AI News & Tools

Cursor

Editor built around AI, with codebase-wide context rather than single-file autocomplete.

Open official site cursor.comFree tier available · from $20/moAI Coding Tools

A fork of VS Code where AI is part of the editing model rather than an add-on. It indexes the whole repository, so edits can span multiple files and follow the conventions already present in the code.

Cursor answers a different question from the terminal agents it gets compared to. The split that matters: if the work is typing code, an editor wins on latency and context; if the work is making a change and verifying it works, a terminal agent wins because it can run the tests and read what came back. Most people who take this seriously end up running one of each rather than choosing. Price it that way — as a second subscription, not a replacement.

Our take

The strongest argument for switching editors rather than adding a plugin. Because it indexes the whole repository, its suggestions follow conventions already in your code instead of inventing new ones, and multi-file edits actually hold together. The cost is real: you are moving your daily environment, and everything you have customised comes with you only if it exists as a VS Code extension.

Last checked 2026-07-26

Best for

  • Refactors that touch many files at once
  • Getting oriented in an unfamiliar codebase
  • Teams with strong existing conventions the AI should follow

Limitations

  • Requires migrating from your current editor, extensions and keybindings included
  • Indexing sends repository context to a server; check what your employer allows
  • Large monorepos can make indexing slow and suggestions less focused

When to pick something else

  • Occasional scripting — an autocomplete plugin in your current editor is enough
  • Environments where source code may not leave the machine
  • Anyone deeply invested in a non-VS-Code editor

Key features

  • Repository-wide indexing for multi-file edits
  • Inline edit and chat share the same context
  • Keeps VS Code extensions and keybindings

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