Print desk·2026-08-16.md·.md
Cursor vs OpenAI: different books, same decade
Seats on the editor. Usage on the models underneath. Teams on top. API usage first. ChatGPT subscriptions second. Enterprise seats on top of both.
Cursor leads on Pro / team seats (70%). OpenAI leads on API usage (45%). The seat follows the slice that pays.
The mix
Hover a slice
- Pro / team seats70%—
- Usage / overage25%—
- Other5%5%
- API usage—45%
- ChatGPT—35%
- Enterprise / reserved—15%
- CursorOpenAI
Seats on the editor. Usage on the models underneath. Teams on top.
Pays: Individual developers and engineering orgs.
Builds: A small applied-research and product engineering book.
API usage first. ChatGPT subscriptions second. Enterprise seats on top of both.
Pays: Developers on the API. Consumers on ChatGPT. Enterprises on reserved capacity.
Builds: Research and applied engineering. The product is the model and the surface on it.
The seat
Do not treat Cursor and OpenAI as one market. A small applied-research and product engineering book. That is not Research and applied engineering. The product is the model and the surface on it. Name the book before the interview.