Cursor vs Z Code: Side-by-Side Comparison 2026

Cursor vs Z Code comparison 2026. Side-by-side features, pricing & capabilities.

Cursor is an AI IDE from Cursor (Anysphere) — the ai-first code editor. Z Code is an AI IDE from Z.ai (Zhipu AI) — ai-powered code editor from zhipu ai (z.ai).

Cursor

AI-powered code editor built on VS Code with deep AI integration for code generation, editing, and chat.

  • ✓ AI autocomplete
  • ✓ Chat with codebase
  • ✓ Multi-file editing
  • ✓ Terminal commands
  • ✓ Code explanation

Free / $20/mo · 6 plans

Z Code

Desktop code editor from Z.ai (Zhipu AI) powered by GLM models. Integrates multiple AI agents within one interface with codebase understanding, automated code review, and support for external models. Also available as a VS Code extension.

  • ✓ GLM-5 flagship model (77.8% SWE-bench)
  • ✓ 200K token context window
  • ✓ OpenAI-compatible API
  • ✓ Free GLM-4.7-Flash model
  • ✓ Vision capabilities (Pro/Max)

$10/mo · 3 plans

Feature Cursor Z Code
Category AI IDEAI IDE
Starting Price Free $10/mo
Model Family Multi-modelGLM
Open Source NoModels are open-weight (MIT for GLM-4.6)

Pricing verified Mar 20, 2026. Cursor pricing | Z Code pricing

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Key Differences

  • Free tier: Cursor has a free tier; Z Code does not.
  • Starting price: Cursor starts at $20/mo; Z Code starts at $10/mo.
  • Model family: Cursor uses Multi-model; Z Code uses GLM.
  • Open source: Cursor: No. Z Code: Models are open-weight (MIT for GLM-4.6).
  • Platforms: Cursor runs on Linux, Windows, macOS; Z Code runs on Windows, macOS.
  • Provider: Cursor is built by Cursor (Anysphere); Z Code is built by Z.ai (Zhipu AI).

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Cursor if you want a full-featured AI IDE for professional development. Choose Z Code if you want competitive coding AI starting at $10/mo with free model access. Read our full reviews to see which fits your workflow.

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