Cursor Live Apps: What's New, Internal Dashboards, and Alternatives (2026)
Cursor can now build a live web app from a short description and share it with a link. The feature shipped on November 5, 2026. A cloud agent builds the app, sets up a database and sign-in, and deploys it.
This guide covers what launched, how the build flow works, who can open a published app, and what it costs. It also looks at the most common use, internal dashboards, and ends with alternatives. Every detail comes from vendor pages read on November 9, 2026.
What Cursor released on November 5
Cursor announced the feature in a changelog post titled "Build Live Apps in Cursor." The post is dated November 5, 2026.
The post starts with a problem. It says "most apps and tools that users build never make it off of localhost." The new feature closes that gap. In the post's words, "you can build live apps directly in Cursor and share them with a link."
The pitch is short. "Describe what you want to create and Cursor will handle the rest: build the app, set up a database, configure auth, and deploy it."
The audience is wider than engineers. The post says "anyone in your org can now build useful tools for their work and share them with teammates." It adds that people across sales, operations, legal, finance, and engineering already build internal apps this way inside the company.
How Cursor live apps work
The build runs in a cloud agent, not on your laptop. The docs say to "use a cloud agent; this feature is not supported locally."
Per the docs, the flow looks like this:
- Start a cloud agent and say plainly that you want an app.
- Describe what it should do, or ask the agent to deploy an existing repository.
- Preview the app in the tray Cursor shows when it is ready.
- Pick a URL and select publish.
- Cursor runs security checks and returns a live link if they pass.
New apps start from scratch in a repository on Cursor Origin. The changelog says apps can also deploy from existing repos on Cursor Origin and GitHub. Support for other git providers, such as GitLab, is "coming soon."
What Cursor sets up for you
The docs list four pieces that Cursor handles:
- Hosting. Each app deploys in a dedicated account for your team. Each account is isolated from other teams and users.
- Database. If the app needs one, Cursor provisions a Postgres database automatically.
- Auth. Private and team apps sit behind Cursor sign-in.
- Secrets. When the app needs to reach your systems, Cursor asks for the secrets. The docs say "The agent never sees the values."
Tips for a good first prompt
The docs give one rule first: "Be explicit that you want Cursor to build an app." The sample prompts all start the same way, with the words "Build an app" or "Deploy this repo as an app." That opening tells the agent the goal is a live, hosted result rather than code alone.
A few more habits follow from the docs and the sample prompts:
- Name the data. Say where the numbers come from, such as a CRM, a warehouse, or a spreadsheet.
- Name the view. Ask for the chart, the table, and the filters you need.
- Plan the secrets. If the app reads from your systems, have the keys ready. A team admin often creates team secrets in the Apps dashboard.
- Pick the audience early. Decide whether the app is for a few people, the team, or the public.
- Start small. Publish one useful page, then ask the agent to add the next feature.
Small first versions are easier to check. They also pass security review with fewer fixes.
Internal dashboards and other use cases
Dashboards come up again and again in the vendor's own examples. The docs open with the line "Cloud Agents can build a working web app, like a dashboard, portal, or microsite."
One sample prompt in the docs asks for weekly signups. It reads: "Build an app that shows our weekly signups as a dashboard, with a chart and a table I can filter by plan." Others ask for a bug report tracker and a launch microsite with a sign-up form.
The changelog lists apps that the company's own staff have built:
- Internal ops tools for event registration, account assignments, and desk seating.
- Customer presentations that combine slides, videos, and interactive demos.
- Training and onboarding experiences for new hires.
- "Live dashboards and tools for sales teams to understand their pipeline and opportunities."
- Portals to manage engineering services.
A dashboard app can also connect to a data warehouse. The changelog says the agent will ask for the secrets it needs when an app connects to your systems.
A sample internal dashboard build
Here is how a small team might use the feature. The team and numbers are made up for illustration. The steps follow the official docs.
Brightline Tutors runs a sales team of six. The head of sales wants a pipeline view that updates on its own.
Prompt. She starts a cloud agent and writes: build an app that shows open deals by stage, with a chart and a filter by rep.
Build. The agent scaffolds the web app and adds a Postgres database. It asks for the CRM API key as a secret. The agent never sees the key's value.
Preview. She checks the tray. The chart shows 42 open deals across four stages. She asks the agent to add a weekly total.
Publish. She picks a URL and publishes. The security checks pass, and Cursor returns a live link.
Share. She shares the app with the sales group. Each rep signs in to Cursor to open it.
The team now has a live dashboard without a BI tool. Someone still owns the app, though. Changes go back through the agent.
Sharing and access controls
Every app has a visibility setting. The docs list three:
| Visibility | Who can open it |
|---|---|
| People you invite | You, or specific team members and groups signed in to Cursor |
| Team | You and your entire Cursor team, signed in to Cursor |
| Public | Anyone with the link |
Public sharing is limited on business plans. The docs say "Public sharing is disabled by default for Teams and Enterprise." A team admin can turn it on.
Scripts and bots can use apps too. A Cursor API key lets Grok Bot, scripts, or CI jobs open an app like a signed-in user. The key goes in the x-cursor-app-token header on every request.
Security checks before publish
Checks run before any app goes live. The changelog says "Nothing goes live until the checks pass and you explicitly publish the app."
The docs list four checks that are always on:
- Block secrets written in app files.
- Block credential files, such as private keys.
- Never publish .env files.
- Never publish source maps.
On top of these, an AI security review reads the app's files. It blocks serious issues before the app goes live. Team admins can add their own rules to the review, but they cannot remove Cursor's built-in checks.
Admins also get an Apps dashboard. The changelog says admins "can see every app and secret on the team." They can unpublish any app and approve publishes that the review blocked. They can also turn Apps off for the whole team.
Who can use it and what it costs
The changelog says the feature is "available on all paid plans with cloud agents enabled." Cursor's pricing page shows which plans include cloud agents.
| Plan | Price on Cursor's pricing page | Cloud agents and automations |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 per month | Not included |
| Plus | $8 per month | Not included |
| Premium | $30 per month | Included |
| Super | $100 per month | Included |
| Ultra | $200 per month | Included |
| Teams | $30+ per user per month | Included |
| Enterprise | Custom | Included |
Third-party model usage costs extra. The pricing page says it "is not included in the monthly prices shown and must be purchased separately." Prices exclude taxes.
Current limitations
The launch has clear edges, all from Cursor's own pages:
- It needs a cloud agent. Local agents cannot build live apps.
- Deploys work from Cursor Origin and GitHub. GitLab support is still coming.
- Team and invite-only apps need Cursor sign-in to open.
- Public apps are off by default for Teams and Enterprise.
- An app is code. Someone has to maintain it after launch.
The last point matters for reporting. A weekly sales dashboard is easy to start. A monthly board deck or a written summary of the same numbers is a different output.
What it means for internal tools
For many teams, the gap between an idea and a shared tool just got smaller. Database, sign-in, hosting, and secrets used to need an engineer. Now one prompt covers them.
The guardrails help it spread safely. Admins see every app and every secret. Security checks run on every publish.
It also raises a planning question. Some requests need a live app that people click through every day. Others only need a report, a chart, or a deck. Picking the right output saves maintenance later.
Alternatives to Cursor live apps
Other tools build apps or sites from a description. Prices come from each vendor's page on November 9, 2026.
| Tool | What it builds | Price, per the vendor |
|---|---|---|
| Cursor live apps | Hosted web apps with Postgres and Cursor sign-in | Premium $30 per month and up |
| Replit | Apps and sites in the browser | Core $20 per month, or $18 per month billed annually |
| Lovable | Apps and sites from chat | Free $0; Pro $25 per month; Business $50 per month |
| ChatGPT Sites | Websites and lightweight apps inside ChatGPT | Paid plans only; not on Free or Go |
| Powerdrill Bloom | Reports, dashboards, and slides from data files | Free plan; Pro $13.27/mo |
Replit. Its pricing page lists Core for "personal projects and simple apps." Pro is $100 per month, or $90 per month billed annually, "for commercial and professional builds."
Lovable. Its Pro plan is "Designed for fast-moving teams building together in real time." Both Pro and Business list 100 monthly credits.
ChatGPT Sites. OpenAI's release notes say Sites lets you "turn your work or ideas into an interactive website or lightweight app without leaving ChatGPT." The same notes say Sites is not available on Free or Go plans.
Where Powerdrill Bloom fits
Not every internal dashboard needs to be an app. If the goal is a weekly view or a finished report, Powerdrill Bloom works from the data files you already have.
The AI Finance Dashboard Builder says it builds a KPI dashboard "that refreshes with your accounting exports, in minutes, no BI team needed." The Excel AI Assistant says you can "Export insights as PowerPoint slides, infographics, or Notion pages in one click." The AI Report Generator turns the same data into a written report.
There is no code to host or maintain. The pricing page lists a Free plan at $0.00 and Pro at $13.27/mo.
Try Powerdrill Bloom with last week's pipeline export.
Frequently asked questions
What are Cursor live apps?
They are web apps that a Cursor cloud agent builds and deploys from a description. Cursor sets up hosting, a Postgres database, sign-in, and secrets, then returns a live link.
When did Cursor launch live apps?
Cursor announced the feature in a changelog post dated November 5, 2026. It is available on paid plans with cloud agents enabled.
Can I build a dashboard with Cursor live apps?
Yes. Cursor's docs name dashboards as a typical app. One sample prompt asks for weekly signups with a chart and a filterable table.
Who can open a Cursor app I publish?
You choose. An app can be shared with invited people, your whole team, or the public. Team and invite-only apps need Cursor sign-in, and public sharing is off by default on Teams and Enterprise.
How much do Cursor live apps cost?
Cursor does not list a separate fee. Its pricing page lists cloud agents on Premium at $30 per month and higher plans. Third-party model usage is billed separately.
Sources: Cursor changelog, Build Live Apps in Cursor · Cursor docs, Apps · Cursor pricing · Replit pricing · Lovable pricing · ChatGPT release notes. Details read from vendor pages on November 9, 2026.