How we rated it
4.4
out of 5
Weighted score: features & compliance (25% each), ease of use & value (20% each), support (10%).
- Features & depthBreadth and quality of capabilities4.8
- Compliance & securityData handling, certifications, privacy posture4.3
- Ease of useHow intuitive and frictionless the tool is4.5
- Value for moneyPricing vs. what you get4.2
- Support & reliabilityUptime, support quality, vendor responsiveness4.2
Key facts
- Starting price
- $20/month
- Pricing model
- Tiered
- Free tier
- Yes
- Free trial
- No
- SOC 2
- Type II certified
- Trains on user data
- No
- Launched
- 2023
- Platforms
- Macos, Windows, Linux
- HQ
- San Francisco, USA
- Last updated
- July 2026
About Cursor
Cursor is a full AI-native IDE built as a fork of VS Code. Rather than bolting AI onto an existing editor, it rebuilds the core workflow around AI: a multi-file editing agent, predictive autocomplete that anticipates your next changes, and semantic indexing of your entire repository so the AI understands your project as a whole.
Its standout features are Composer, which coordinates AI changes across many files from a single prompt, and Tab autocomplete, which predicts multi-line edits before you type them. Cursor also runs background agents in cloud sandboxes, supports the Model Context Protocol for connecting external tools, and lets you switch between Claude, GPT, and Gemini models per request.
Because Cursor is a VS Code fork, it retains near-total compatibility with VS Code extensions and settings, making migration nearly frictionless — but only for developers already on VS Code. It has no JetBrains, Vim, or Emacs support. Pro is $20/month; Business is $40/user/month and adds SOC 2 compliance, centralized admin, and a no-training-by-default data posture.
Pricing breakdown
Hobby
Free
per month
- Limited agent requests
- Limited Tab completions
- Full VS Code extension compatibility
Pro
$20/mo
per month
- Unlimited fast Tab completions
- Monthly model-usage allowance
- Composer multi-file editing
- Background agents
Business
$40/mo
per user/month
- Centralized team billing and admin
- Usage analytics
- SOC 2 compliance
- No training on your code by default
All features
Composer — coordinated AI editing across many files from a single prompt
Tab autocomplete that predicts multi-line edits before you type
Full-repository semantic indexing for codebase-aware answers
Background agents that run tasks in cloud sandboxes
Model switching between Claude, GPT, and Gemini per request
Model Context Protocol (MCP) support for external tools and data
Near-total VS Code extension and settings compatibility
Integrations
| Integration | Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| VS Code extensions | Native | — |
| GitHub | Native | — |
| Model Context Protocol | API | — |
Pros and cons
What it does well
- Best-in-class codebase context — understands and edits across your whole project
- Composer multi-file editing is the most polished in the category
- Tab autocomplete is fast and consistently anticipates multi-line changes
- As a VS Code fork, migration from VS Code is nearly frictionless
Limitations
- VS Code-only — no JetBrains, Vim, or Emacs support
- Model-usage allowance on Pro can run out for heavy users of expensive models
- Can lag or slow down on very large codebases
- Privacy Mode must be explicitly enabled on individual plans to prevent data use
In-depth reviews
Alternatives to Cursor
Windsurf
4.4 / 5
The best-value AI IDE — Cascade's autonomous agent and a genuinely generous free tier deliver most of Cursor's power for less, with slightly less fine-grained control.
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GitHub Copilot
4.5 / 5
The safest default AI coding assistant — unmatched IDE reach and GitHub integration — but its agent mode trails the dedicated AI IDEs on deep codebase work.
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Claude Code
4.4 / 5
The most capable terminal-native coding agent — top-tier reasoning and a huge context window make it excellent for large-codebase and architectural work, at the cost of a terminal-first learning curve.
View profileThe verdict
The most capable AI IDE available — Composer and Tab set the bar for codebase-aware editing — but it's VS Code-only and its usage allowance needs managing.
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