Anysphere · AI Code Editor with Background Agents
A VS Code fork rebuilt around AI — Composer edits across multiple files from one instruction, Agent mode runs multi-step tasks autonomously, and background agents clone your repo in the cloud and return a pull request when done. Used by over 1 million paying developers.
Best for
VS Code developers who want multi-file AI editing, autonomous background agents, and model flexibility — not a plugin layered on top of an existing editor
Not ideal for
Developers who need offline AI features, work primarily in JetBrains or Neovim, or prefer a lightweight editor without the memory overhead
Who it's for
Professional developers who want AI deeply embedded in a VS Code-compatible editor with autonomous agent capabilities
Cursor's real advantage is the background agent architecture — spinning up parallel cloud agents that work autonomously and hand back a PR is something plugin-based tools like Copilot cannot do structurally. The VS Code foundation means near-zero migration cost for the 70%+ of developers already on VS Code. The trade-off is that it is heavier, costs more at scale than a plugin, and still requires careful review of agent output on complex logic.
Who should use it
Developers who are already on VS Code and want autonomous multi-file editing and background agents — specifically anyone who routinely works across large feature changes where the bottleneck is cross-file coordination.
Who should skip it
Developers on JetBrains, Neovim, or other editors where Cursor's VS Code fork doesn't apply — GitHub Copilot's multi-IDE plugin coverage is the better fit there.
Hobby
Free
Billed monthly
Pro
$20/month
Billed monthly
Pro+
$60/month
Billed monthly
Ultra
$200/month
Billed monthly
Teams
$40/user/month
Billed monthly
Free tier limits: Limited Agent requests and Tab completions. No frontier model access. Adequate for evaluation but not sustained development use.
Note: Pro includes $20/month of model usage credits; additional usage is billed on-demand. Enterprise plan available with custom pricing, pooled usage, SCIM, and audit logs.
Context window
Full project context (varies by model)
Modalities
Code, Text
API pricing
subscription
Available models
Feature branch generation
Describe the feature in plain language; background agents clone the repo, implement it across relevant files, run tests, and return a PR — without blocking your current work.
Cross-file refactoring
Composer applies a single refactoring instruction across all affected files simultaneously, showing a unified diff for review before any changes are written.
Onboarding to an unfamiliar codebase
Codebase chat answers questions anchored to actual file paths and function definitions — faster than grep-and-read for navigating unknown repos.
Test generation with implementation context
Agent mode reads the existing implementation files and generates tests that match the actual behavior, not generic boilerplate.
Cursor vs. github-copilot
Copilot is a plugin that works inside any editor (VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim) but only sees your open file and tabs. Cursor is a VS Code fork with full project context, Composer for multi-file edits, and background agents — capabilities that a plugin architecture cannot provide.
Cursor vs. windsurf
Both are VS Code forks with agentic coding. Windsurf's Cascade agent competes directly with Cursor's Composer and Agent mode. Both Pro tiers cost $20/month; Windsurf's free tier includes unlimited Tab completions and inline edits, while Cursor's free Hobby tier caps both.
How is Cursor different from GitHub Copilot?
Copilot is a plugin that adds AI to your existing editor, primarily within the open file. Cursor is a VS Code fork where AI has full project context — enabling multi-file edits, autonomous agents, and codebase-wide chat that a plugin architecture cannot match.
What are background agents in Cursor?
Background agents clone your repo in the cloud, work autonomously on a task, and return a pull request when done. You can run up to 8 in parallel, letting you kick off tasks and check back on results without blocking your main workflow.
Does Cursor work with my existing VS Code extensions?
Yes. Cursor is a VS Code fork, so your existing extensions, themes, and keybindings carry over. The migration from VS Code is typically under five minutes.
Is the free tier usable for real development?
The free Hobby tier has limited Agent requests and Tab completions — enough to evaluate the tool, but most developers doing serious work upgrade to Pro ($20/month) for extended limits and frontier model access.
What AI models does Cursor use?
Cursor gives you model choice: Claude 4.x, Gemini 2.5 Pro, GPT-4o, and o1 are all available. You can switch models per task depending on the tradeoffs you want.
Cursor is a VS Code fork, so your existing extensions, themes, and keybindings carry over. The architectural difference from Copilot or other plugins: the AI has full project context, not just the open file. Composer accepts a plain-language instruction and applies changes across the relevant files simultaneously, showing a diff you review before applying. Agent mode handles longer-horizon workflows — running test suites, fixing failures, and opening diffs — in steps measured in minutes rather than seconds. Background agents go further: they clone your repo in the cloud, work autonomously in parallel (up to 8 at once), and return a pull request on completion. Cursor supports multiple frontier models — Claude 4.x, Gemini 2.5, GPT-4o, and o1 — and natively integrates with MCP servers for custom tools, internal docs, and ticket systems. The Pro tier ($20/month) includes $20 of monthly model usage credits plus unlimited Tab completions; Pro+ ($60/month) and Ultra ($200/month) increase model credit ceilings for heavier agent workloads. The honest trade-offs: performance degrades on very large projects, all AI features require an internet connection, and the model still makes mistakes on complex multi-file logic that require careful review.
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