first run codex.
6. Set the approval mode before the first task. For a cautious start in Codex, codex --sandbox read-only --ask-for-approval on-request. In Claude Code, switch modes with Shift+Tab.
7. Move your instructions. Claude Code reads CLAUDE.md, and its docs say it can read an existing AGENTS.md instead. Copy across the parts of your Cursor rules that still apply.
8. Reconnect MCP servers one at a time, using each tool's own config.
9. Pilot on one repository, then scan again and compare with the baseline. Anything new came from the pilot.
10. Clean up. If you are leaving Cursor, remove the provider keys you added there.

Common mistakes

• Treating an API key as your plan. A key spends API credits. Claude Pro and Max are separate from API credits, and a Codex API key sign-in uses standard API pricing.
• Leaving an old key in your environment. Claude Code prefers an approved ANTHROPIC_API_KEY over your subscription. Check /status.
• Expecting your key to cover completions. Cursor's Tab completion keeps using Cursor's models, and VS Code's bring-your-own-key covers chat and utility tasks only.
• Connecting a subscription against its terms. OpenCode's own docs say Anthropic prohibits using Claude Pro or Max models through third-party plugins.
• Starting in the most permissive mode. Codex --yolo, Claude Code bypassPermissions and Safeguard Yolo approve everything. Start cautious and loosen later.
• Reading only the diff. A diff shows lines changed, not whether a dependency the agent added carries a known vulnerability. Our guide to checking what a coding agent changed walks through the scan step.

Do the work properly with the Safeguard CLI

If you want to switch, Safeguard is the alternative that keeps what you already pay for. Bring the Claude, ChatGPT or Codex plan you already pay for and use it inside the Safeguard CLI. Safeguard adds no extra charge for that usage; your plan's own usage limits and terms still apply.

The Safeguard CLI scans code, container images and SBOMs on your own machine, sends only the results to the platform, and includes an assistant that writes code and fixes what it finds. The assistant writing your fix also knows your vulnerabilities.

Install

On macOS and Linux:

curl -fsSL https://cli.safeguard.sh/install | bash

On Windows PowerShell:

irm https://cli.safeguard.sh/install.ps1 | iex

It is a single static binary, with no Node, Python or JVM to install. It runs on macOS, Linux and Windows, on x86_64 or arm64; Windows is x86_64 only.

First session

Run safeguard with no arguments to open the interactive terminal. Type /login to sign in through the browser, then /scan . to scan the folder you are in. After that, ask in plain language:

how many critical vulns do we have
fix the lodash CVE in this repo
what's the latest file in ~/Downloads

Typing @ attaches a file from the folder you started in, and /resume picks up the last session in that folder.

Writing and fixing code on your machine

The assistant has tools for your local files and for your Safeguard data, and picks whichever the question needs. It can write files, edit code and run commands, with your approval. So it works as a general terminal assistant for your machine (find and read files, edit code, run commands) as well as for everything security.

This demo attaches a computer running the Safeguard CLI and a folder, asks for a fix, reviews the diff and approves the command before it runs. The demo itself notes that computer work from Search is available and expanding.

Click through it at your own pace, or open it full screen.

Using your Claude or ChatGPT plan

Bring the Claude, ChatGPT or Codex plan you already pay for and use it inside the Safeguard CLI. Safeguard adds no extra charge for that usage; your plan's own usage limits and terms still apply. /model shows or switches the AI model, and the CLI docs cover connecting one.

On the platform side, you choose the model for each conversation. This demo shows Zero z20, which answers with no language model at all by turning the question into a platform query; Griffin, Eagle and Lion, which are Safeguard's own models; a tenant admin choosing which model families people may use; and bringing your own model on your own provider account, with jobs such as chat or summaries routed to it.

Click through it at your own pace, or open it full screen.

If you would rather stay in the chat you already use, connect Claude or ChatGPT to the Safeguard MCP server and ask about your findings there.

Approvals

Tools that change things ask before they act. /permissions sets how often: Ask prompts before every action, Auto approves known actions and asks for anything new (the default), and Yolo approves everything. On a repository you care about, start with Ask.

Scanning what any agent changed

safeguard scan --dir .
safeguard scan --repo https://github.com/your-org/your-repo
safeguard scan --image your-image:latest
safeguard scan --sbom ./sbom.cdx.json
safeguard validate ./sbom.cdx.json

Each scan builds an SBOM and matches it against vulnerability databases, writing JSON files such as vuln.json and license.json under ./output. safeguard validate checks CycloneDX, SPDX and VEX documents. When the local runner runs platform scan jobs, your source code never leaves the machine; only SBOMs and findings are uploaded. Policies and gates are evaluated in the platform, which also offers reachability analysis and autonomous remediation with fix PRs (off by default).

CI with safeguard exec

safeguard exec "summarise the critical findings in this repository"

That runs one non-interactive assistant turn. Put it after whatever agent step your pipeline already runs.

One platform on every surface

Start in the terminal, continue on the desktop, check findings on your phone. The download page lists the CLI 1.4.0 for macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Linux (x86_64 and arm64) and Windows x86_64; the desktop app 3.2.2 for Windows, macOS and Linux, where you ask your supply chain anything in plain English; iOS and Android apps; IDE extensions for VS Code, JetBrains and Open VSX editors such as Cursor and Windsurf; and a browser extension for Chrome. With nothing to install, there is the web interface, the Cloud CLI on Safeguard's infrastructure, and a cloud sandbox tenant against a seeded demo repo, free for seven days with no card.

Download Safeguard, then run /scan . on the repository you work in today.

FAQ

Can I use my Claude subscription instead of Cursor?

Claude Code signs in with Claude Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise, and Claude's pricing page says it is included in all paid plans. Its VS Code extension can also be installed in Cursor. Check Anthropic's terms before connecting a Claude plan to any third-party tool.

Can I use my ChatGPT plan instead of Cursor?

Yes. Codex signs in with ChatGPT Plus, Pro, Business, Edu or Enterprise, in the CLI, the IDE extension (which supports Cursor) and the desktop app. Zed and OpenCode also document a ChatGPT Plus or Pro sign-in.

Can I switch to Safeguard and keep my Claude, ChatGPT or Codex plan?

Yes. Bring the Claude, ChatGPT or Codex plan you already pay for and use it inside the Safeguard CLI. Safeguard adds no extra charge for that usage; your plan's own usage limits and terms still apply. You can also connect Claude or ChatGPT to the Safeguard MCP server.

Does Cursor let me use my own API key?

Yes, for OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Azure OpenAI and AWS Bedrock. Cursor's docs say custom keys only work with chat models, Tab completion keeps using Cursor's models, and Zero Data Retention does not apply to your keys.

Is an API key the same as my Claude or ChatGPT plan?

No. A key is usage-based access billed per token. Zed's docs say Claude Pro and Max subscriptions are separate from Anthropic API credits, and OpenAI's docs say a Codex API key sign-in uses standard API pricing.

Which of these Cursor alternatives are open source?

From their own repositories: Codex CLI (Apache-2.0), Zed (GPL-3.0-or-later with Apache-2.0 parts), OpenCode (MIT), T3 Code (MIT), Cline (Apache 2.0, except its JetBrains plugins) and the Code - OSS base of VS Code (MIT). Claude Code, Cursor and the Safeguard CLI are products.

Where does my code go?

Local agents edit files on your machine, and your model provider receives what the agent sends. Cursor routes requests through its servers; Codex cloud and Claude Code on the web run in the vendor's cloud. With the Safeguard local runner, source code stays on your machine and only SBOMs and findings are uploaded.

Try it yourself

This walkthrough sets up the runner on your own machine: pick the platform, start it, approve it with its device code, then use the same CLI to scan from the terminal.

Click through it at your own pace, or open it full screen.

Quick check

Sources

• Cursor docs
• Cursor API keys
• Cursor CLI overview
• Claude Code overview, Anthropic docs
• Claude Code authentication, Anthropic docs
• Claude Code permission modes, Anthropic docs
• Claude pricing
• OpenAI Codex repository
• Codex authentication
• Codex agent approvals and security
• Zed repository
• Zed: use an existing subscription
• Zed: use API access
• Zed: external agents
• OpenCode repository
• OpenCode providers docs
• T3 Code repository
• Cline repository
• VS Code repository
• VS Code language models docs
• Safeguard download page
• Safeguard CLI docs
• Safeguard CLI interactive terminal docs

Last reviewed: 21 October 2026.