Cursor
The best way to code with AI
VS
Sonar by Perplexity
Real-time, web-grounded AI models and API for generative search.
Detailed comparison
Criteria
Cursor
Sonar by Perplexity
Pricing
Freemium
Freemium
Plans & pricing
Hobby (Free): Free, Pro: $17/mo, Pro+: $60/mo, Ultra: $200/mo, Teams: $32/mo, Enterprise: Custom
Free Plan (Standard): Free, Perplexity Pro (Individual): $17/mo, Perplexity Max (Individual): $167/mo, Education Pro: $5/mo, Perplexity Enterprise Pro: Custom, Perplexity Enterprise Max: Custom, Sonar API: $0.001/mo, Sonar Pro API: $0.003/mo
Free trial
Yes
Yes
Audience
b2b
b2c
Platforms
Desktop
Web
API
No
Yes
Open Source
Proprietary
Proprietary
Categories
Dev Tools
SEO, Data Science
Popularity
Very High
Very High
Description
Cursor is an AI-first code editor. Built to make you extraordinarily productive, it offers the best way to build software with AI.
Sonar by Perplexity is a suite of advanced AI models and an API platform from Perplexity AI. It provides real-time, web-grounded AI responses with tra...
Pricing
Cursor
Freemium
Sonar by Perplexity
Freemium
Plans & pricing
Cursor
Hobby (Free): Free, Pro: $17/mo, Pro+: $60/mo, Ultra: $200/mo, Teams: $32/mo, Enterprise: Custom
Sonar by Perplexity
Free Plan (Standard): Free, Perplexity Pro (Individual): $17/mo, Perplexity Max (Individual): $167/mo, Education Pro: $5/mo, Perplexity Enterprise Pro: Custom, Perplexity Enterprise Max: Custom, Sonar API: $0.001/mo, Sonar Pro API: $0.003/mo
Free trial
Cursor
Yes
Sonar by Perplexity
Yes
Audience
Cursor
b2b
Sonar by Perplexity
b2c
Platforms
Cursor
Desktop
Sonar by Perplexity
Web
API
Cursor
No
Sonar by Perplexity
Yes
Open Source
Cursor
Proprietary
Sonar by Perplexity
Proprietary
Categories
Cursor
Dev Tools
Sonar by Perplexity
SEO, Data Science
Popularity
Cursor
Very High
Sonar by Perplexity
Very High
Description
Cursor
Cursor is an AI-first code editor. Built to make you extraordinarily productive, it offers the best way to build software with AI.
Sonar by Perplexity
Sonar by Perplexity is a suite of advanced AI models and an API platform from Perplexity AI. It provides real-time, web-grounded AI responses with tra...
Features
Cursor
AI Agents
Code Review
AI-powered Tab Completions
Bugbot Rules
Shared Chats and Commands
Sonar by Perplexity
Real-Time Web Search with Verified Citations
Chain-of-Thought Reasoning (Sonar Reasoning Pro)
OpenAI Client Compatible API
Flexible Sonar Models (Sonar, Sonar Pro, Sonar Deep Research)
Extended Context Windows for Complex Queries
High Performance and Answer Quality
Key differentiators
Cursor
- AI-first code editor
- Best way to build software with AI
Sonar by Perplexity
- Real-time web search with citations
- Flexible Sonar models
- OpenAI client compatible API
Other comparisons
FAQ: Cursor vs Sonar by Perplexity
Cursor: The best way to code with AI. Sonar by Perplexity: Real-time, web-grounded AI models and API for generative search.. Both tools take different approaches to address similar needs.
Both offer a free or freemium plan. Cursor is freemium and Sonar by Perplexity is freemium.
The best choice between Cursor and Sonar by Perplexity depends on your specific needs. Compare their features, pricing, and target audience on this page to find the tool that best fits your use case.
Cursor is primarily designed for individuals, while Sonar by Perplexity is built for individuals.
Cursor offers: AI Agents, Code Review, AI-powered Tab Completions, Bugbot Rules. Sonar by Perplexity offers: Real-Time Web Search with Verified Citations, Chain-of-Thought Reasoning (Sonar Reasoning Pro), OpenAI Client Compatible API, Flexible Sonar Models (Sonar, Sonar Pro, Sonar Deep Research).
Based on our data, Cursor currently enjoys greater popularity. However, popularity isn't the only factor — compare features to find the right tool for your needs.