Cursor IDE: The AI-Native Code Editor

Cursor is what happens when you build an IDE around AI from the ground up rather than bolting it on afterward. While GitHub Copilot feels like an add-on to VS Code, Cursor's AI features feel native—because they are. After a month of using Cursor as my primary development environment, I'm genuinely impressed and slightly concerned about how dependent I've become on its capabilities.

What Is Cursor?

Cursor is a fork of VS Code with AI deeply integrated into every aspect of the development experience. Your extensions, settings, and keybindings transfer seamlessly. But Cursor adds a conversational AI interface, intelligent code editing, and codebase-aware assistance that goes far beyond what Copilot offers.

The Cmd+K Magic

Cursor's "edit" feature (Cmd+K) is transformative. Select a block of code, press Cmd+K, and describe what you want: "add error handling", "convert to async/await", "optimize this loop". Cursor generates a diff showing exactly what will change, which you can accept or reject.

This workflow is faster than Copilot's inline suggestions for intentional changes. Rather than waiting for the right suggestion to appear, you actively direct the AI. It feels more like pair programming and less like autocomplete.

In practice, I use Cmd+K for refactoring, adding features to existing code, and fixing bugs. The AI understands context well enough that requests like "add logging" or "handle the edge case where user is null" produce sensible results without extensive explanation.

Codebase Intelligence

What sets Cursor apart from ChatGPT-plus-copy-paste is codebase awareness. Cursor indexes your project and can answer questions like "how is authentication implemented?" or "find all places where we call the payments API." This transforms it from a general coding assistant to one that knows your specific codebase.

The @ reference system extends this further. Type @file to include a specific file's contents in context. @docs to search documentation. @web to include web search results. @codebase to search your project. This explicit context control helps the AI give more relevant responses.

Real Productivity Impact

In my testing, Cursor delivered approximately 40% productivity improvement over VS Code + Copilot—significantly better than Copilot alone. The gains came primarily from:

• Faster refactoring with Cmd+K (replaces manual find-replace and tedious edits)
• Better answers to architecture questions (codebase context matters)
• Multi-file changes that stay consistent
• Less context switching to external ChatGPT windows

Pricing

For professional developers, the Pro tier at $20/month is the sweet spot. It's the same price as ChatGPT Plus but integrated directly into your development workflow. The free tier is limiting but sufficient for evaluation.

Limitations

VS Code Lag: Being a fork means Cursor is always slightly behind VS Code updates. New VS Code features take time to arrive. Some extensions have compatibility issues.

Usage Limits: Even the Pro tier has limits on "fast" (GPT-4) requests. Heavy users may hit caps during intensive sessions.

Privacy Concerns: Your code is sent to Cursor's servers and AI providers. For highly sensitive codebases, this may be unacceptable. Privacy mode exists but disables many features.

Final Verdict

Cursor represents the future of AI-assisted development. It's not just about autocomplete—it's about having an AI pair programmer that understands your project and can make substantial contributions. For developers who spend significant time coding, the productivity gains easily justify the subscription.

My recommendation: if you're currently using VS Code with Copilot, give Cursor a serious two-week trial. The transition is painless, and you'll quickly discover workflows that weren't possible before. Just be prepared to feel handicapped when you go back to a "dumb" editor.