Cursor: AI Code Editor That Sees Your Entire Project
Cursor is a code editor where the AI model isn't a plugin - it's built into the tool itself and can see your entire project, not just the open file.
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Cursor is a code editor where the AI model isn’t a plugin - it’s built into the tool itself. It looks like a popular editor because it’s based on one, so keyboard shortcuts and extensions work the same way. The difference is that the model sees your entire project, not just the open file, and that’s why developers are switching to it from code completion tools.
Three Work Modes in Cursor
Inline suggestions. You type and the editor proposes the next lines, including changes in multiple places at once when you rename something or change a structure. This is the most frequently used feature and the biggest time-saver in daily work.
Chat about code. You ask about a selected fragment or the entire project: what does this function do, where is this field set, why is the test failing. The model has access to your files, so it answers about your code, not an abstract example.
Agent mode. You describe a task and the tool opens files on its own, makes changes in multiple places, runs commands, and shows you the differences to approve. This is the most powerful and most risky feature: with a well-described task it saves hours, with a poorly described one it leaves a mess in ten files.
How to Use Cursor Without Losing Control
Work with version control and commit changes in small batches. This is the only effective protection against a situation where the agent fixed something in fifteen places and you don’t know which ones were intentional. Describe the task with an end condition: “change this so that this test passes” works better than “fix this”.
And read what was generated before you approve it. Code can be correct and simultaneously off-target: it solves the problem differently than the rest of the project works, and after a month you have two ways of doing the same thing.
How Much Does Cursor Cost
The Hobby plan is free and enough to test the editor on your own project, but with a small pool of AI calls. Pro costs $20 per month, and more expensive plans increase the pool and add faster models; after exhausting it, Cursor switches to usage-based billing. I maintain a full pricing table with verification dates and an explanation of how usage is calculated in the article how much Cursor costs.
Getting Started: First Half Hour
You download Cursor from cursor.com, and on first launch you import settings, theme, and extensions from VS Code with one click. You open a project folder and learn three shortcuts: Ctrl+K (or Cmd+K on Mac) edits the selected fragment according to your instruction, Ctrl+L opens a chat about code with the entire project in context, and the mode switch in the same panel activates the agent, which edits files and runs commands on its own. Before you hand over control, add a file with project rules (.cursor/rules directory), because without it the agent guesses conventions.
Cursor vs Claude Code vs GitHub Copilot
| Cursor | Claude Code | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | separate editor (VS Code fork) with AI built in | agent in terminal and as extension | plugin for VS Code, JetBrains and others |
| Models | choice between OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and your own | Claude only | multiple providers, OpenAI by default |
| Entry price | Hobby $0, Pro $20 | included in Claude Pro plan | free plan with limit, Pro $10 |
| When to choose | when you write code daily and want everything in one window | when you assign large tasks and approve the result | when you stay with your editor and want suggestions |
A detailed comparison on one task is in the articles Cursor versus Claude Code and Cursor, Copilot or Windsurf if you can’t code.
Reader Questions
Is Cursor Free?
The Hobby plan is free with a limited number of AI calls. For daily work you need the Pro plan.
Does Cursor Work in Other Languages?
Yes, conversation with the model and commands can be in any language. The editor interface is in English.
Can You Code in Cursor Without Coding Skills?
You can build a simple page or script by describing what it should do. With something larger, the inability to read code ends with a project that nobody can fix. For people without experience, tools like Lovable make more sense.
Alternatives to Cursor
In the same category are agents working in the terminal, described in the guide to Claude, and assistants built into editors, including Microsoft’s solution described in the article about Copilot. If instead of writing code you want to get a working application right away, the right tool is more likely Lovable, and the backend for it is easiest to set up in Supabase. I maintain a comparison of models in terms of code itself in the section best AI for code.
See also: Warp: terminal with AI agent · Factory.ai and Droid: agent that opens pull requests
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