Backlog-sized engineering tasks
Delegate a reproducible bug, focused refactor, test expansion or documentation update with clear acceptance criteria.
Independent tool overview
Cursor Agents at a glance
Cursor Agents are autonomous coding agents that can run locally or in Cursor's cloud. Cloud Agents work in isolated virtual machines, clone an authorized repository, edit and test code, push a branch and hand back a draft pull request that a developer can review from the web, mobile app, desktop editor or connected tools.
Visit the official Cursor Agents site ↗
- Best for
- Well-scoped bug fixes, tests, refactors, documentation and parallel coding tasks
- Execution
- Dedicated Firecracker-based cloud VM per agent
- Source control
- GitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps and Bitbucket are documented
- Access
- Paid Cursor plan required for Cloud Agents
- Billing
- Selected-model API rates consume agent usage; users set a spend limit
Overview
What Cursor Agents is
The original web-and-mobile Cursor Agent has evolved into Cursor's broader Cloud Agents system. Developers can start work from the Cursor editor, web dashboard, phone, CLI, API, Slack, GitHub, Linear or another supported trigger, then close the laptop while the remote environment continues working.
Each cloud run receives its own environment with the repository, dependencies, configured secrets and network access. The agent can inspect the codebase, edit files, execute commands, run tests and create a branch and draft pull request. Finished runs can include diffs, screenshots and demos for review.
This autonomy is the product's main advantage and its primary risk. Cloud Agents automatically execute terminal commands and have internet access by default, so repository scope, secrets, outbound-network policy, prompt-injection exposure and mandatory pull-request review all need deliberate controls.
Use cases
Who Cursor Agents is best for
The strongest fit depends on the job you need the product to complete, not the size of its feature list.
Parallel implementation
Run separate agents on independent tasks or compare approaches without tying up the local development machine.
Work away from the editor
Start or monitor a task from the browser, phone or Slack, then hand the session back to Cursor desktop for local refinement.
Capabilities
Core Cursor Agents features
Remote autonomous execution
Clones an authorized repository into an isolated VM and runs code, tools and terminal commands without requiring the user's computer to stay online.
Branch and pull-request handoff
Pushes agent-authored commits and opens a draft pull request so the result enters a normal human review workflow instead of merging automatically.
Cross-device control
Start, inspect and follow up on runs from web, mobile, desktop, CLI, API and supported integrations.
Parallel agents
Run multiple tasks at the same time and use the agent dashboard to track their state and results.
Saved environments and secrets
Configure dependencies and encrypted environment, build or runtime secrets for repeatable cloud execution.
Review artifacts
Cloud runs can return diffs, logs, screenshots and demos that help developers validate what changed.
Security and governance controls
Privacy Mode, repository scopes, network allowlists, runtime-secret redaction, signed commits and enterprise audit/retention controls address cloud-code risk.
Process
How the Cursor Agents workflow works
Step 1
Connect source control
A Cursor and Git-provider administrator authorizes the organization and selected repositories, then each developer connects an identity with their own repository permissions.
Step 2
Prepare the environment
Define setup steps, minimum necessary secrets, test commands and outbound-network policy. Put sensitive paths in .cursorignore where appropriate.
Step 3
Write a bounded task
Describe the problem, relevant files, non-goals, test expectations and acceptance criteria; avoid assigning an undefined whole-system rewrite.
Step 4
Monitor and refine
Follow progress from the agent dashboard or a connected surface and provide additional instructions if the run takes the wrong approach.
Step 5
Review before merge
Inspect every diff and command outcome, run the full relevant test and security checks in a trusted environment and merge only after a developer owns the result.
Cost
Cursor Agents pricing and free plan
Cloud Agents require a paid Cursor plan and are charged at the selected model's API rates, drawing against included agent usage and then optional on-demand spend. A larger context window or more expensive model consumes the pool faster. U.S. monthly list prices reviewed on August 31, 2026 were Pro $20, Pro+ $60, Ultra $200, Teams Standard $40 per user and Teams Premium $120 per user.
Pro
$20/month
Entry individual plan with Cloud Agents and $20 of guaranteed API agent usage plus variable bonus capacity.
- Paid plan satisfies the Cloud Agent requirement
- Additional usage can be purchased at cost
- Selected model and context determine consumption
Pro+
$60/month
Individual plan for daily agent users with $70 of guaranteed API agent usage plus variable bonus capacity.
- More agent capacity than Pro
- Cloud Agents included as a feature
- On-demand overages available
Ultra
$200/month
Power-user plan with $400 of guaranteed API agent usage plus variable bonus capacity.
- Designed for heavy multi-agent and automation use
- Priority access to new features
- Usage still varies by model
Teams Standard
$40/user/month
Team plan with centralized administration, privacy settings, shared context, Cloud Agents and automations.
- Per-user billing
- SAML or OIDC SSO
- Usage analytics and team controls
Teams Premium
$120/user/month
Higher-capacity team plan with five times the Standard agent limits.
- Everything in Teams Standard
- Higher agent limits
- Enterprise remains custom priced
Pricing checked . Check current pricing at the source ↗
Assessment
Cursor Agents strengths and limitations
Where it stands out
- Runs unattended in the cloud and returns work through familiar branches and pull requests.
- Supports a wide set of launch surfaces, making agent delegation available beyond the desktop editor.
- Dedicated per-agent VMs and signed commits provide stronger isolation and attribution than a shared process sandbox.
- Local-to-cloud and cloud-to-local handoff lets developers choose autonomy or direct control as a task evolves.
- Included-usage pools and spend limits make model cost visible, even though actual consumption varies.
What to consider
- A paid plan is required, and Cloud Agent runs consume usage at the selected model's API price; long context, retries and premium models can become expensive.
- The full repository and execution environment are placed in Cursor-managed cloud infrastructure, which may be unacceptable for some code or contractual boundaries.
- Internet access is on by default and commands auto-run, creating prompt-injection and data-exfiltration risk unless egress and secrets are tightly scoped.
- Conversation transcripts are retained indefinitely by default, while encrypted environment snapshots remain on a rolling 90-day inactivity window; deletion and enterprise retention settings differ by data type.
- An agent can produce plausible but incorrect code, incomplete tests or unsafe migrations. A draft pull request is a handoff, not proof that the task is complete.
- Repository setup, private dependencies and flaky test suites can consume much of a run before useful implementation begins.
Compare
Cursor Agents alternatives
The right alternative depends on the specific output, workflow, controls and budget your project requires.
Coding
Codex
Codex is a strong alternative for multi-agent coding work across app, CLI and cloud environments, particularly for teams already using OpenAI plans.
Explore Codex →Coding
Claude Code
Claude Code is a terminal-centered alternative for developers who prefer direct local control and Anthropic models.
Explore Claude Code →Coding
Devin Desktop
Devin Desktop is an alternative agent-management surface for teams coordinating autonomous coding work from Cognition's ecosystem.
Explore Devin Desktop →Questions
Cursor Agents FAQs
What are Cursor Agents?
Cursor Agents are AI coding workers that can inspect a repository, modify files, run commands and tests and return changes. Cloud Agents perform that work in isolated remote VMs and can continue after the user's computer goes offline.
Can I use Cursor Agents from a phone?
Yes. Cursor provides a web interface at cursor.com/agents and mobile access, including a progressive web app. Runs can later be opened in Cursor desktop.
Are Cursor Cloud Agents free?
No. Cursor's Cloud Agent documentation requires a paid plan. Runs consume agent usage at the selected model's API price, and users set a spend limit before starting.
Do Cloud Agents merge code automatically?
The documented workflow pushes a branch and opens a draft pull request for human review. Teams should keep branch protection and required checks in place.
Does Cursor train on Cloud Agent code?
Cursor says Cloud Agents run in Privacy Mode and that it does not train on code or prompts from those runs. Teams should still verify organization settings and model-provider exceptions in current data-governance documentation.
How long does Cursor retain Cloud Agent data?
Cursor documents conversation state as indefinite by default and environment snapshots as a rolling 90 days after inactivity. The Delete Agent API removes the transcript and artifacts but not snapshots; selected Enterprise teams can set conversation-retention policies.
Are Cursor Cloud Agents safe for secrets?
They support encrypted secret stores and runtime-secret redaction, but users must configure them correctly. Prefer short-lived OIDC credentials, restrict egress, exclude sensitive files and never assume a repository secret is hidden from an autonomous process.
Bottom line
Our Cursor Agents verdict
Cursor Agents are a practical fit for teams that already work in Cursor and want to delegate bounded engineering tasks from anywhere. The cross-device experience, remote VMs and clean pull-request handoff are strong. The right rollout pairs those benefits with paid-usage controls, restricted repository and network scope, short-lived secrets and uncompromising human review before merge.
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