Cursor loses OpenAI models on November 12: what to do
After SpaceX bought Cursor, OpenAI is pulling its models from the editor, and Cursor users who rely on GPT have four weeks to plan a switch.
If you use OpenAI's GPT models inside Cursor, the clock is running. OpenAI says Cursor will lose its existing OpenAI models on November 12, 2026, and that future models, including its upcoming Astra, will not be added to Cursor at all. The decision follows SpaceX's purchase of Cursor, which closed on August 14.
Why OpenAI is pulling out
OpenAI announced the change at the end of August. It said it is ending the partnership because it cannot be confident SpaceX will use its technology within its terms of service, citing its experience with Elon Musk's companies "violating contracts". OpenAI described the November 12 date as the maximum notice its contract with Cursor allows. Musk responded that he does not care.
The problem, as OpenAI frames it, is the new owner rather than anything Cursor did. Cursor now describes itself as part of SpaceX, and its footer carries SpaceXAI subscription terms.
What Cursor offers right now
As of today, Cursor's own models page still lists three OpenAI models, GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra and Luna, alongside Anthropic's Claude Sonnet, Opus, Fable and Haiku, Google's Gemini 4 Argon, Gemini 3.1 Pro and 3.8 Flash, Meta's Muse Spark, xAI's Grok 4.5 to 4.7 and Cursor's own Composer 2.5. So the editor keeps a long list of models after the cut. What changes is that one supplier, and its next generation of models, drops off it.
Cursor's per-token rates show where GPT users can land at a similar cost:
- GPT-5.6 Terra ($2 input, $12 output per million tokens) sits next to Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Gemini 4 Argon, both at $2 and $10.
- GPT-5.6 Sol ($4 and $20) matches Claude Opus 5.5 at $4 and $20.
- GPT-5.6 Luna ($0.20 and $1.20) is the cheap option; Claude Haiku 5.5 runs at $0.10 and $0.50.
Gemini 4 Argon's $2 and $10 is an introductory rate that Google doubles after November 30, so check the price again before you settle on it.
What to do before November 12
- Check which models your team actually uses. If GPT is a default in your Cursor settings or in shared rules, change it now rather than on the day.
- Test a replacement on real work. Run your usual tasks on Claude Sonnet 5.5 or Gemini 4 Argon for a week and compare the results and the usage they draw from your plan's pools.
- If you need GPT models in your editor, Cursor stops being the place for them. GitHub Copilot runs OpenAI models inside VS Code and JetBrains IDEs; our GitHub Copilot review covers its plans.
- If you are happy with other models, nothing forces you to leave. Our Cursor review covers its plans and usage pools.
Neither company has said whether you will be able to bring your own OpenAI API key to Cursor after the cut-off. If that matters to you, ask Cursor's support before November 12.
Sources: Cybernews, RuntimeWire, Cursor blog, Cursor models and pricing.