Anysphere has announced the launch of a premium tier subscription called “Ultra” for its widely-used AI coding assistant, Cursor, priced at $200 per month. The new plan promises users up to 20 times more access and usage capacity with advanced AI models from major providers such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Google DeepMind, and xAI, substantially exceeding the capacity offered by its existing “Pro” tier, priced at $20 per month. Subscribers opting into the Ultra plan will also gain priority access to new features as they roll out.
CEO Michael Truell explained in a company blog post that introducing the Ultra subscription was feasible thanks to strengthened multi-year agreements with AI model vendors. In recent months, similar moves have been made by other industry players: OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google DeepMind have each introduced high-priced subscription models, ranging between $100 and $250 a month, specifically targeting power users and enterprises that demand enhanced functionality.
Cursor’s new subscription offering appears strategically targeted at further boosting Anysphere’s already rapid growth rate. The company recently revealed annualized recurring revenue (ARR) had reached $500 million, with major enterprise clients including Nvidia, Uber, and Adobe. Having previously captured industry attention for reaching the $100 million ARR milestone faster than almost any competitor, Anysphere continues its swift expansion, reportedly gaining $200 million in additional recurring revenue since this past April.
However, the market for advanced AI-assisted coding tools, often termed “vibecoding,” has grown notably competitive. Many leading AI model providers themselves have begun direct competition by developing their own coding tools. Notably, OpenAI recently acquired Windsurf, a competitor to Cursor, signaling its intent to strengthen its position in the sector. At the same time, Anthropic continues actively developing and expanding capabilities for Claude Code, its own AI-powered coding tool based on its proprietary Claude AI model.
Industry watchers have questioned whether Anysphere will maintain its impressive expansion pace without eventually clashing directly with the AI model providers it currently partners with. Signs of competitive tensions escalating in this market are already visible—Anthropic recently restricted Windsurf’s access to Claude AI after Windsurf’s acquisition by OpenAI, indicating aggressive competition among major players in this space.
Anticipating these potential market shifts, Anysphere has started investing more heavily in internal AI model development. In May, Anysphere introduced “Tab,” an internally developed AI model capable of recommending coding adjustments spanning multiple files simultaneously.
Nevertheless, Anthropic co-founder Jared Kaplan recently indicated confidence in the long-term relationship between Anthropic and Cursor, reinforced by multi-year agreements binding the parties together. Still, while partnerships currently remain robust, the intensifying competition in AI-driven coding tools means Anysphere’s future strategies will be under intense scrutiny by both competitors and customers alike.
