Cursor

AI-first code editor. Chat with your codebase, generate features, refactor with context. Built on VS Code.

Code Freemium Editor's Pick

Visit cursor.com Free tier available

0.0 /10

Features

9.6

Ease of use

9.2

Value

9.0

Support

8.8

PixlRun verdict

Essential for coders

Launched

March 2023

Starting price

$20/mo

Free trial

Free tier available

Platforms

Mac, Windows, Linux

What is Cursor?

Cursor is a fork of VS Code rebuilt around LLMs. The killer feature is codebase awareness — it indexes your entire repo so AI suggestions actually understand your project. Composer mode lets you describe a multi-file change in English; Cursor edits every relevant file at once. For refactors, greenfield features, and navigating unfamiliar code, it's the fastest AI coding tool on the market.

Key features

🧠

Codebase-aware AI

Indexes your whole repo for context-correct answers.

⚡

Tab autocomplete

Predicts your next edit, not just next token. Multi-line jumps.

🎯

Composer mode

Edit multiple files from one natural-language prompt.

🔌

Model picker

Claude, GPT-5, Gemini, or your own API key.

🔐

Privacy mode

Your code never leaves the machine or trains models.

🎨

VS Code compatible

All your extensions, themes, and keybindings just work.

Pros & cons

What we love

Codebase indexing beats every other AI code editor
Composer saves hours on refactors
Switches between Claude, GPT-5, Gemini without relearning shortcuts
VS Code compatible — all extensions and themes just work
Privacy mode keeps code off servers

What could be better

Can get expensive with heavy Claude Opus usage
Occasional sync issues on large monorepos
No official Linux auto-update yet

Pricing

Hobby

Casual use

2000 completions/month
50 slow premium requests
GPT-4 mini included

Pro

$20 /mo

For developers

Unlimited completions
500 fast Claude/GPT-5 calls
Unlimited slow requests
Composer + long context

Business

$40 /user

For teams

Everything in Pro
Privacy mode enforced
SSO & centralized billing
Priority support

Best for

👨‍💻

Full-stack developers

Navigating large codebases across frontend, backend, and infra.

🚀

Solo founders

Shipping fast on stacks you're not yet expert in.

FAQ

Cursor vs GitHub Copilot?

For multi-file edits and whole-codebase questions — Cursor significantly better. For simple autocomplete on one file they're similar. Cursor pulls ahead once you reason across your project.

Can I use my own API keys?

Yes — plug in your OpenAI or Anthropic key on any plan to bypass usage limits.

Does Cursor work offline?

The editor works offline (it's VS Code). AI features need internet.