Cursor

Cursor is a VS Code fork rebuilt entirely around AI-first coding. Unlike GitHub Copilot which suggests one line at a time, Cursor understands your whole project — you can ask it to refactor a module, explain a bug, write a new feature in plain English, and it produces multi-file changes with full context awareness.

The free tier is functional but limited. Pro at $20/mo gives access to Claude Sonnet, GPT-4o, and other frontier models with high usage limits. Business plans add team features and privacy mode ($40/user/mo).

Standout features include Composer (multi-file AI editing), Chat (ask questions about your codebase), and Tab (context-aware autocomplete). It imports all your VS Code extensions and settings instantly. Teams using Cursor consistently report writing code 2–5x faster on routine tasks.

Pros: Deep codebase understanding, multi-file edits, supports multiple AI models, familiar VS Code interface, active development.
Cons: Pro required for heavy use, occasional context window limits on large codebases, subscription on top of your IDE.

Best for: Developers of all levels, particularly those building web apps, APIs, or data pipelines.