Cursor¶
Cursor is a VS Code fork with AI built into the editor. It includes agentic editing (Composer), Tab autocomplete via Supermaven, and inline edit (Cmd/Ctrl+K).
At a Glance¶
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Developer | Anysphere |
| License | Proprietary |
| Interface | Desktop IDE (VS Code fork) |
| Pricing | Free tier, Pro ($20/mo), Ultra ($200/mo), Business ($40/mo) |
How It Works¶
The @ symbol references files, folders, docs, and web content in prompts. Composer handles multi-file edits. Cloud Agents run tasks in remote VMs.
Rules go in .cursor/rules/ (recommended) or .cursorrules (legacy). The AGENTS.md format also works.
Strengths¶
Multi-file refactoring with Composer is where Cursor differentiates from Copilot. Tab autocomplete (Supermaven) is fast and handles auto-imports well. VS Code users keep their extensions and keybindings.
Bugbot provides automated PR review via GitHub integration.
Limitations¶
Cursor switched from request-based to credit-based billing in August 2025. Heavy Claude model users report exhausting monthly quota in days rather than weeks. Costs vary by model and context size.
Performance degrades on large codebases (indexing slowdowns, occasional freezes). Some users report higher token consumption compared to Claude Code for similar tasks.
Code is processed in the cloud. Privacy Mode prevents storage on Cursor servers.
Who It's For¶
- VS Code users wanting integrated AI
- Teams using Bugbot for PR automation
- Developers who prioritize Tab completion
Not ideal for budget-constrained developers with heavy usage, large monorepos, or projects requiring strict data locality.
Learn More¶
| Resource | Link |
|---|---|
| Website | cursor.com |
| Documentation | cursor.com/docs |
| Rules | cursor.com/docs/context/rules |
| Pricing | cursor.com/docs/account/pricing |