Coder of 20+ years teaching non-technical people how to build their own software business in 30 days with AI. No devs or code required.
Cursor's AI model is overhyped and overpriced
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hey Reader, Last week has been wild because Cursor and Windsurf both released their own AI models. I briefly tested Windsurf's SWE-1 model (quite good, free right now, solid output), but I've spent way more time with Cursor's Composer-1. At first, I loved it because it was fast and looked affordable on paper. But after a week of extensive testing, while everyone's calling it a game-changer, I took a closer look. Spoiler: it's not what it seems. Marketing vs. RealityHere's what Cursor wants you to believe: Composer-1 is priced like GPT-5 and Gemini 2.5 Pro, making it 43-67% cheaper. Easy decision, right? Use Composer-1, save money, go faster. Wrong. Composer is 4x faster than Sonnet, but it's extremely token-hungry. In my tests, it used 1.5-2x as many tokens as Sonnet for the same task. Do the math, and Composer-1 costs the same as Sonnet 4.5, which we all know is incredibly expensive. The Real TestI spent the last week building all types of things, including a little browser game. Here's what happened (sorted by cost):
Composer-1 ate up 1.4 MILLION TOKENS! That's 2x and 3x as many tokens as Sonnet 4.5 and GPT-5 respectively. But maybe more importantly: 5x as much as Claude Haiku's 4.5. Why This MattersThis isn't just about money. It's about value, speed, and quality. Composer-1 is decent, but for that price? You're better off using GPT-5 or exploring Haiku 4.5. GPT-5 gives you better results for half the cost. Haiku is 2x faster than Sonnet at a third of the price (this is the sleeper pick nobody's talking about).
Want me to build live with you on Zoom? I've launched a private mentorship with only 3 spots (1 filled this morning). It includes private weekly calls where you build and share your screen, and I'm looking over you, giving you tips. This is the fastest way to learn everything I know, and actually build YOUR idea or business automation. Think of it as an intensive AI coding bootcamp, with me guiding you every step. It includes my personal guarantee that you launch in 4 weeks, or I will continue to work with you until you do. Reply to this email to schedule an intro call.
My Honest TakeI'm still testing. My full review is coming. But I'm torn. Cursor had a massive opportunity here; they could've captured the mid-market. Instead, they priced themselves into a weird middle ground where I wouldn't unconditionally recommend it. I'll keep testing and share what I learn. What are you using right now? Talk soon, P.S. I'm answering YOUR most asked questions. Shoot me an email (I read every reply) with the AI coding questions, and I'll answer a bunch of them very soon on my YouTube channel in a Q&A video. |
Robin Ebers
Coder of 20+ years teaching non-technical people how to build their own software business in 30 days with AI. No devs or code required.
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