Mode and model both change behavior and cost

Mode and model both change behavior and cost

Two settings change the answer a user gets before context even enters the picture: which mode they're in and which model they picked. Ask modeA read-only mode for asking questions about a codebase without changing files; the safe way to explore unfamiliar or legacy code. Press Enter for the full definition. won't edit; Agent modeCursor's full-capability mode: the AI can read the codebase, write and edit files, move them and run terminal commands. Contrast with Ask mode, which is read-only. Press Enter for the full definition. will plan and act. A fast small model and a top-tier reasoning model behave differently on the same prompt and they cost differently against the user's request budget.

• Mode (Ask vs Agent). Ask answers and explains; Agent plans, runs tools and proposes edits. A user expecting edits in Ask modeA read-only mode for asking questions about a codebase without changing files; the safe way to explore unfamiliar or legacy code. Press Enter for the full definition. will report that "nothing happens."
• Model choice. A lightweight model is fast but weaker on hard reasoning; a latest-generation model is stronger but slower and heavier on usage. "It got worse" is sometimes just a model switch.
• Cost coupling. Heavier models and longer agent runs consume more of the request/usage allowance, which loops back to billing tickets you'll see in a later section.