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Cursor

★4.2
💬25
💲Freemium

Cursor is an AI-first code editor designed for programming with a large language model. It's a fork of VS Code, combining a familiar and powerful editing environment with deeply integrated AI capabilities to help developers write, debug, and understand code faster.

💻
Platform
web
Code EditorDeveloper ToolAI AssistantVS CodeCode Generation

What is Cursor?

Cursor is a standalone Integrated Development Environment (IDE) forked from Microsoft's VS Code, rebuilt with AI at its core. Instead of AI being a plugin, Cursor is a complete editor where features like code generation, codebase chat, and automated debugging are native, first-class citizens of the programming experience.

Core Technologies

  • Fork of VS Code.
  • Integration with Large Language Models (LLMs) via API.
  • Proprietary codebase indexing and embedding algorithms.
  • Enhanced Language Server Protocol (LSP) for AI features.

Key Capabilities

  • Generating, editing, and refactoring code based on natural language instructions.
  • Answering complex questions that require understanding of the entire repository.
  • Automatically proposing fixes for runtime errors and exceptions.
  • Creating 'AI-generated diffs' for developers to review before applying changes.
  • Migrating existing VS Code settings, extensions, and configurations seamlessly.

Use Cases

  • Generating new code blocks or entire files from a natural language prompt.
  • Automatically fixing linting errors, bugs, and crashes with a single click.
  • Refactoring existing code to improve readability or performance.
  • Creating comprehensive documentation and unit tests for functions.
  • Onboarding to a new codebase by asking questions about how different components work together.

Core Benefits

  • Seamless AI integration is faster and more contextual than traditional plugins.
  • Familiar environment for VS Code users, with full support for extensions, themes, and keybindings.
  • Accelerates development workflows like bug fixing, code generation, and documentation.
  • Codebase-wide context allows the AI to answer questions and make edits based on the entire project.
  • Flexibility to use different AI models, including OpenAI's GPT and Anthropic's Claude series.

Key Features

  • AI Chat pane for codebase-wide questions.
  • Inline editing and generation with 'Cmd+K' shortcut.
  • "Fix & Diff" feature to automatically debug errors and review changes.
  • "Chat with Documentation" to find answers from libraries like Stripe or React.
  • Codebase indexing for providing full project context to the AI.

How to Use

  1. 1
    Download and install the Cursor application for your operating system (macOS, Windows, or Linux).
  2. 2
    Open an existing local project folder or clone a new repository.
  3. 3
    Use the left-hand chat pane to ask a question about your entire codebase.
  4. 4
    Highlight a block of code and press 'Cmd+K' (or 'Ctrl+K') to give an editing instruction.
  5. 5
    Click the 'Fix & Diff' button on an error in the terminal to have the AI automatically debug it.

Pricing Plans

Basic

$0/month
A limited number of 'slow' AI responses using GPT-4 and other models. Intended for trying out the editor.

Pro

$20/month
A large number of 'fast' AI responses, access to the latest models like GPT-4o and Claude 3 Opus, and features like 'Chat with Docs'.

Business

Custom
Team-oriented features, including centralized billing, enhanced privacy, and the ability to connect to self-hosted models.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.Is Cursor just VS Code with a plugin?

A.No, Cursor is a fork of VS Code. This means it's a separate application with much deeper, native AI integration than a plugin could achieve, resulting in better performance and more powerful features.

Q.Can I use my VS Code extensions and settings?

A.Yes, Cursor is fully compatible with the VS Code extension marketplace, themes, and keybindings. You can import your existing setup with one click.

Q.What AI models does Cursor use?

A.Cursor allows you to use various models. The Pro plan includes fast access to top models from OpenAI (GPT-4o) and Anthropic (Claude 3 Opus, Sonnet). You can also configure it to use your own API keys.

Q.How does Cursor understand my entire codebase?

A.Cursor indexes your project files, creating vector embeddings (a mathematical representation of your code) that allow the AI to quickly find the most relevant context when answering a question or making an edit.

Pros & Cons (Reserved)

✓ Pros

  • Deeply integrated AI features feel more responsive and powerful than plugins.
  • Fully compatible with the VS Code ecosystem, making it easy to switch.
  • Powerful, unique features like 'Fix & Diff' and codebase-wide context.
  • Supports multiple leading AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic.
  • Actively developed with frequent updates and new features.

✗ Cons

  • It is a separate application, not a simple plugin for an existing VS Code setup.
  • The free tier is quite limited, making a subscription almost necessary for regular use.
  • Can be more resource-intensive than a standard VS Code installation.
  • Relies on the performance and availability of third-party LLM providers.

Alternatives

No alternatives found.