AI Code Editor

Cursor

The AI-first code editor built on VS Code

Cursor is a fork of VS Code with deeply integrated AI capabilities — inline autocomplete, natural language edits, codebase-aware chat, and an agent mode that can make multi-file changes. It is the most popular AI IDE as of 2025, used by hundreds of thousands of developers.

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What Cursor does

Cursor extends VS Code with AI features that go far beyond autocomplete. Its Composer mode lets you describe changes in natural language and apply them across files. Codebase indexing gives the AI full context of your project. Agent mode can browse the web, run terminal commands, and iterate on code autonomously.

Is it right for you?

Cursor is best for…

Developers who already use VS Code and want a seamless AI upgrade
Full-stack engineers building new features end-to-end
Solo founders who need to move fast without a large eng team
Anyone who prefers an IDE over a terminal-first workflow
Teams who want shared AI features without individual API keys

Not the best choice if…

Projects that require only terminal access (use Claude Code instead)
Teams standardized on JetBrains IDEs or vim/neovim
Offline or air-gapped environments (Cursor requires cloud AI)

Pricing

Free

Free tier with 2,000 completions and 50 slow requests/month

Paid

$20/month Pro plan: unlimited completions, 500 fast requests, GPT-4/Claude access

Enterprise

$40/user/month Business: SSO, privacy mode, team admin

Key features

Tab autocomplete

Context-aware multi-line completions that predict what you are about to write based on your recent edits and overall file structure.

Composer (multi-file edits)

Describe what you want to build in natural language and Cursor proposes changes across multiple files, which you review as a diff before accepting.

Codebase indexing

Cursor indexes your entire repository so the AI can answer questions about your codebase and make edits that are consistent with your patterns.

Agent mode

Cursor Agent can run terminal commands, fix test failures, browse documentation, and loop autonomously until a task is complete.

Rules for AI

Project-level and global rules that tell the AI your conventions, preferred libraries, and patterns to avoid — similar to CLAUDE.md in Claude Code.

Model flexibility

Choose between Claude 3.5/3.7, GPT-4o, Gemini, and other frontier models within the same editor — no separate API keys needed on paid plans.

Real-world use cases

Build a full-stack feature with one prompt

Use Composer to describe a new feature ("add user authentication with email/password") and Cursor generates the backend routes, frontend components, and database schema together.

Understand legacy code instantly

Select any function or file and ask Cursor to explain it, identify why it was written that way, or suggest modernization paths — without leaving your editor.

Inline refactoring

Highlight code and press Ctrl+K (or Cmd+K) to describe a transformation. Cursor applies the edit inline and you accept or reject the diff.

Debug faster with AI context

Paste an error message into the chat. Cursor reads the relevant files, traces the error, and proposes a targeted fix rather than generic suggestions.

Generate tests automatically

Ask Cursor to write tests for a function or module. It reads the implementation and produces tests that reflect the actual behavior and edge cases.

How to get started with Cursor

Download Cursor

Go to cursor.com and download the installer for your OS. Install as you would any desktop app.

Import your VS Code settings

On first launch, Cursor offers to import your VS Code extensions, themes, and keybindings — one click migrates everything.

Open your project

Open your project folder. Cursor will index the codebase in the background (takes 1–5 minutes for large projects).

Set up project rules

Create a .cursorrules file (or use Settings → Rules for AI) to define your tech stack, coding standards, and AI behavior preferences.

Start with Composer

Press Ctrl+Shift+I (Cmd+Shift+I on Mac) to open Composer. Describe a feature you want to add and review the proposed diff.

Pro tips

→Use @codebase in chat to force Cursor to search across your entire project — not just open files.
→Reference specific files with @filename in prompts to give Cursor precise context without it having to guess.
→Turn on Agent mode for tasks that require running commands or iterating on failing tests — it loops automatically.
→Add .cursorrules at the project root with your stack details (e.g., "Use TypeScript, Tailwind, Next.js App Router, and Supabase") so every AI call is context-aware.
→Use the diff review carefully — Cursor sometimes makes additional changes beyond what you requested. Read the full diff before accepting.

Frequently asked questions about Cursor

Is Cursor better than VS Code with GitHub Copilot?

Cursor is generally better for multi-file tasks, codebase-wide context, and agent-style work. Copilot excels at moment-to-moment autocomplete within VS Code's native interface. If you are already paying for Copilot, try Cursor's free tier and compare the quality of completions and chat responses on your actual codebase.

Can I use my own API keys with Cursor?

Yes. Cursor supports BYOK (bring your own key) for OpenAI, Anthropic, and other providers. This is useful if you have an enterprise agreement with a provider or want to use a custom model. BYOK usage does not count against Cursor's monthly request limits.

Does Cursor send my code to the cloud?

By default, Cursor sends code context to AI providers to generate responses. The Business plan includes a Privacy Mode that disables code storage on Cursor's servers. Cursor's infrastructure is SOC 2 Type II certified. Review their privacy policy at cursor.com/privacy for full details.

How does Cursor compare to Claude Code for non-developers?

Cursor provides a familiar IDE interface that is easier to get started with if you have any VS Code experience. Claude Code lives in the terminal and is better for autonomous, multi-step tasks that run in the background. For product managers learning to code, Cursor is often the better starting point; for more experienced users who want maximum autonomy, Claude Code is more powerful for longer tasks.

What is the best Cursor plan for a solo founder?

The Pro plan at $20/month is the right choice for most solo founders. It includes unlimited completions, 500 fast premium model requests, and access to Claude and GPT-4o. The free tier is fine for occasional use but the limits are hit quickly in a serious project.

Ready to master Cursor?

Turn Ideas into Code with Cursor

Build software products using AI-assisted coding with Cursor — even with limited coding experience.

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