Cursor is a polished AI editor with a subscription to match. If you’d rather not pay a monthly fee, you can assemble a close equivalent from free, open-source tools plus a cheap model like DeepSeek — and keep working in VS Code. This walks through that setup honestly, including where it falls short of Cursor and where it doesn’t.
For the broader landscape, see best cheap Claude Code alternatives.
What you’re replacing
Cursor’s value is an integrated, agentic coding experience: multi-file edits, codebase awareness, plan-and-approve, all in a slick editor. The open-source stack reproduces the core of that:
- Editor experience → VS Code + Cline, or Kilo Code if you want a broader IDE/cloud agent stack.
- The model → DeepSeek (or GLM, Kimi) at a fraction of frontier cost.
You pay for the model’s tokens, not the editor.
Step 1: VS Code + Cline
Install VS Code, then the Cline extension from the marketplace. Cline brings an agent into the editor with a plan-and-approve workflow — the most Cursor-like of the open-source options, and it runs on native Windows with no WSL needed.
Step 2: Connect DeepSeek
In Cline’s settings, choose the OpenAI Compatible provider:
Cline + DeepSeek settings
| API Provider | OpenAI Compatible |
|---|---|
| Base URL | https://api.deepseek.com |
| API Key | your DeepSeek key |
| Model ID | deepseek-chat |
Full walkthrough: DeepSeek + Cline in VS Code. Save and you have an agentic editor on a cheap model.
Step 3: Use Plan mode like Cursor’s review
Cline’s Plan mode mirrors the “review before apply” feel of a good AI editor: the model proposes an approach, you approve, then it edits with visible diffs. That keeps a cheaper model on track and gives you Cursor-style control over changes.
The honest trade-offs
What you gain: no subscription, your choice of model, and the ability to swap to a local model for privacy.
Terminal alternative
If you don’t need the editor, OpenCode or Claude Code on DeepSeek give the same capability in the terminal — lighter and scriptable. The editor route is just the most Cursor-like.
Cost
DeepSeek pay-per-token is cents per session for light use; pair it with a GLM Coding Plan ($18/month) if you code heavily. Either way it typically undercuts a Cursor subscription, and your cost scales with actual use.
Open-source Cursor alternative checklist
- VS Code + Cline or Kilo Code installed
- DeepSeek key; OpenAI Compatible provider configured
- Model set to deepseek-chat
- Plan mode used for review-before-apply
- Consider GLM plan for heavy use, local model for privacy
Wrapping up
A Cursor alternative on Windows is straightforward: VS Code plus Cline or Kilo Code for the editor experience, and DeepSeek for a cheap, capable model — free tools, pay only for tokens. Plan mode gives you Cursor-style review. You trade a little polish for no subscription, model choice, and a privacy option. For a terminal workflow, OpenCode or Claude Code on DeepSeek do the same.
Start with DeepSeek + Cline in VS Code, and for cost, cheapest AI coding API in 2026.
