OpenCursor / What is OpenCursor
What is OpenCursor?
OpenCursor is a desktop code editor with an AI agent built in. It is free, open source under the MIT license, and runs on macOS, Windows and Linux. You choose the model that powers it: your own API key, a Claude Code or Codex plan you already pay for, a local model, or a free one.
Updated October 30, 2026
The short version
- What it is: a fork of Code-OSS, the open source core of VS Code, with an agent, Tab completion and inline editing added.
- Who makes it: Noah, who is @fsconfig on X. It is an independent project.
- License: MIT. The source is at github.com/noah-thing/open-cursor.
- Price: free, with no account. Paid models are billed by their own provider at their own price.
- Website: opencursor.org. The editor is also called Open Cursor, or the OpenCursor editor.
How it works
OpenCursor is laid out the way Cursor is, so the habits carry over: Cmd+K edits in place, Cmd+L sends your selection to the agent, and Tab finishes the line. Your VS Code extensions, themes and settings work as they always did. Every edit the agent makes arrives as a diff you can keep or undo, and every message is a checkpoint you can restore. The features page goes through each part.
Requests go straight from your computer to the model provider you picked. There is no OpenCursor server in between, and API keys stay in your system keychain.
How it differs from Cursor
Cursor is a closed source editor from the company Anysphere, with its own subscription. OpenCursor is not made by Anysphere and is not affiliated with it. The everyday workflow is similar; what changes is who you pay. With OpenCursor you point the editor at a model you already have access to, and nothing is billed through the editor. A free alternative to Cursor has the side by side, including where Cursor is ahead.
Projects with a similar name
The word cursor is common in software, so several unrelated things are called OpenCursor or openCursor. This site is about the standalone desktop editor at opencursor.org. It is none of these:
| Name | What it is | Related to this editor? |
|---|---|---|
| PawanOsman/OpenCursor on GitHub | A VS Code extension | No |
| OpenCursor Agent, by pkrd | An editor extension | No |
| zhipengzuo/openCursor on GitHub | An agent written in Go | No |
| openCursor() in IndexedDB | A method on IDBObjectStore and IDBIndex in the browser's database API | No |
If you want the editor described here, the address is opencursor.org and the code is in the noah-thing/open-cursor repository.
Where to go next
- Download and install for macOS, Windows and Linux.
- Changelog for what changed in each release.
- Free models, local models, or your Claude or ChatGPT plan.
Questions
What is OpenCursor?
OpenCursor is a free, open source (MIT) AI code editor built on Code-OSS, the open core of VS Code. It has an agent, Cmd+K inline edits and Tab completion, and runs on the model you choose.
Is OpenCursor the same as PawanOsman/OpenCursor?
No. PawanOsman/OpenCursor on GitHub is a separate VS Code extension. OpenCursor at opencursor.org is a full desktop editor with its source at github.com/noah-thing/open-cursor.
Is OpenCursor related to the IndexedDB openCursor() method?
No. openCursor() is a method of IDBObjectStore and IDBIndex in the browser's IndexedDB API. It shares a word with this editor and nothing else.
Who makes OpenCursor?
Noah, known as @fsconfig on X. It is an independent open source project, not made by or affiliated with Anysphere (Cursor) or Microsoft.
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