Cursor
By Anysphere
AI-first code editor forked from VS Code, with deep autocomplete and an in-editor chat that knows your repo.
Overview
Best for
- daily software development
- large codebases
- pair programming
Strengths
- ✓Tab completion predicts your next edit, not just your next token — feels like the editor reads your mind
- ✓Agent mode handles real multi-file refactors with terminal access and test-running
- ✓Model picker lets you switch between GPT-5, Claude, and Gemini per task without leaving the editor
- ✓Codebase indexing means @-mentions actually pull the right context across large repos
- ✓VS Code fork means every extension you already use just works
Weaknesses
- ✗Pro's fast-request quota runs out fast on heavy weeks; slow pool can mean noticeable latency
- ✗Closed source — you depend on Anysphere for pricing and roadmap
- ✗Indexing large monorepos is memory-hungry and occasionally goes stale
- ✗Privacy mode is opt-in on Pro — defaults send your code to Anysphere
Pricing
Hobby
FreeLimited "fast" requests per month, 2,000 completions, and access to a smaller default model. Enough to evaluate the product, not enough for daily professional use.
Pro
$20/moUnlimited completions, ~500 fast requests/month across frontier models, and unlimited slow requests. The default tier for individual developers.
Business
$40/seat/moPro plus org-level admin, SSO, privacy mode (no training on your code), centralized billing, and usage analytics. SOC 2.
Enterprise
CustomEverything in Business plus higher rate limits, dedicated support, custom contracts, and procurement-friendly terms.
Use cases
Full-time engineering on a non-trivial codebase
Codebase-wide context, agent mode, and tab completion compound — the more your repo is indexed, the more leverage you get per keystroke.
Multi-file refactors and migrations
Composer can plan the change, edit ten files coherently, and run your tests. Manually doing this is the work it replaces.
Working across unfamiliar codebases
Ask the agent "where does auth happen here?" and get an actual tour of the relevant files. Faster than grep when the naming is bad.
Pair-programming with model choice
Claude for thinking, GPT-5 for code-heavy tasks, Cursor-fast for autocomplete. Picking per-task is genuinely useful.
Prototyping a new feature end to end
Agent mode will scaffold routes, components, and tests in one pass. Faster than typing it; messier than writing it carefully.
Onboarding a junior engineer
They can ask the codebase questions instead of interrupting senior engineers for context. Real productivity unlock for new hires.
When not to use
- ✗You're happy with autocomplete-only — Copilot at $10/mo does that better per dollar
- ✗You're working in a regulated environment that forbids sending code to third parties (use a self-hosted alternative)
- ✗You prefer a terminal-first workflow — Claude Code or Aider fit better
- ✗You want fully open-source tooling — Cursor is closed source
Alternatives
Claude Code
Terminal-based agentic coding assistant that reads, edits, and runs commands across your repo.
GitHub Copilot
Inline AI autocomplete for VS Code, JetBrains, and other editors, with a chat panel for code questions.
Windsurf
AI-native IDE with Cascade, an agent that can plan and execute multi-step coding tasks autonomously.
Aider
Open-source AI pair-programming tool for the terminal. Works with your local git repo, makes proper commits with diffs, and supports any LLM you bring (Claude, GPT, local).
Tabnine
Privacy-first AI code completion that can run locally or in your private cloud, with custom model training on your codebase.
See it compared
Glossary terms to know
Related skills
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Replit Agent
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Aider
Open-source AI pair-programming tool for the terminal. Works with your local git repo, makes proper commits with diffs, and supports any LLM you bring (Claude, GPT, local).