Choosing a model

Start with the CLI list

cursor-agent models

This output is the source of truth for the default backend. If an ID is absent, open-cursor cannot route a request to it.

A model shown in the Cursor IDE may still be absent from the CLI. Cursor gates the two surfaces per account and plan. Adding an unlisted ID to opencode.json does not make the CLI accept it.

Refresh OpenCode after Cursor changes the list:

open-cursor sync-models
opencode models | grep cursor-acp

Auto

cursor-acp/auto sends Cursor's auto model ID. Cursor chooses the model. open-cursor does not rank the installed models or rewrite auto to a specific provider ID.

Use Auto when you do not need a repeatable model choice. Select an explicit ID for debugging, comparisons, or work that depends on a known context or reasoning profile.

Composer and frontier models

Composer is Cursor's coding model family. It is a sensible first explicit choice for routine repository work because it is designed for that workload. A frontier model may fit a hard reasoning task better, but availability and cost differ by account.

Do not infer quality from the longest model name. Test the same representative task, then keep the cheapest model that meets the requirement.

Thinking and fast variants

The CLI may expose related IDs such as thinking, fast, low, or high variants. Keep the flat list:

open-cursor sync-models

Or group related IDs under OpenCode variants:

open-cursor sync-models --variants --compact
open-cursor models --explain

Each grouped entry keeps the exact Cursor ID in cursorModel. See opencode.json.

Cost

The sync command attaches known prices from the package pricing table so OpenCode can display usage. Pricing changes independently of the plugin. Check Cursor's model and pricing documentation before making a cost-sensitive choice.

Repository maintainers can validate coverage with:

bun run check:pricing

An unknown price stays absent. The plugin does not invent a value.

A configured model gives no response

Run:

cursor-agent models

If the model is absent, remove the hand-written entry and sync the current list. If it is present but still produces no response, capture a debug log and follow Troubleshooting.