Cursor is a code editor with AI built into its core. Not an extension. Not a plugin. The editor itself is designed around AI-assisted coding.
It’s built on VS Code — same interface, same extensions, same keyboard shortcuts — but with AI woven into every part of the workflow. Tab completions that predict multi-line blocks. A chat that understands your entire codebase. An agent mode that autonomously writes code across multiple files and runs terminal commands.
In 16 months, Cursor hit 1 million users and 360,000 paying customers. It’s growing faster than any other AI code editor. And the free tier gives you enough to seriously evaluate it.
Here’s everything you need to know.
How It’s Different from VS Code + Copilot
The easiest way to understand Cursor: imagine VS Code, but AI isn’t added on top — it’s the foundation.
| Feature | VS Code + Copilot | Cursor |
|---|---|---|
| Base editor | VS Code | Fork of VS Code |
| AI integration | Extension (Copilot) | Built into the editor core |
| Multi-file editing | Copilot Edits (newer) | Composer (mature, purpose-built) |
| Agent mode | Copilot Agent | Cursor Agent with subagents |
| Codebase context | @workspace | @codebase (semantic indexing) |
| Model selection | Limited per-plan | Choose per conversation |
| Your extensions | Native | Compatible (imports from VS Code) |
The practical difference: Cursor can do things that are structurally impossible for an extension. It can modify the editor UI, intercept keystrokes differently, and coordinate multi-agent workflows that require deep editor integration. Copilot, as an extension, works within VS Code’s extension API constraints.
But Copilot’s advantage is breadth — it works in JetBrains, Neovim, Xcode, and other editors. Cursor is VS Code-only.
Key Features
Tab Completions
Cursor’s tab completion — powered by Supermaven — runs at 150-200ms latency. It predicts what you’re about to type, often suggesting entire code blocks rather than just the next line.
The predictions are context-aware. It reads the surrounding code, your project structure, and even your recent edits to suggest relevant completions. You press Tab to accept, Escape to dismiss. Simple.
On the free plan, you get 2,000 completions per month. Paid plans give unlimited completions.
Chat
Open Cursor’s chat panel and ask questions about your code. Unlike a generic AI chat, Cursor indexes your codebase — so when you ask “how does authentication work in this project?”, it reads the actual files and gives you an answer grounded in your code.
Key commands:
- @codebase — references your entire project
- @file — references a specific file
- @web — pulls in web search results
- @docs — references documentation
You can also choose which AI model to use per conversation. Want Claude for complex reasoning and GPT for quick questions? Switch freely.
Composer (Multi-File Editing)
This is Cursor’s standout feature. Describe what you want changed across your project — “add error handling to all API routes” or “refactor the auth module to use JWT” — and Composer shows you diffs across every affected file. You review each change, accept or reject, and move on.
For tasks that touch 5-10 files, Composer can compress hours of manual editing into minutes. It’s the feature that converts most VS Code users into Cursor users.
Agent Mode
Agent mode lets Cursor work autonomously. Give it a task — “add a user settings page with dark mode toggle” — and it:
- Plans the implementation
- Creates and modifies files
- Runs terminal commands (installs packages, runs tests)
- Iterates when something breaks
- Shows you everything it did for review
In 2026, Cursor added subagents — the agent can spawn parallel workers. One researches documentation, another writes components, a third runs tests. All simultaneously. You can even run multiple agents on different tasks while you keep coding.
Plan Mode adds a planning step before execution. The agent crawls your project, reads your configuration, and drafts an editable plan before writing any code. Good for complex features where you want to verify the approach first.
Rules and Configuration
Cursor Rules (stored in .cursor/rules or .cursorrules) let you define project-specific instructions for the AI. Things like:
- “Always use TypeScript strict mode”
- “Follow the existing naming conventions in this project”
- “Don’t modify files in the /vendor directory”
Rules persist across sessions and apply to all AI interactions — chat, completions, Composer, and Agent mode. They’re how you teach Cursor your team’s preferences.
Background Agents
Background agents handle tasks while you work on something else. Start a background agent on a bug fix, switch to a different file, and come back when it’s done. The agent runs in its own context without interrupting your flow.
Pricing
| Plan | Cost | What You Get |
|---|---|---|
| Hobby (Free) | $0 | 2,000 completions, 50 slow premium requests |
| Pro | $20/month | Unlimited completions, 500 fast requests |
| Pro+ | $60/month | 3x credits for premium models |
| Ultra | $200/month | 20x usage, priority features |
| Teams | $40/user/month | Pro features + admin controls, SSO |
Cursor uses a credit-based system. Your plan gives you credits equal to the dollar amount ($20 plan = $20 in credits). Different models cost different amounts — Claude Sonnet uses fewer credits than Claude Opus. So your effective request count depends on which models you use.
Annual billing saves 20% ($16/month for Pro instead of $20).
Is the free plan enough to evaluate? Yes. 2,000 completions and 50 premium requests give you about a week of moderate use. Enough to know if Cursor’s workflow fits yours.
Who Is Cursor For?
Best fit:
- Developers who live in VS Code and want deeper AI integration
- Anyone doing multi-file refactoring or feature development regularly
- Solo developers who want an “AI pair programmer” that actually understands the project
- Teams building AI-heavy applications
Not ideal for:
- JetBrains users (Cursor is VS Code-only)
- Developers who rarely use AI assistance
- Teams that need everything inside the GitHub ecosystem (Copilot integrates deeper there)
Getting Started (5 Minutes)
- Download from cursor.com. Available for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
- Import VS Code settings. Cursor asks on first launch — say yes. Your extensions, themes, and keybindings carry over.
- Open a project. Cursor automatically indexes your codebase for AI context.
- Try Tab completion. Start typing in any file. Cursor suggests completions — press Tab to accept.
- Open Chat (Cmd+L / Ctrl+L). Ask a question about your code. Reference files with @.
- Try Composer (Cmd+I / Ctrl+I). Describe a multi-file change. Review the diffs.
That’s it. If you’re comfortable in VS Code, you’ll be comfortable in Cursor within minutes.
For a structured walkthrough of every feature, our free Cursor AI course covers setup through advanced agent workflows in 8 lessons. And for a detailed comparison with GitHub’s offering, see our Cursor vs Copilot breakdown.
The Bigger Picture
Cursor represents a bet that AI should be the editor, not an add-on. Traditional editors were designed for humans typing code character by character. Cursor is designed for humans directing AI to write, modify, and debug code at the project level.
Whether that bet pays off long-term — whether AI-native editors replace traditional ones — is an open question. But 1 million users in 16 months suggests a lot of developers already have their answer.
The free plan costs nothing and takes 5 minutes to set up. If you write code, it’s worth trying.
For more on AI-powered development workflows, check out our Claude vs ChatGPT for coding comparison and the Cursor Composer multi-file editing skill.