Cursor AI vs Trae AI — The Battle of Intelligent Code Editors

In the past few months, Cursor AI and Trae AI have become the main contenders in the AI-powered code editor space.
Both are [[VS Code]] forks, both promise the same: code faster, with less effort and better results.

But... which one actually delivers?

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⚙️ Overview

Both Cursor AI and Trae AI leverage large language models to generate and edit code from simple text descriptions.
With them, you can create everything from landing pages and backends to complete apps — all without leaving the editor.

| Tool | Base | Integrated AI | Ideal for |
| ---------- | ------- | ---------------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| Cursor | VS Code | Claude / GPT / Gemini | Experienced devs & teams |
| Trae | VS Code | Claude / GPT / Gemini / Grok | Makers, beginners, and freelancers |

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🖥️ Supported Platforms

• Cursor: macOS, Windows, and Linux
• Trae: macOS and Windows

🔧 If you're on Linux, Cursor is your only native option.

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💰 Plans and Pricing

Cursor AI

| Plan | Price | Highlights |
| ---------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------- |
| Hobby (Free) | $0 | Free Pro trial, unlimited requests & autocompletions |
| Pro | $20/month | Credits included ($50), background agents, expanded context |
| Ultra | $200/month | 20x usage for all [[OpenAI]] and [[Gemini]] models |
| Teams | $40/month per user | Collaboration and centralized management |
| Enterprise | Custom | SLA and private integrations |

Cursor uses a credit-based system. The exact number of requests is not public.

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Trae AI

| Plan | Price | Highlights |
| -------- | -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| Free | $0 | 10 fast + 50 slow requests/month, 5,000 autocompletions |
| Pro | $10/month ($3 first month) | 600 fast + unlimited slow requests and autocompletions |

Includes access to:

Claude 4, Sonnet, Gemini 2.5 Pro, GPT-4o, Grok 4, and other premium models.

💡 Conclusion:
Trae is more transparent and offers better cost-benefit in its paid plan.

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🧪 Practical Test — Building an Image Converter

Challenge: build a complete page for an image conversion site (e.g., PNG → JPG) using the Claude 4 Sonnet model in both tools.

🔹 Cursor AI

• Quickly analyzed the project structure
• Generated a 6-task list (layout, upload, conversion options, styling)
• Completed in 1–2 minutes
• Result: functional site, dark theme, real PNG → JPG conversion

Judgment: fast, straightforward, and efficient.
Full focus on delivering functionality, not documentation.

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🔹 Trae AI

• Generated a detailed PRD (Product Requirements Document)
• Created diagrams, tables, examples, and technical architecture
• Took 8–10 minutes, automatically correcting errors
• Result: functional site with light theme, better UI and animations

Judgment: slower, but delivers more refined documentation and design.

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🧠 Exclusive Features

Cursor AI

• Background Agents → execute tasks while you’re offline
• GitHub integration → creates automatic PRs
• Full Linux support
• Ultra-fast autocomplete with local cache

Trae AI

• One-click deploy → direct integration with [[Vercel]]
• Built-in browser → app preview inside the editor
• MCPs marketplace → add external tools in one click
• Automatic PRD before code generation

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🔁 Shared Features

• Forks of [[VS Code]]
• Support for extensions and plugins
• Natural language chat
• Integration with MCPs (Model Context Protocol)
• Supported models: [[Claude]], [[GPT-4o]], [[Gemini]], [[Grok]]

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🏁 Conclusion — Which Should You Choose?

| Criterion | Best Option |
| ------------------------------------- | ------------- |
| 💸 Price & Transparency | Trae AI |
| 🧑‍💻 Agents & Automation | Cursor AI |
| 💻 Linux Support | Cursor AI |
| 🌐 Fast Deploy & Built-in Preview | Trae AI |
| 🧩 Documentation & Code UX | Trae AI |
| 🔧 GitHub & Team Integration | Cursor AI |

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⚖️ Final Verdict

• Choose Trae AI if you want a visual, accessible editor with great price-performance.
• Choose Cursor AI if you prioritize powerful agents, team integration, and greater technical control.

Both deliver real value, but have different personalities:

• Cursor is the methodical, fast, and direct engineer.
• Trae is the organized designer, with attention to detail.

🚀 Best of all: both offer free plans.
Try them both and see which one fits your development flow best.