CursorAI adds rate limits to unlimited plans: Difference between revisions
Added archive URLs for 2 citation(s) using CRWCitationBot |
m link AI Tags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit Advanced mobile edit Visual edit |
||
| (6 intermediate revisions by 4 users not shown) | |||
| Line 11: | Line 11: | ||
|Description= | |Description= | ||
}} | }} | ||
Cursor AI silently changed their ''"unlimited"'' Pro plan to severely rate-limited without notice, locking users out after 3-7 requests & forcing them to upgrade to regain functionality.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Developer Reports Cursor AI Plan Change and Lockouts |url=https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250710051320/https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |archive-date=10 Jul 2025}}</ref> | Cursor AI silently changed their ''"unlimited"'' Pro plan to severely [[wikipedia:Rate_limiting|rate-limited]] without notice, locking users out after 3-7 requests & forcing them to upgrade to regain functionality.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Developer Reports Cursor AI Plan Change and Lockouts |url=https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250710051320/https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |archive-date=10 Jul 2025}}</ref> | ||
==Background== | ==Background== | ||
Cursor AI, a developer-focused AI code assistant, marketed its $20/month Pro plan with "Unlimited Agent Requests,"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cursor Pricing Page Archive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250222054643/https://www.cursor.com/en/pricing |access-date=2025-07-05}}</ref> targeting professional developers who depend on advanced models like [[Anthropic]] Claude 4 Sonnet for coding workflows. The service was sold as a premium development tool that provides reliable access to frontier AI models for professional software development. | Cursor AI, a developer-focused [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] code assistant, marketed its $20/month Pro plan with "Unlimited Agent Requests,"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cursor Pricing Page Archive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250222054643/https://www.cursor.com/en/pricing |access-date=2025-07-05}}</ref> targeting professional developers who depend on advanced models like [[Anthropic]] Claude 4 Sonnet for coding workflows. The service was sold as a premium development tool that provides reliable access to frontier AI models for professional software development. | ||
After introducing an Unlimited Pro plan, a hidden Pro+ upgrade, and higher-priced Ultra Plan in mid-June 2025<ref>{{Cite web |title=Clarifying June 16 Pro Changes |url=https://forum.cursor.com/t/clarifying-june-16-pro-changes/111740 |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251217052720/https://forum.cursor.com/t/clarifying-june-16-pro-changes/111740 |archive-date=17 Dec 2025}}</ref>, shortly after Cursor quietly changed the Pro plan description from ''"Unlimited Agent Requests" to "Unlimited Agent Requests *Usage Limits Apply for some models"'' and again early July to ''"Extended limits on agent"'' without clarifying actual limits or notifying existing customers. The company implemented a system based on "$20+ of model inference" allowance but provided no tools for users to track consumption against this limit.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cursor Community Discussion: No Usage Tracking |url=https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028/18 |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250710051320/https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |archive-date=10 Jul 2025}}</ref> | After introducing an Unlimited Pro plan, a hidden Pro+ upgrade, and higher-priced Ultra Plan in mid-June 2025<ref>{{Cite web |title=Clarifying June 16 Pro Changes |url=https://forum.cursor.com/t/clarifying-june-16-pro-changes/111740 |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251217052720/https://forum.cursor.com/t/clarifying-june-16-pro-changes/111740 |archive-date=17 Dec 2025}}</ref>, shortly after Cursor quietly changed the Pro plan description from ''"Unlimited Agent Requests" to "Unlimited Agent Requests *Usage Limits Apply for some models"'' and again early July to ''"Extended limits on agent"'' without clarifying actual limits or notifying existing customers. The company implemented a system based on "$20+ of model inference" allowance but provided no tools for users to track consumption against this limit.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cursor Community Discussion: No Usage Tracking |url=https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028/18 |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250710051320/https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |archive-date=10 Jul 2025}}</ref> | ||
[[File: | [[File:CursorAI initial unlimited pricing.png|thumb|200x200px|A screenshot of the initial description of the Pro plan.]] | ||
==Service | ==Service degradation and consumer exploitation== | ||
===Silent | ===Silent plan changes=== | ||
Days after June 16, 2025, launch, Cursor quietly walked back ''"Unlimited Agent Requests"'' | Days after June 16, 2025, launch, Cursor quietly walked back ''"Unlimited Agent Requests"'' | ||
| Line 29: | Line 29: | ||
*Changed "Unlimited Agent Requests" to "Extended limits on agent" on pricing page | *Changed "Unlimited Agent Requests" to "Extended limits on agent" on pricing page | ||
*Implemented usage limits based on vague ''"$20+ of model inference"'' allowance | *Implemented usage limits based on vague ''"$20+ of model inference"'' allowance | ||
*Introduced harsh rate limiting with reset periods described only as ''"5-24 hours"''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cursor Documentation on Rate Limits |url=https://docs.cursor.com/rate-limits |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216025928/https://cursor.com/docs |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref>[[File: | *Introduced harsh rate limiting with reset periods described only as ''"5-24 hours"''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cursor Documentation on Rate Limits |url=https://docs.cursor.com/rate-limits |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260216025928/https://cursor.com/docs |archive-date=16 Feb 2026}}</ref>[[File:CursorAI updated unlimited pricing.png|thumb|200x200px|A screenshot of the description of the Pro-plan showing a hidden disclaimer near the "Unlimited agent requests" line]][[File:CursorAI updated pricing 3 July 2025.png|thumb|223x223px|A screenshot showing the description of the Pro tier as of 3 July 2025. Notice how the first line was modified to "Extended limits on agent"]] | ||
*Removed transparency features that would allow users to track usage against limits<ref>{{Cite web |title=User Complaints About Lack of Usage Dashboard |url=https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028/20 |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250710051320/https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |archive-date=10 Jul 2025}}</ref> | *Removed transparency features that would allow users to track usage against limits<ref>{{Cite web |title=User Complaints About Lack of Usage Dashboard |url=https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028/20 |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250710051320/https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |archive-date=10 Jul 2025}}</ref> | ||
===User | ===User impact=== | ||
Users began experiencing unexpected rate limiting with minimal usage: | Users began experiencing unexpected rate limiting with minimal usage: | ||
| Line 41: | Line 41: | ||
*Sudden transitions from ''"included in Pro"'' usage to expensive pay-as-you-go billing without warning. | *Sudden transitions from ''"included in Pro"'' usage to expensive pay-as-you-go billing without warning. | ||
===Suppression of | ===Suppression of customer complaints=== | ||
The company suppressed customer complaints: | The company suppressed customer complaints: | ||
| Line 50: | Line 50: | ||
==Cursor's response== | ==Cursor's response== | ||
===Initial denial | ===Initial denial and suppression=== | ||
Cursor AI's initial responses were inadequate | Cursor AI's initial responses were inadequate and dismissive: | ||
*Customer support provided canned responses that ignored specific questions about timing & usage numbers<ref>{{Cite web |title=Template Support Responses |url=https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028/62 |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250710051320/https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |archive-date=10 Jul 2025}}</ref> | *Customer support provided canned responses that ignored specific questions about timing & usage numbers<ref>{{Cite web |title=Template Support Responses |url=https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028/62 |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250710051320/https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |archive-date=10 Jul 2025}}</ref> | ||
| Line 57: | Line 57: | ||
*AI moderation system continued hiding customer complaint threads<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ongoing Forum Suppression |url=https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028/37 |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250710051320/https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |archive-date=10 Jul 2025}}</ref> | *AI moderation system continued hiding customer complaint threads<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ongoing Forum Suppression |url=https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028/37 |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250710051320/https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |archive-date=10 Jul 2025}}</ref> | ||
===Official | ===Official damage control response=== | ||
On July 5, 2025, facing overwhelming cross-platform pressure, Cursor AI published a blog post acknowledging the issues: | On July 5, 2025, facing overwhelming cross-platform pressure, Cursor AI published a blog post acknowledging the issues: | ||
| Line 65: | Line 65: | ||
*Updated documentation to provide more specific limit information, though still vague on reset timing | *Updated documentation to provide more specific limit information, though still vague on reset timing | ||
===Continued | ===Continued problems=== | ||
Even after the official response, fundamental issues remained unresolved: | Even after the official response, fundamental issues remained unresolved: | ||
| Line 71: | Line 71: | ||
*Reset timing described vaguely as ''"5-24 hours"'' with no guarantees (''"best-effort basis"'') | *Reset timing described vaguely as ''"5-24 hours"'' with no guarantees (''"best-effort basis"'') | ||
*No real-time usage tracking implementation to help users manage consumption | *No real-time usage tracking implementation to help users manage consumption | ||
*[[File: | *[[File:CursorAI screenshot of forum post.jpg|thumb|Forum user doing math to demonstrate how cursor is 29x worse than claude]]Value proposition remained significantly worse than competitors (29:1 ratio disadvantage)<ref>{{Cite web |title=Comparison with Competitors |url=https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028/64 |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250710051320/https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |archive-date=10 Jul 2025}}</ref> | ||
==Consumer response== | ==Consumer response== | ||
===Cross- | ===Cross-platform documentation=== | ||
The consumer backlash spread to multiple platforms: | The consumer backlash spread to multiple platforms: | ||
*A detailed 51-page forum thread documented user experiences with screenshots, usage data, and technical analysis<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pro Plan Rate Limit Transparency Issues - Cursor Forum |url=https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250710051320/https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |archive-date=10 Jul 2025}}</ref> | *A detailed 51-page forum thread documented user experiences with screenshots, usage data, and technical analysis<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pro Plan Rate Limit Transparency Issues - Cursor Forum |url=https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250710051320/https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |archive-date=10 Jul 2025}}</ref> | ||
*[[File:X post on | *[[File:X post on CursorAI.jpg|thumb|twitter post from disgruntled customer of cursorai]]Hundreds of complaints across Twitter/X from developers worldwide experiencing identical issues<ref>{{Cite web |title=Developer Complaints on Twitter |url=https://x.com/0ni_x4/status/1940885976127283342 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260415184215/https://nitter.catsarch.com/0ni_x4/status/1940885976127283342 |archive-date=15 Apr 2026 |access-date=2025-07-05}}</ref> | ||
*Community-maintained archives created due to forum censorship and thread hiding<ref>{{Cite web |title=Archive of Hidden Threads |url=https://archive. | *Community-maintained archives created due to forum censorship and thread hiding<ref>{{Cite web |title=Archive of Hidden Threads |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260218083327/https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028/ |url-status=live |access-date=2025-07-05}}</ref> | ||
*Reddit discussions confirming the same problems across the user base<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reddit User Reports on Cursor Rate Limits |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/cursor/comments/1lqvl21/cursor_12_and_claude_4_sonnet_rate_limit_is_this/ |access-date=2025-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223035255/https://old.reddit.com/r/cursor/comments/1lqvl21/cursor_12_and_claude_4_sonnet_rate_limit_is_this/ |archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref> | *Reddit discussions confirming the same problems across the user base<ref>{{Cite web |title=Reddit User Reports on Cursor Rate Limits |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/cursor/comments/1lqvl21/cursor_12_and_claude_4_sonnet_rate_limit_is_this/ |access-date=2025-07-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20260223035255/https://old.reddit.com/r/cursor/comments/1lqvl21/cursor_12_and_claude_4_sonnet_rate_limit_is_this/ |archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref> | ||
===User | ===User actions=== | ||
Affected consumers took direct action: | Affected consumers took direct action: | ||
| Line 91: | Line 91: | ||
*Users sharing workarounds like reverting to "legacy pricing" where available<ref>{{Cite web |title=Users Reverting to Legacy Pricing |url=https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028/90 |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250710051320/https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |archive-date=10 Jul 2025}}</ref> | *Users sharing workarounds like reverting to "legacy pricing" where available<ref>{{Cite web |title=Users Reverting to Legacy Pricing |url=https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028/90 |access-date=2025-07-05 |url-status=live |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250710051320/https://forum.cursor.com/t/pro-plan-rate-limit-transparency-issues-need-specific-usage-details/113028 |archive-date=10 Jul 2025}}</ref> | ||
===Consumer | ===Consumer impact=== | ||
CursorAI's actions seriously disrupted pro developer's workflows: | CursorAI's actions seriously disrupted pro developer's workflows: | ||
| Line 100: | Line 100: | ||
*Financial pressure to upgrade to $60+ plans to regain previously advertised functionality | *Financial pressure to upgrade to $60+ plans to regain previously advertised functionality | ||
===Community | ===Community sentiment=== | ||
Documented consumer sentiment included: | Documented consumer sentiment included: | ||
| Line 108: | Line 108: | ||
*Demands for honest marketing that doesn't rely on technical loopholes | *Demands for honest marketing that doesn't rely on technical loopholes | ||
*Recognition that the incident represented broader anti-consumer trends in AI services | *Recognition that the incident represented broader anti-consumer trends in AI services | ||
==See also== | |||
*[[Post-purchase EULA modification]] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{ | {{Reflist}} | ||
[[Category:Cursor]] | [[Category:Cursor]] | ||
[[Category:Artificial intelligence]] | [[Category:Artificial intelligence]] | ||