Stop overpaying for AI coding tools. GLM-4.5 achieved an impressive 63.2% overall performance across agentic, reasoning, and coding benchmarks — and it’s accessible right now through Cursor IDE.
What’s even better? Novita AI partnered with Z.ai to bring you day-one access to GLM-4.5, plus other top AI coding models including DeepSeek V3.1, Qwen3-Coder 480B, and Kimi K2 — all for a fraction of OpenAI’s cost.
This comprehensive guide shows developers how to integrate these powerful AI programming tools with Cursor through Novita AI’s API, plus free alternatives that won’t break your budget.
- What is Cursor IDE and Why Use It for AI Development in 2025?
- What is GLM-4.5 AI Model?
- How Much Does Cursor Pro Cost? Subscription Requirements
- How to Get Novita AI API Key for Free
- Top 6 AI Coding Models Available on Novita AI Platform
- Complete Cursor IDE Installation and Configuration Guide
- Best Free Alternatives to Cursor for AI Programming Tools
- 2025 Conclusion: The Future of AI-Powered Development
What is Cursor IDE and Why Use It for AI Development in 2025?
Cursor is the latest AI-powered code editor built specifically for programming, offering custom retrieval models that understand your codebase and reduce the need to manually add context. Built on VS Code, this AI code assistant provides access to over 40,000 extensions from the VS Code marketplace with smooth migration for existing developers.
Key features for modern AI development:
- Smart autocomplete with context awareness
- Multi-model support for different AI providers
- Integrated chat functionality for coding assistance
- Agent mode with reasoning capabilities for consecutive actions
- Yolo mode for autonomous terminal command execution
- Seamless test suite integration
What is GLM-4.5 AI Model?
GLM-4.5 is an open-source Mixture-of-Experts (MoE) large language model with 355B total parameters and 32B activated parameters. The GLM-4.5-Air variant offers 106B total parameters with 12B active parameters for lighter workloads, making it one of the most advanced free AI coding models available in 2025.
GLM-4.5 Performance Benchmarks
GLM-4.5 delivers exceptional performance across three critical areas for developers:
| Category | GLM-4.5 Score | Benchmark Coverage | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Performance | 63.2% | 12 benchmarks across all categories | Industry-leading comprehensive ability |
| Agentic Tasks | 58.1% | TAU-Bench, BFCL V3, BrowseComp | Autonomous coding workflows |
| Reasoning | 68.8% | MMLU-Pro, AIME 24, MATH-500, SciCode, GPQA | Complex problem-solving |
| Coding | 60.9% | SWE-Bench Verified, Terminal-Bench | Real-world software engineering |
| Global Ranking | 2nd overall | Among all AI models tested | Best open-source performance |
Technical capabilities for developers:
- 128k context length for analyzing large codebases
- Native function calling support
- Full-stack development optimization
- Advanced agentic task automation
How Much Does Cursor Pro Cost? Subscription Requirements
⚠️ Important: Non-subscribers cannot use personal API keys for advanced AI coding features. Agent mode and Edit functionality require a Cursor Pro subscription.
Available Cursor Modes in 2025
Ask Mode (Basic AI assistance)
- Read-only codebase exploration
- AI-powered search and queries
- No automatic code changes
- Ideal for code understanding and learning
Agent Mode (Advanced AI coding)
- Autonomous coding agent capabilities
- Independent codebase exploration
- Plans and executes complex changes
- Up to 25 tool calls per session
- Full development workflow automation
How to Get Novita AI API Key for Free
Step 1: Create Your Free Account
- Visit Novita AI Platform
- Click “Sign Up“ for instant access
- Get $1 Free Credits automatically upon registration
Step 2: Generate Your API Key
- Navigate to “Key Management“ dashboard
- Click “Generate New Key”
- Copy your generated API key immediately
- Store securely for Cursor integration
Step 3: Verify Model Access
- Select a Model Name: You’ll need to copy the model name you want to use from Novita AI’s Model Library.
- API Endpoint:
https://api.novita.ai/openai - Compatibility: Full OpenAI API standard support
Get Your Free $1 Credits at Novita AI →
Top 6 AI Coding Models Available on Novita AI Platform
Beyond GLM-4.5, Novita AI provides access to multiple elite coding models you can use in Cursor IDE:
| Model | Strengths | Context Length | Best For | Model ID |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GLM-4.5 | 63.2% overall, #2 globally | 128k | General coding excellence | zai-org/glm-4.5 |
| DeepSeek V3.1 | Advanced reasoning | 163k | Complex problem solving | deepseek/deepseek-v3.1 |
| Qwen3-Coder 480B | Strong coding ability | 32k | Specialized coding tasks | qwen/qwen3-coder-480b-a35b-instruct |
| Kimi K2 | Strong agent ability | 262k | Large codebase analysis | moonshotai/kimi-k2-0905 |
| OpenAI GPT OSS 120B | By OpenAI, open-source | 128k | OpenAI alternative | openai/gpt-oss-120b |
| Gemma 3 12B | Multimodal capabilities | 8k | Visual + code tasks | google/gemma-3-12b-it |
Pro Tip: You can switch between these AI programming tools instantly in Cursor once configured, allowing you to choose the best model for each coding task.
Complete Cursor IDE Installation and Configuration Guide
Step 1: Install and Subscribe to Cursor
- Download the latest Cursor IDE from cursor.com
- Complete Pro plan purchase for API access
- Launch application and complete initial setup
Step 2: Access Advanced Model Settings
- Open Cursor Settings (Ctrl+F to quickly search settings)
- Navigate to “Models” section in left sidebar
- Locate “API Configuration” area
Step 3: Configure Novita AI Integration
- Expand the “API Keys” section
- ✅ Enable “OpenAI API Key” toggle
- ✅ Enable “Override OpenAI Base URL” toggle
- In “OpenAI API Key” field: Paste your Novita AI API key
- In “Override OpenAI Base URL” field: Replace default with:
https://api.novita.ai/openai
Step 4: Add Multiple AI Coding Models
Click “+ Add Custom Model” and add each model:
zai-org/glm-4.5(Primary recommendation – #2 globally)deepseek/deepseek-v3.1(Advanced reasoning specialist)qwen/qwen3-coder-480b-a35b-instruct(Coding task specialist)moonshotai/kimi-k2-0905(Agent workflow specialist)openai/gpt-oss-120b(OpenAI open-source option)google/gemma-3-12b-it(Multimodal capabilities)
Step 5: Test Your Integration
- Start new chat in Ask Mode or Agent Mode
- Test different models for various coding tasks
- Verify all models respond correctly
Common Setup Errors and Solutions
❌ Model Not Responding
- ✅ Verify both API toggles are enabled
- ✅ Check base URL has no trailing slash
- ✅ Confirm Novita AI account has sufficient credits
❌ Models Don’t Appear
- ✅ Restart Cursor application completely
- ✅ Update to the latest version
- ✅ Re-enter API credentials
❌ Connection Timeouts
- ✅ Check internet connectivity
- ✅ Verify Novita AI service status
- ✅ Try alternative model temporarily
Best Free Alternatives to Cursor for AI Programming Tools
For developers seeking free AI code assistants, these VS Code alternatives support all Novita AI models:
Top Free IDE Extensions for AI Coding
- Platform: VS Code extension marketplace
- Key Features: Multi-file edits, context awareness, memory bank
- Privacy Advantage: Direct API calls (no third-party servers)
- Best For: Multi-file refactoring projects
- Platform: VS Code + JetBrains support
- Type: Open-source AI programming tool
- Features: Custom API endpoint support, free forever
- Best For: Cross-IDE consistency
- Platform: Similar to Cusor
- Features: OpenAI-compatible integration
- Best For: Multi-platform development
Free Command Line AI Tools
Available Options:
- Claude Code: CLI-based coding assistant
- Codex: Terminal development tool
- Qwen Code: Command-line AI programming
2025 Conclusion: The Future of AI-Powered Development
GLM-4.5 and Novita AI’s comprehensive model library represent a transformative opportunity for developers in 2025. With 6 elite AI coding models at your fingertips — from GLM-4.5’s benchmark-breaking 63.2% overall performance to DeepSeek V3.1’s advanced reasoning capabilities — you’re no longer locked into expensive proprietary solutions.
Whether you choose Cursor Pro for premium integration or free alternatives like Cline, these AI programming tools provided by Novita AI deliver enterprise-grade coding, reasoning, and agentic capabilities at competitive pricing that won’t strain your development budget.
Your Quick Start Checklist for 2025:
- ✅ Choose your development environment (Cursor Pro or free VS Code alternative)
- ✅ Get Free $1 Credits at Novita AI →
- ✅ Generate and secure your API key
- ✅ Configure access to all 6 AI coding models
- ✅ Test different models for specialized coding tasks
- ✅ Start building with cutting-edge AI assistance today
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, for Agent mode and advanced features. Even with personal API keys, Ask mode requires Pro subscription ($20/month). However, free alternatives like Cline, Trae, Claude Code work with all models.
GLM-4.5 for general coding excellence, DeepSeek V3.1 for complex reasoning problems, Qwen3-Coder for specialized coding tasks, and Kimi K2 for agent-based workflows with large codebases.
Yes, there are several free alternatives that work with multiple AI models: Cline for VS Code users, Continue for various editors, and Trae for broader IDE support. You can also use command-line tools like Claude Code or Codex – all connect to the same powerful AI models mentioned in the guide.
Yes, once configured, you can switch between any of the added models instantly within Cursor’s interface, allowing you to choose the optimal AI assistant for each task.
About Novita AI
Novita AI is an AI cloud platform that offers developers an easy way to deploy AI models using our simple API, while also providing an affordable and reliable GPU cloud for building and scaling.
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