Cursor

What is Cursor?

Cursor is an AI-first code editor and the most popular AI coding tool among developers today. It is a fork of VS Code — same layout, same extension marketplace, same keybindings — with AI woven into every layer of the editor. The AI does not just autocomplete lines; it reads your entire codebase, understands relationships between files, and can make coordinated edits across multiple files at once. If you already know VS Code, you will feel at home in Cursor within minutes.

Plans

The free Hobby tier is generous enough to evaluate Cursor properly before committing. Most individual developers land on Pro.

The magic moment

Open a legacy codebase you have never touched before. Press Cmd+K on a function that needs work and type: "Refactor this to use async/await and add proper error handling." Cursor does not just edit that one function — it reads the surrounding file, checks how the function is called elsewhere, and makes the right change with the right context. That cross-file awareness is what separates Cursor from a plugin.

Getting started

1. Download Cursor from cursor.com — available for Mac, Windows, and Linux
2. On first launch, click Import VS Code Settings — this pulls in your extensions, themes, and keybindings in one step
3. Sign up for a free account when prompted
4. Open a project folder with File → Open Folder
5. Press Cmd+K on any line, describe a change in plain English, and press Enter to apply it
6. Press Cmd+L to open the chat panel and ask a question about your code

Total setup time: about 15 minutes including the VS Code import.

Key shortcuts

Composer vs Chat vs Inline Edit

Inline Edit (Cmd+K) is for focused, single-location changes: fix this function, add a parameter, rename a variable. Fast and surgical.

Chat (Cmd+L) is for understanding and exploration: "How does auth work here?", "What does this file do?", "Where is this value set?" Great for navigating unfamiliar code.

Composer (Cmd+I) is for multi-file tasks: "Add a dark mode toggle that persists to localStorage and updates all relevant components." Composer plans the work, shows you what it intends to change, and applies it across files with your approval.

Start with Inline Edit to get comfortable, reach for Chat when you have questions, and use Composer when a task touches more than one file.

Tips for better results

Use @filename in chat or Composer to explicitly pull a file into context. Cursor is smart about context, but mentioning the file directly makes the AI more precise.

Add a .cursorrules file at the root of your project. Write your conventions in plain English — preferred patterns, libraries to avoid, naming rules. Cursor reads it on every request.

# .cursorrules example
- Use TypeScript strict mode
- Prefer functional components over class components
- Use Zod for all runtime validation
- Never use `any` type

How Cursor compares