# OpenComputer vs Cursor

Cursor cloud agents, formerly called Background Agents, run Cursor's own agent on Cursor-managed Ubuntu VMs with a full desktop, started from the Cursor editor, the web, iOS, Slack, GitHub, Linear or an API. OpenComputer runs Claude Code and Codex on a cloud Linux machine per Slack workspace, driven from a shared Slack thread or an API, and billed per Slack workspace for work minutes.

The biggest difference is the agent and the home base. Cursor's cloud agents are an extension of the Cursor editor and plan, with Cursor's agent and a curated choice of models. OpenComputer has no editor and no agent of its own: it runs Claude Code or Codex, can use the Claude or ChatGPT subscription you already pay for, and centers the work in a Slack thread the whole team can steer.

If your team already codes in Cursor, its cloud agents are the natural next step. If your team works in Slack and wants Claude Code or Codex to turn requests into pull requests, OpenComputer fits.

## At a glance

| | Cursor cloud agents | OpenComputer |
|---|---|---|
| Where the agent runs | Cursor-managed Ubuntu VM with a desktop, or your machines | Your workspace's cloud Linux machine |
| Agent and models | Cursor's agent; Cursor, Grok and third-party models | Claude Code and Codex |
| How you hand it work | Editor, web, iOS, Slack, Linear, GitHub, API | Slack mention or API |
| What you get back | PR with screenshots, videos and logs | A pull request with screenshot and preview for UI changes |
| Between tasks | Disk state from the last Build carries over | Machine stays warm; repo and caches kept |
| Pricing model | Per seat, weekly usage pool | Per workspace, work minutes |
| Entry price | Premium, $30 per month | Pro, $20 per month for the workspace |
| Free option | Not on Free or Plus | 3-day trial, 600 work minutes |

## What are Cursor cloud agents?

Cursor is an AI code editor, and its cloud agents run the same agent in [isolated VMs in the cloud with full development environments](https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent). Each VM is an Ubuntu machine with a desktop the agent can drive, so it can open a browser, test the running app and [attach screenshots, videos and logs to the pull request](https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent/capabilities). You can take over the remote desktop to check the change yourself, and the agent tries to fix CI failures on its own PRs when you use GitHub Actions.

You start a cloud agent from the editor, cursor.com/agents, the iOS app, `@cursor` in Slack, Linear or a GitHub or Bitbucket comment, the API or scheduled Automations. Environments are set up by the agent, from a snapshot or from a Dockerfile, and Cursor works with GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket and Azure DevOps. Teams can also [run the tool execution on machines they manage](https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent/self-hosted) while the agent loop stays at Cursor.

## What is OpenComputer?

OpenComputer runs Claude Code and Codex in its own cloud, and you hand them work by mentioning @Computer in a Slack thread or calling the API from your code. Each Slack workspace gets its own cloud Linux machine, sized to its plan. Every thread works in its own copy of the repos on its own branch, so parallel requests don't collide. Workspaces resume warm, with the repository, dependencies and build caches already in place.

@Computer reads the code, runs the commands and tests, then opens a pull request that says what changed, why, and how it was checked, with a link back to the thread. UI changes come with a screenshot and a preview link. OpenComputer is not an editor and has no desktop or mobile app: the interface is Slack plus the API.

## Key differences

### Cursor's agent or Claude Code and Codex

Cursor cloud agents run Cursor's own agent with [a curated selection of models](https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent): Cursor and Grok models from your plan's pool, and Claude, GPT, Gemini and others at API list price on Premium and above. Your own API keys are allowed on Premium and above. OpenComputer runs the [Claude Code](/compare/opencomputer-vs-claude-code) and [Codex](/compare/opencomputer-vs-codex) harnesses themselves, so you get the agent behavior you already know from the terminal, and you can sign in with your own Claude or ChatGPT subscription, use an API key, or use OpenComputer's tokens at API prices with no markup. If you want to switch freely between model vendors in one agent, Cursor gives you more choice.

### Editor-first or Slack-first

Cursor's cloud agents sit next to its editor: you can start one from the agent dropdown, follow it on the web or iOS, and share a team-visible link to the run. Cursor also reaches more surfaces, including Slack, Microsoft Teams, Linear, Jira and GitHub comments. On OpenComputer, the Slack thread is the unit of work: everyone in it sees every file @Computer opens and every command it runs, anyone can steer it, and conventions one person explains apply to later requests. If your team does not use Cursor as its editor, OpenComputer does not ask anyone to switch.

### Testing the running app

Cursor's VMs have a full desktop and computer use, so the agent can click through the app and record a video, and you can take over the desktop. That is a real advantage for UI-heavy work. OpenComputer runs builds and tests, attaches a screenshot and preview link to UI changes, and shows every command it ran in the thread, but it does not provide a remote desktop to take over.

### Environment and persistence

Cursor builds environments in the background and starts agents from the last successful Build. [Only disk state carries over](https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent/setup), not running processes. OpenComputer keeps each workspace's repository, installed dependencies and build caches on its machine, so workspaces resume warm; threads share that machine, each in its own copy of the repos on its own branch, rather than each getting an isolated VM as on Cursor. Cursor supports more source-control hosts and a self-hosted option, which OpenComputer does not list.

## Pricing compared

As of October 2026, Cursor lists [Premium at $30 a month](https://cursor.com/pricing), the first plan that includes Cloud Agents, then Super at $100 and Ultra at $200. Teams seats cost $30, $100 or $200 per seat per month, plus a [$0.25 per million token rate](https://cursor.com/docs/models-and-pricing) on eligible third-party and bring-your-own-key usage. [Cloud Agents use your plan's usage like other agent work](https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent), at the selected model's rate. OpenComputer lists Pro at $20 a month with 2,000 work minutes and Max at $200 with 25,000, for the whole Slack workspace, with $0.01 per extra minute.

For a team of five, Cursor Teams at the $30 seat tier is $150 a month, and that also covers the editor for everyone. OpenComputer Pro is $20 a month for the whole workspace, covering about 33 hours of active agent work, plus the model: a Claude or ChatGPT subscription you already have, an API key, or OpenComputer tokens at API prices. The two do not buy the same thing. Cursor's price includes an editor and a usage pool for models, while OpenComputer's price is agent time only.

## When to choose Cursor cloud agents

- Your team already uses the Cursor editor and wants cloud agents in the same tool and plan.
- You want the agent to click through the running app on a desktop VM and attach videos to the PR.
- You want many model vendors, including Cursor and Grok models, behind one agent.
- You need GitLab, Bitbucket or Azure DevOps, or want to run agents on machines you manage.

## When to choose OpenComputer

- You want Claude Code or Codex specifically, using a Claude or ChatGPT subscription you already pay for.
- Your team works in Slack and wants one shared thread where anyone can see and steer the agent.
- You don't want to move anyone to a new editor, and you'd rather pay per workspace than per seat.
- You also want to build your own [serverless agents](/agents) on the same cloud and minutes.

## FAQ

### Is OpenComputer a Cursor background agents alternative?

Yes, for teams that want an agent working in the cloud from Slack without adopting the Cursor editor. Cursor's cloud agents, formerly Background Agents, run Cursor's own agent. OpenComputer runs Claude Code and Codex instead, and centers the work in a shared Slack thread.

### How much do Cursor cloud agents cost?

Cloud Agents are included from the Premium plan at $30 a month, and on Super, Ultra, Teams and Enterprise plans. They draw on your plan's usage at the selected model's rate. The Free and Plus plans do not include them.

### Can I use my Claude or ChatGPT subscription with Cursor or OpenComputer?

OpenComputer lets you sign in with your own Claude or ChatGPT subscription and pay $0 to OpenComputer for the model. Cursor lets you bring your own API keys on Premium and above, and offers Claude and GPT models at API list price.

### Do Cursor cloud agents run on my machine?

By default they run on Cursor-managed Ubuntu VMs in the cloud. Cursor also offers self-hosted machines, where tool execution runs on your hardware while the agent loop stays at Cursor. OpenComputer runs on one cloud Linux machine per Slack workspace, with each thread in its own copy of the repos on its own branch.

### Does OpenComputer have an editor like Cursor?

No. OpenComputer is not an IDE and has no desktop or mobile app. You use it from Slack or through the API, and review its work as a pull request in your usual tools.

## Sources

- [Cursor cloud agents](https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent)
- [Cloud agent setup](https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent/setup)
- [Cloud agent capabilities](https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent/capabilities)
- [Self-hosted machines](https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent/self-hosted)
- [Cursor pricing](https://cursor.com/pricing)
- [Models and pricing](https://cursor.com/docs/models-and-pricing)