Cursor in China — OpenAI-compatible, no VPN

Cursor is one of the most popular AI code editors. The catch from Mainland China: reaching the OpenAI API is slow and unreliable, and billing needs a foreign credit card. Point Cursor at Router One's OpenAI-compatible endpoint and both problems go away.

Measured latency: VPN vs Router One

Based on the China latency benchmark last updated 2026-05-15, Router One measured 110-130ms p50 across Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen; individual networks may vary.

3-step setup

Override Cursor's OpenAI base URL in Settings, paste your Router One key, and pick a model. No VPN or proxy required.

1. 1Create a Router One API keySign up at router.one and create an API key in the dashboard. Top up with WeChat Pay, Alipay, Stripe, or USDT/USDC — no foreign credit card required.
2. 2Override the OpenAI base URL in CursorOpen Cursor → Settings → Models → OpenAI API Key. Enable "Override OpenAI Base URL", set it to https://api.router.one/v1, and paste your Router One key.
3. 3Verify and start codingClick Verify, then use Cursor's chat with your chosen model — requests now route through Router One's China-reachable, OpenAI-compatible endpoint.

# Cursor → Settings → Models → OpenAI API Key
Base URL: https://api.router.one/v1
API Key:  sk-your-router-one-key

No low fixed cap for normal paid usage. Abuse prevention, per-account protection limits, and upstream constraints may still apply; if a request returns 429, check Dashboard -> Logs or contact support to raise limits.

FAQ