Developers Flee Cursor After Pricing Controversy
▼ Summary
– Cursor AI users are mass-canceling subscriptions due to sudden, poorly communicated changes to its “unlimited” Pro plan, which now appears capped.
– Users reported unexpectedly rapid depletion of usage quotas, with some burning through their monthly allowance in days instead of weeks.
– Cursor admitted missteps in pricing updates, offering refunds, but users cite broader issues like lack of transparency and mid-cycle policy changes.
– The new Pro plan shifts to a token-based usage model with a $20 credit, sparking backlash over perceived “rug pull” tactics.
– Some users are switching to competitors, while others defend Cursor, arguing its previous pricing was unsustainable for a startup.
Developers are abandoning Cursor in droves after sudden pricing changes left many feeling blindsided and betrayed. The AI coding assistant, once praised for its unlimited Pro plan, now faces intense backlash as users report unexpected usage caps and unclear communication about policy shifts.
The controversy erupted when subscribers noticed their quotas draining rapidly, some burning through their entire monthly allowance in just days. Stevan Ljuljdurovic, former COO of CrowdControl, voiced a common frustration: “I somehow burned through my subscription in three days when normally it lasts three weeks.” Others took to social media, with one developer tweeting, “What happened to unlimited requests? I’m furious.”
Cursor’s response acknowledged missteps, offering refunds and explaining that newer AI models consume tokens differently, making the old pricing structure unsustainable. The revised $20 Pro plan now includes $20 worth of model usage, with additional charges applying beyond that. Meanwhile, the newly introduced $200 Ultra plan targets power users, though many question whether it justifies the cost.
Transparency, or the lack of it, has become the core issue. Developers aren’t just upset about higher prices; they feel misled by sudden, poorly communicated changes. “We paid $7k for a yearly subscription, and then you pull the rug?” one user tweeted. Reddit threads exploded with complaints, with one post declaring, “Cursor just nuked the Pro plan. ‘Unlimited’ was never unlimited.”
This isn’t the first time Cursor has faced backlash, similar unrest occurred in April, but the scale of the current exodus suggests deeper trust issues. Some defend the startup, arguing that offering AI inference at a loss was never viable long-term. Yet for many, the damage is done. As alternatives like Claude Code gain traction, Cursor’s challenge isn’t just fixing pricing, it’s rebuilding credibility in a market where developers demand reliability above all else.
(Source: Analytics Indian Magazine)
