Side-by-side comparison · Coding & Dev Tools
Amp vs Claude Code vs Cursor
Everything that matters when choosing between them, in one place: our rating, what each can do, what they cost, and the trade-offs.
Comparing 3 tools, the maximum.
At a glance
Pick it if: Developers and engineering teams working on large codebases who want agents running in the background, not tied to their laptop.
Pick it if: Anyone building software, from first-timers to senior engineers, who wants an AI that does the work itself.
Pick it if: Developers and curious beginners who want AI help but still want a visual editor.
Overview
| Attribute | Amp | Claude Code | Cursor |
|---|---|---|---|
| In one line | A coding agent that keeps working on remote machines after you close your laptop. | An AI agent that works inside your project: it reads, writes and runs the code for you. | A code editor with AI built in, for people who want to watch every change happen. |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Paid | Freemium |
| Starting price | $20/mo | $20/mo | $8/mo |
| Free plan | Yes | No | Yes |
| Works with Claude Code | Yes | Yes | No |
Rating breakdown
Our scores out of 5. The higher bar in each row is highlighted.
| Attribute | Amp | Claude Code | Cursor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall rating | 4.0 | 4.4Winner | 3.9 |
| Ease of useHow quickly someone non-technical gets value from it. | 3.0 | 3.5 | 4.0 |
| FeaturesHow completely it covers its own job, and how well the pieces fit together. | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.5 |
| Output qualityHow good the results are before you fix them. | 4.5 | 5.0 | 4.0 |
| Value for moneyWhat you get for the price, including the free plan. | 4.0 | 4.0 | 3.0 |
| Speed & reliabilityHow fast it is and how often it falls over. | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.0 |
Feature comparison
A tick means it does this today. A dash means we haven't checked.
| Attribute | Amp | Claude Code | Cursor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Access & platform | |||
| Free plan | Yes | No | Yes |
| Mobile app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Desktop app | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Browser extension | No | No | No |
| API access | Yes | Yes | – |
| Teams & business | |||
| Team workspace | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Enterprise plan or SSO | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Connects to other apps | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Open source or self-hosted | Yes | No | No |
| AI abilities | |||
| Works with your files | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Understands images | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Makes images | No | No | No |
| Makes video | No | No | No |
| Writes code | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Runs agents or automations | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Learns your brand or style | – | Yes | Yes |
| Works in many languages | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Capabilities score | 13/ 17 | 12/ 17 | 12/ 17 |
Pricing
Plans as listed on each vendor's site when we last checked. Confirm before you buy.
| Attribute | Amp | Claude Code | Cursor |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plans | HobbyOur pick Free Developers with their own model subscription or keys. | ProOur pick $20/mo, or $17/mo billed yearly Trying Claude Code and light daily use. | Free Free Trying the editor and a few agent runs. |
Megawatt $20/mo Individuals who want Amp to host the machines. | Team From $20/seat/mo billed yearly, or $25 monthly Businesses with 2 to 150 people who want central billing. | Plus $8/mo Light users who are happy with Grok models only. | |
Gigawatt $200/mo Heavy users running many big jobs. | Enterprise $20/seat/mo billed yearly, 20-seat minimum Larger companies with compliance needs. | PremiumOur pick $30/mo Most developers, especially if you want Claude alongside Grok. | |
Enterprise Custom Large companies with security and compliance needs. | Max From $100/mo Anyone running Claude Code for hours a day. | Super or Ultra $100/mo or $200/mo Heavy daily agent users. | |
API (pay as you go) Usage based Teams who want to pay only for what they use. | Legacy Pro $20/mo Existing subscribers only. New customers can't buy it. | ||
Teams From $30/user/mo Companies that need admin controls and SSO. | |||
| Which plan to pick | Start on Hobby and link a ChatGPT or Claude subscription you already pay for. Move to Megawatt at $20 a month only when you want Amp to host the machines so tasks run while you're away. Teams can create a workspace at no extra charge. | Start on Pro. It is enough to build a small site or tool in evenings and weekends. If you hit the limit most days, Max 5x is the next step; it costs five times as much but usually works out cheaper than paying for the API directly. Max also lets you spend up to half your weekly limit on Fable, which Pro only gets through paid credits. | If you are on the old $20 Pro plan and it covers what you use, stay put; switching is permanent. New customers should skip Plus unless they are happy with Grok. Premium is the realistic starting point if you want Claude, and budget for the extra usage billing on top of the $30. Large companies can ask about a custom Enterprise plan. |
Key features
| Attribute | Amp | Claude Code | Cursor |
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Pros and cons
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Who each one is for
| Attribute | Amp | Claude Code | Cursor |
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Questions people ask
Which is better, Amp, Claude Code or Cursor?
Claude Code scores highest overall in our ratings (Amp 4.0/5, Claude Code 4.4/5 and Cursor 3.9/5). Amp is best for running several coding tasks in the background at once and working on big, messy codebases. Claude Code is best for building a whole feature, start to finish and fixing bugs you can't find. Cursor is best for editing with AI autocomplete and learning by watching changes happen.
Which is cheaper, Amp, Claude Code or Cursor?
Amp: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $20/mo. Claude Code: There's no free plan. Paid plans start at $20/mo. Cursor: There's a free plan, and paid plans start at $8/mo.
Which is easier to use, Amp, Claude Code or Cursor?
Cursor rates highest for ease of use in our scores. Developers and curious beginners who want AI help but still want a visual editor.
How we compare
Ratings are our own, from using each tool, across ease of use, features, output quality, value for money, speed & reliability.
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