Cursor

June 2025 is Cursor's defining event: Pro's 500 fast-requests-per-month gave way to $20 of usage billed at API pricing with overages on top. That converted a predictable quota into a metered balance that could run out mid-month — the single most severe change in its record. Fallout was immediate, with confusing 'unlimited' messaging and surprise bills producing a CEO apology and refunds within weeks. Instead of settling, the metering deepened: in September 2025, Auto mode, previously unlimited for individuals, began counting against included usage. Around this the company layered on tiers and adjustments — a $200 Ultra plan, a $60 Pro+, a first-party Composer model, a Teams repricing into two usage pools, and a quietly halved free trial (two weeks to one). Recent activity is largely additive — cloud subagents, an iOS beta, conversation search — none of it touching the core billing model. This was a decisive, contested migration from fixed quotas to consumption pricing, softened by refunds and apologies but never reversed, and user reports capture the lived cost: quota changing without notice, usage spiking from $8 to $22 after roughly ten requests. Cursor is capable, but its spend is inherently variable and has repeatedly surprised people. Budget for overages, watch the usage dashboard, and treat any 'included' allowance as a floor that agentic sessions can burn through fast.