# How to run Cursor in the cloud: Cloud Agents, Replicas, and a VPS

Cursor can work off your laptop through native Cloud Agents, a managed Replicas workspace, or the Cursor CLI on a server you rent. This guide explains where each runs, how to set it up, and what you pay for. Checked against first-party documentation in October 2026.

- Canonical: https://replicas.dev/resources/cursor-in-the-cloud
- Start a free trial: https://app.replicas.dev/auth?mode=signup
- Cursor Cloud Agents docs: https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent

## Three ways to run Cursor in the cloud

Cloud describes the machine doing the work. A Cursor CLI session on your laptop still runs commands locally; install it on a remote VM and those commands run there. Native Cloud Agents provide a separate hosted workflow. Replicas, which publishes this guide, offers Cursor as a built-in agent in an interactive team workspace.

| Option | Where work runs | How you work with it | Costs |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Cursor Cloud Agents | Cursor-managed isolated VM; self-hosted workers are another option | Cursor app, web, or mobile; review changes and continue the task | Paid Cursor plan; Cloud Agent model usage at API pricing |
| Replicas | Managed workspace VM with built-in Cursor Agent SDK integration | Live chat, files, terminals, desktop, previews, and team review | Replicas plan plus usage billed through your Cursor API key |
| Cursor CLI on a VPS | A Linux server you provision and maintain | SSH and an interactive terminal, or print mode for scripts | Server bill plus applicable Cursor plan and model usage |

## Set up native Cursor Cloud Agents

Native Cloud Agents run independently of your laptop in isolated development VMs. They can edit code, execute tests, and use a desktop and browser to check software. Cursor also documents MCP and multi-repository environments. Use this route when you want the cloud workflow built into Cursor.

### Connect a repository and start a task

Source: https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent

Use a paid Cursor plan and have an account admin connect the source-control provider. Cursor currently documents GitHub, GitLab, Azure DevOps, and Bitbucket. Open cursor.com/agents, select the repository, and describe the change and the checks you expect. Set a spend limit and review the resulting diff before shipping.

### Prepare dependencies and services

Source: https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent/setup

Create an environment in the Cloud Agents dashboard. Guided setup installs dependencies, verifies the project, and saves a Build. For manual setup, use a Dockerfile and .cursor/environment.json. Put repeatable installs and code generation in install; put databases and dev servers in start or terminals. Builds preserve disk state, not running processes.

Add required credentials through the environment settings, then ask the agent to run the same checks a developer would. An agent that cannot reach a private package registry or test database cannot verify the change. The Agents Window supports forwarded ports for app previews.

### Use your own machines when the task requires them

Source: https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent/self-hosted

Cursor also supports Self-Hosted Machines. Cursor runs the agent loop and inference; your worker executes edits, commands, and other tools. This fits special hardware or network constraints, but you maintain the worker. It differs from running an ordinary interactive CLI session on a VPS, and tool results still flow to Cursor.

## Run Cursor in an interactive Replicas workspace

Choose Replicas when you want Cursor inside a shared development machine that you can inspect and steer while work is happening. The built-in integration uses the Cursor Agent SDK. You do not need to install the desktop Cursor editor in the VM.

### Connect Cursor and choose it in the composer

Source: https://docs.replicas.dev/features/coding-agents/cursor

Generate a Cursor user API key, or an Enterprise service account key, and add it under Organization → Coding Agents. A personal key under Personal → Coding Agents takes priority over organization defaults. Built-in Cursor chats use API keys rather than browser OAuth.

Create a workspace from your repository environment, select Cursor in the harness/model picker, and ask for a concrete change with verification. Cursor can read and edit files, run commands, and prepare commits and pull requests. User-key usage bills to the user’s Cursor plan; service-account usage bills to its team.

### Inspect and steer work as it runs

Source: https://docs.replicas.dev/features/workspaces/overview

Open files and diffs, use the terminal, preview a running app, or watch and take over the workspace desktop. Teammates can join the same workspace. Send corrections in the chat while the agent works, then review the checks and proposed changes together. A pull request is one output of this interactive workflow.

## Run Cursor CLI on a Linux VPS

This route gives you an ordinary Cursor terminal session on remote compute. You own the operating system, dependency setup, process lifetime, repository access, and cleanup.

### Install the CLI on the remote machine

Source: https://cursor.com/docs/cli/installation

SSH into the server as your development user. Use Cursor’s official installer: curl https://cursor.com/install -fsS | bash. Ensure ~/.local/bin is on PATH, then run agent --version. Clone the repository and install its dependencies before starting the session.

### Authenticate the CLI

Source: https://cursor.com/docs/cli/reference/authentication

Run agent login for browser authentication. On a server without a browser, run NO_OPEN_BROWSER=1 agent login and open the printed URL on your own machine. Run agent status to confirm authentication. For scripts, store a Cursor API key as CURSOR_API_KEY in your secret manager or protected environment, rather than in the repository.

### Start a session and verify the result

Source: https://cursor.com/docs/cli/overview

From the repository directory, run agent for interactive work, or agent -p "Inspect the failing build and explain the cause" for print mode. Use tmux to keep an interactive session attached to the server when SSH disconnects. A stopped or reclaimed VM still ends the process.

Give simultaneous tasks separate branches and worktrees. Run the project’s checks and inspect git diff before committing. Use narrowly scoped repository and test-service credentials; a cloud VM is still a machine whose accessible files and network services matter.

## Choose by workflow, then compare the total cost

Start with native Cloud Agents if you want Cursor’s hosted task workflow. Choose Replicas if your team wants a shared interactive workspace and a choice of coding agents in the same environment. Choose the CLI on a VPS if you need a server you control and can maintain it.

Compare the platform or server bill with model usage separately. Native Cloud Agents charge at API pricing for the selected model. Replicas adds its own plan to Cursor usage; a VPS adds compute and maintenance. Check current plan limits and billing before unattended or parallel runs rather than assuming an existing subscription covers everything.

## FAQ

### Can Cursor run in the cloud after I close my laptop?
Yes. Native Cloud Agents run on remote infrastructure. Cursor in a Replicas workspace or a CLI session on a VPS also runs remotely; continuing work depends on that workspace or server remaining active.

### Are Cursor Cloud Agents and Cursor CLI the same thing?
They are different workflows. Native Cloud Agents provide hosted tasks and cloud environments. The CLI gives you a terminal session on the machine where you install it, with interactive and print modes. Installing the CLI on a VPS makes that session remote.

### Does Replicas run the Cursor desktop editor?
Replicas runs built-in Cursor chats through the Cursor Agent SDK in a workspace VM. Select Cursor in the composer and connect a Cursor API key. The workspace has its own files, terminals, desktop, and previews.

### Can I use GitLab with Cursor in the cloud?
Cursor’s current Cloud Agent documentation supports GitLab alongside GitHub, Azure DevOps, and Bitbucket. Replicas supports GitHub and GitLab repositories. On a VPS, repository access depends on the Git credentials you configure.

### Is Cursor in the cloud free?
Budget for both agent usage and infrastructure. Native Cloud Agents require a paid Cursor plan and charge model usage at API pricing. Replicas has its own plan in addition to Cursor usage. A self-managed VPS adds a server bill.

## Related docs

- [Claude Code in the cloud](https://replicas.dev/resources/claude-code-in-the-cloud): Compare self-hosted, vendor-hosted, and managed options for running Claude Code off your laptop.
- [Codex in the cloud](https://replicas.dev/resources/codex-in-the-cloud): How Codex cloud works, how it compares with local Codex, and the self-hosted and managed alternatives.
- [OpenCode in the cloud](https://replicas.dev/resources/opencode-in-the-cloud): Compare self-hosted and managed options for running OpenCode off your laptop.
- [T3 Code in the cloud](https://replicas.dev/resources/t3-code-in-the-cloud): Run T3 Code on a cloud server with T3 Connect, Tailscale, or SSH, or use a cloud-first alternative.
- [Cursor Cloud Agents](https://cursor.com/docs/cloud-agent): Current capabilities, billing, and prerequisites for Cursor-hosted tasks.
- [Cursor on Replicas](https://docs.replicas.dev/features/coding-agents/cursor): API-key setup, model selection, and workspace usage.
- [Replicas pricing](https://replicas.dev/pricing): Current managed-workspace plans.