Decouple Manual Model Selection from Pro Subscription

Ideas Feature Requests
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1

Feature request for product/service

Cursor IDE

Describe the request

I am writing to request that the ability to manually select models be made available to all users, regardless of subscription tier, specifically for those using personal API keys.

The Problem

Currently, the “Manual” toggle for model selection is locked behind a Pro subscription. For users who maintain their own API keys from third-party providers, this creates an artificial barrier. I have a specific set of models and configurations from another service that I prefer to use, but I am currently “forced” into Auto Mode or a pre-provided ecosystem unless I upgrade.

Proposed Solution

I suggest decoupling the Manual Selection toggle from the Pro tier when a user has provided their own API keys.

  • API Key Autonomy: If a custom API key or endpoint is detected, the “Manual” selection should be unlocked to allow the user to point the IDE toward the specific model they are paying for elsewhere.
  • Bypass “Auto Mode”: Allow users to opt-out of automated selection without requiring a monthly subscription to the IDE’s internal model pool.

Reasoning

Locking the interface’s configuration logic (the toggle) behind a paywall prevents power users from integrating their existing infrastructure. By allowing manual selection for external keys, the IDE becomes a more flexible, professional tool that respects the user’s choice of backend.

Benefit

This change would significantly improve the experience for developers who manage their own LLM costs and infrastructure, making the IDE a more extensible and “system-agnostic” environment.

Operating System (if it applies)

Linux

Note: I deeply apologize if duplicated, I am new here. Please, forgive me.

3

Hey, thanks for the new feature request. No worries that it’s a duplicate.

Right now, manually selecting a model requires a Pro subscription. This applies even if you’re using your own API keys BYOK. On the free plan, only Auto mode is available.

This used to work differently as an undocumented behavior, but it was changed on purpose. More details here: Ask mode with my own API Key required Pro Subscription

The team knows there’s demand for this and your report helps with prioritization. For now, the options are:

  • Upgrade to Pro to use BYOK with a specific model selected
  • Stay on the free plan and use Auto mode

If you have any questions, let me know.

1 Like
4

My only real question aside from this becomes:

Why is the free limit only 50 per month? That seems heavily unreasonable for any modern workflow, as well as it’s quite difficult to gauge the line between the start and end of a request.

Thanks for responding and being honest, I greatly appreciate it!

5

Well, I suppose my next question is:

Is this a permanent choice?