cursor-bridge is a small relay tool that lets you run Claude Code, the terminal-based coding agent, on a Cursor subscription you already pay for. It was created by hkc5 (Hakan Can) and published on GitHub in July 2026. It starts a lightweight local HTTP proxy, converts the Anthropic-format API requests that Claude Code sends into calls to Cursor’s agent CLI, and passes them through ─ so you get the Claude Code workflow without an Anthropic API key or an extra subscription. It ships as a single Rust binary (about 780 KB), is MIT-licensed open source, and supports macOS and Linux.
Key Features
- Single binary, no config files: Install it with
cargo install cursor-bridgeor drop in a binary from the releases page. There is no service to register and no environment setup to do in advance - Automatic proxy lifecycle: The proxy process exists only while a command is running and cleans itself up on exit. That avoids the classic problem with Node.js-based alternatives, where a daemon is left running and forgotten
- Automatic token retrieval: On macOS it reads the Cursor token from the system keychain. Linux has no keychain support, so the token is passed explicitly through the
CURSOR_TOKENenvironment variable - Random port to avoid collisions: A free port is chosen on each run, so parallel projects are unlikely to conflict
- Interactive, one-shot, and pipe modes: Use Claude Code interactively as usual, or run single commands and feed input through a pipe
- Uses Cursor’s Auto model: Designed to stay inside your existing plan with no extra charges. Usage caps and restrictions still follow Cursor’s own rules
Pricing
| Item | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| cursor-bridge itself | Free (MIT license) | Published on GitHub, installed via cargo or a released binary |
| Required Cursor plan | Cursor Hobby is free / Pro is $20 per month | Check the official site for higher tiers (Pro+ / Ultra / Teams) |
| Additional payment to Anthropic | Not required | No Anthropic API key is used |
Pricing is current as of August 2026. Check the official repository and the Cursor website for the latest information.
Pros & Cons
✅ Pros
- If you already subscribe to Cursor, you avoid metered API billing or an additional plan just to use Claude Code
- A single Rust binary with few dependencies: installing and removing it takes only a couple of commands
- Because it leaves no resident process behind, your environment stays clean after you are done
- The MIT-licensed source is public, so you can verify for yourself how the token is handled and how requests are translated
⚠️ Cons
- It is not officially stated whether this fits Cursor’s terms of service, and a change in terms or in the backend could break it at any time. Think carefully before building it into a production workflow
- If Cursor throttles usage mid-task, the running task simply fails. There is no fallback mechanism
- Windows is not supported (macOS and Linux only). On Linux there is no keychain integration, so you have to manage the token as an environment variable
- The working directory is not sandboxed; the agent runs directly in the current directory
- Switching or rotating between multiple accounts is not supported
- This is an individual developer’s tool, not an official project of Anthropic or Cursor (Anysphere), so there is no guarantee of support or continuity
Comparison with Similar Services
| Criteria | cursor-bridge | cursor-api-proxy | Claude Code (official plan) | Cursor alone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Implementation | Single Rust binary | Node.js proxy | Official CLI | Official editor / CLI |
| Resident process | None (only while running) | Runs a persistent server | ─ | ─ |
| Required subscription | Paid Cursor plan | Paid Cursor plan | Anthropic Pro / Max or API | Cursor plan |
| Supported OS | macOS / Linux | Anywhere Node.js runs | macOS / Linux / Windows | macOS / Linux / Windows |
| Provider | Individual (hkc5) | Individual | Anthropic (official) | Anysphere (official) |
| Stability outlook | Sensitive to upstream changes | Same | High | High |
Who Is It For
- Developers who already pay for Cursor and want to try the terminal-only Claude Code workflow
- People who find it tedious to keep a Node.js proxy tool running in the background
- Anyone experimenting or learning individually who does not want to add another coding-agent expense
- Readers who want to study a simple Rust implementation of an API translation proxy
Conversely, if you need long-term stability as part of your working infrastructure, or if you are on Windows, subscribing to Anthropic directly and using Claude Code as-is is the more dependable choice.
Summary
cursor-bridge is a strikingly small tool with one narrow goal: running Claude Code inside your Cursor plan. The single-binary design that leaves no resident process behind is easy to live with, and both installing and removing it are cheap. At the same time, the whole premise depends heavily on Cursor’s implementation and terms, and there is no official blessing for it. Treating it as a tool for personal experimentation and learning, while keeping important work on an official subscription, is the realistic way to use it.