Question 1

Is Orbit Editor a fork of Cursor?

Accepted Answer

No. Orbit is a separate AI code editor built to match the same editor layout and agent workflow developers already know from Cursor: a chat sidebar, Ask / Plan / Agent modes, and inline AI edits. The difference is the provider layer — Orbit is not affiliated with or built on Cursor's codebase.

Question 2

What's the biggest difference between Orbit and Cursor?

Accepted Answer

Provider choice. Cursor bundles its own AI stack and model selection. Orbit gives you Orbit Provider (GitHub sign-in, managed models) plus Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek, Qwen, Meta, Mistral, or a local model through Ollama — using your own API keys or existing subscriptions.

Question 3

What is Orbit Provider?

Accepted Answer

Orbit Provider is the managed path in Orbit 0.4.0. Sign in with GitHub in Settings → Providers — no API key required. Usage bills from your prepaid wallet. Launch offer: GLM-5.2 at 50% off.

Question 4

Can I run local or open-source models instead of a cloud API?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Orbit supports open-source models like Llama, Qwen, and DeepSeek running locally through Ollama, so you get the full agent workflow without sending code to a cloud provider if you don't want to.

Question 5

Do I need to learn a new editor to switch from Cursor?

Accepted Answer

No. Orbit uses the same layout, chat sidebar, and Ask / Plan / Agent modes as Cursor, so there's no relearning curve — open a project and keep working the way you already do.

Question 6

Is Orbit Editor free?

Accepted Answer

The desktop editor is free. Orbit Provider usage bills from your prepaid wallet. You can also connect your own API keys at no extra charge from Orbit, or run local models for free.

Question 7

What platforms does Orbit Editor support?

Accepted Answer

macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Windows (x64 and Arm64) are available now with Orbit 0.4.0. Linux support is on the way — join the waitlist to get notified.

Feature	Orbit Editor	Cursor
Editor layout & agent workflow	Chat sidebar, Ask / Plan / Agent modes, inline AI edits	Chat sidebar, Ask / Plan / Agent modes, inline AI edits
AI provider	Bring your own: Orbit Provider, Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, DeepSeek, Qwen, Meta, Mistral, Ollama, or any API endpoint	Bundled, built-in models only
Local & open-source models	Yes — run Llama, Qwen, or DeepSeek locally via Ollama	Not a primary supported path
API keys & data routing	Stay on your machine unless you choose a hosted provider	Routed through Cursor's hosted stack
Pricing model	Free during public beta — pay your provider directly	Subscription bundles provider usage
Platform availability	macOS & Windows now, Linux coming	macOS, Windows, Linux

Orbit Editor: a Cursor alternative that works with any AI provider

Orbit Editor vs Cursor

Why developers switch

Keep the workflow you already know

Use the provider you already pay for

Run models fully offline

Control where your code goes

Frequently asked questions

Try the editor you know, with providers you choose