Cursor

What is Cursor?

Cursor is a code editor built from the ground up with AI at its core. Unlike GitHub Copilot (an extension for VS Code), Cursor is a fully redesigned VS Code fork where AI isn’t an add-on but a foundational part of the editor. The result: the most contextual and powerful AI assistant available for software development, with access to your full code, change history, and the ability to modify multiple files simultaneously and autonomously.

Founded in 2022 and rapidly adopted by top developers, Cursor has redefined the AI IDE: with its Agent mode it can plan, implement, and test full features semi-autonomously, going from a reactive assistant to a collaborator that takes initiative.

Who is Cursor for?

• Professional developers who want the most powerful AI IDE experience.
• Engineering teams who want to ship faster without sacrificing code quality.
• Technical startups that need to move fast with small teams.
• Freelance developers who want to multiply their delivery capacity.
• Developers already on VS Code who want a superior AI experience.

Core features

1. Cursor Tab: multi-line autocomplete

Cursor’s autocomplete goes beyond GitHub Copilot: it doesn’t just suggest the current line but multiple lines ahead, anticipates the full logic of a function, and adapts suggestions based on the whole file’s context, imports, and related files. Notably higher quality thanks to broader repo context.

2. Cmd+K / Ctrl+K: inline editing

Select any code block, hit Ctrl+K, and describe the change in natural language: “Add error handling when the array is empty”, “Refactor this to use async/await”, “Optimize for performance”. Cursor modifies exactly the selected code without touching the rest. More precise and contextual than Copilot’s chat.

3. Cursor Chat (@-mentions for context)

Cursor Chat uses @-mentions for precise context: @file.py includes that file, @Codebase searches the whole repo, @Docs accesses external library docs, @Web searches the internet, @Git includes commit history.

4. Agent mode: autonomous implementation

Cursor’s Agent mode is the most advanced IDE feature on the market. Describe a feature or bug in natural language and Agent analyzes the codebase, plans changes, modifies the relevant files, installs dependencies if needed, and can run tests to verify. You review changes before approving.

5. Custom rules (.cursorrules)

The .cursorrules file in your project root lets you define persistent instructions for all of the project’s AI: tech stack, code conventions, anti-patterns, naming, preferred libraries. Cursor applies these rules to every completion and suggestion automatically.

6. Model choice

Cursor isn’t tied to a single model: on Pro you can pick between Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4o, o3-mini, and Cursor’s own models. Pick the right model per task: Claude for complex code, GPT-4o for speed, o3-mini for math reasoning. This keeps Cursor relevant as new models ship.

Real-world use cases

Refactor an entire module

You have an auth module written 2 years ago with outdated patterns. With Agent mode: “Refactor the auth module to use JWT instead of sessions, keep backward compatibility, and update all tests”. Cursor analyzes affected files, proposes a migration plan, makes changes across multiple files, and updates tests. What would take days happens in hours.

Onboarding to an unfamiliar codebase

You join a new project with 100K lines of code. Use Cursor Chat with @Codebase: “How is the permissions system structured?”, “What does the billing module do step by step?”. Cursor searches the entire repo and answers contextually. Onboarding shrinks from weeks to days.

Generate full test coverage

Open an untested file and ask: “Generate complete unit tests for every public method. Include happy path, edge cases, and error cases. Use Jest with describe/it syntax”. Cursor generates a high-coverage test file, understanding the actual logic.

Pricing and plans

Pros and cons

Related reads on NodoAI

• Claude · the writing and code champion.
• ChatGPT · the most popular alternative.
• GitHub Copilot · main coding AI alternative.
• Copilot vs Cursor vs Claude Code