Prerequisites
- Cursor AI installed (any plan — Free, Pro, or Business)
- A CheapAI API key and proxy URL (get one here)
Step-by-step setup
1. Open Cursor Settings
Open the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P / Cmd+Shift+P) and search for "Cursor Settings" or go to File → Preferences → Cursor Settings.
2. Navigate to Models
In the settings sidebar, click "Models". This is where you configure custom model providers.
3. Add a custom OpenAI-compatible provider
Click "Add Model" or "OpenAI API Key" (depending on your Cursor version). Then enter:
API Key: your-cheapai-key
Base URL: https://your-cheapai-proxy-url/openai
Model name: claude-sonnet-4-6-20260217 (or any supported model ID)
4. Select the model in chat
Open a Cursor chat pane (Ctrl+L / Cmd+L). In the model selector dropdown, choose your newly added CheapAI model. Send a message to verify it works.
5. (Optional) Add multiple models
Repeat step 3 for each model you want to use. You can add Claude Claude Opus 4.6, GPT-5.4, Gemini 3 Pro, etc. — each as a separate entry under the same base URL and API key.
Recommended models for Cursor
| Model | Best for | Model ID |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | General coding, daily tasks, best value | claude-sonnet-4-6-20260217 |
| Claude Claude Opus 4.6 | Complex refactoring, architecture, debugging | claude-opus-4-6-20260205 |
| GPT-5.4 | Multimodal tasks, image reasoning | gpt-5.4 |
| GPT-5.3 Codex Codex | Code generation, test writing | gpt-5.3-codex |
Tips
- No VPN needed — the proxy handles all geo-routing.
- Streaming is fully supported — you'll see tokens appear in real time.
- Works with Cursor's Tab completion, Chat, and Composer modes.
- If you encounter rate limits, consider upgrading your CheapAI plan for a higher daily limit.
- Your exact proxy URL is in the delivery email you receive after ordering.
Start using Cursor with CheapAI models
Get your API key, plug it into Cursor, and code with Claude or GPT-5.3 Codex at up to 65% off.
Get API Access