Cursor review: an AI editor that does not get in the way
Filed under Review
By Gerald · 4 July 2026
I switched to Cursor six months ago. I did not plan to. I was happy enough with VS Code and GitHub Copilot. Then a friend kept insisting I try it, and I figured I would give it a week.
I never went back.
Cursor is a VS Code fork with AI deeply integrated. It is not a plugin tacked onto an editor. The AI is the editor. That sounds like marketing fluff until you use it. Then you realize how much friction the old workflow had.
I use Cursor to build Flow. Here is what it speeds up and what it breaks.
What Cursor actually is
Cursor is a code editor built on top of VS Code. It looks almost identical. Your themes, keybindings, and extensions work. The difference is the AI layer underneath.
There are three main AI features. Tab completion predicts your next edit across multiple lines and files. Chat lets you ask questions about your codebase and get context-aware answers. Composer lets you describe changes in natural language and apply them across multiple files.
Cursor uses your choice of model. GPT-4o, Claude, or o3. You bring your own API key or pay Cursor's subscription.
Tab completion versus Copilot
GitHub Copilot suggests the next line based on the current file. Cursor's tab completion looks at your whole codebase. It predicts edits, not just additions.
The difference is meaningful. Copilot helps you write new code. Cursor helps you change existing code. When I rename a function, Cursor suggests updates to every caller. When I add a parameter, it updates the type definitions and the tests.
It is not perfect. Sometimes the suggestion is wrong, and accepting it would break something. You have to read before you hit tab. But the hit rate is high enough that I write code faster.
In Flow's codebase, I estimate tab completion saves me fifteen to twenty percent of typing time. More importantly, it reduces the mental load of keeping multiple files in my head.
Chat that knows your code
Cursor's chat is the feature I use most. You open a panel, ask a question, and the AI answers with references to your actual files.
The context awareness is the key difference from ChatGPT or Claude's web interface. Cursor feeds the model relevant parts of your codebase automatically. You do not paste code snippets. You do not explain your folder structure. The editor does that for you.
I use it for debugging, refactoring, and understanding unfamiliar code. "Why is this component re-rendering?" gets an answer that references the specific hook dependencies. "How do I add a new field to this API endpoint?" gets a step-by-step plan with file names.
It is not always right. Sometimes the context it selects is incomplete. Sometimes it hallucinates a file that does not exist. But it is right often enough that I reach for it before I reach for Stack Overflow.
Composer: multi-file edits
Composer is Cursor's most ambitious feature. You describe what you want to change in natural language, and Cursor proposes edits across multiple files. You review them, accept or reject each one, and apply the changes.
This is where Cursor feels like a different category of tool. Refactoring a feature across five files used to take an hour of careful editing. With Composer, I describe the change, review the diff, and apply it in minutes.
The risk is higher too. A bad Composer suggestion can break multiple files at once. The review step is not optional. You have to read every proposed change.
I use Composer for structural changes: renaming conventions, API migrations, adding a new feature that touches the frontend and backend. I do not use it for subtle logic changes where a misunderstanding would be hard to catch.
Privacy concerns
This is the biggest hesitation most developers have. Cursor sends your code to third-party AI providers. By default, it uses Cursor's own infrastructure, which then calls OpenAI or Anthropic.
Cursor has a privacy mode that sends requests through your own API key instead of their servers. This is better, but your code still goes to the model provider. There is no way to use cloud-based AI without sharing your code.
For open source projects, this is not a concern. For proprietary code, it depends on your company's policy and your comfort level. Some teams ban AI tools entirely. Others restrict them to non-sensitive files.
I am selective about what I send. I do not paste API keys or credentials into chat. I use privacy mode for sensitive work. For Flow's general application code, I accept the tradeoff for the productivity gain.
Pricing
Cursor has a free tier with limited requests. The Pro plan is $20 per month and includes unlimited tab completion and higher chat limits. The Business plan is $40 per user per month and adds team features and admin controls.
If you use your own API key in privacy mode, you also pay for the model usage directly. For heavy use, this can add another $10 to $50 per month depending on which models you use.
These prices were current in June 2026. Check Cursor's pricing page for the latest.
What Cursor breaks
Cursor is not flawless. Here is what goes wrong.
It sometimes generates code that looks correct but contains subtle bugs. A variable name that is almost right. A condition that handles most cases but misses an edge case. You still need to review everything.
It can make you lazy. I have caught myself accepting suggestions without thinking because they look plausible. That is a dangerous habit.
Updates can be unstable. Because Cursor is a fork of VS Code, it lags behind VS Code releases. New Cursor versions sometimes introduce bugs that the base editor does not have.
Extension compatibility is mostly good but not perfect. Some VS Code extensions behave oddly in Cursor. I have had to disable a few.
Who should use Cursor
Cursor suits developers who spend most of their time in a code editor and want AI assistance that understands context. If you are building a product, maintaining a codebase, or refactoring regularly, the time savings are real.
It is especially good for full-stack work where you switch between frontend, backend, and configuration files. The cross-file context awareness pays off most in larger codebases.
Who should skip it
If you work in a highly regulated environment with strict code privacy requirements, Cursor may not be allowed. Check your company's AI policy before installing it.
If you are a beginner, Cursor might teach bad habits. The temptation to let AI write code you do not fully understand is strong. Learn the fundamentals first.
If you are happy with your current setup and not curious, stay where you are. Cursor is better, but it is not so much better that you should switch against your preference.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cursor better than Copilot? Cursor's tab completion is more context-aware than Copilot because it considers your whole codebase, not just the current file. Cursor's chat and Composer features have no equivalent in Copilot. Copilot is cheaper if you already have it bundled with GitHub. Cursor is more powerful for complex editing tasks.
Is Cursor worth the price? At $20 per month, Cursor pays for itself if it saves you even one hour of development time. For most working developers, it saves far more than that. The free tier is enough to evaluate whether it fits your workflow.
Is Cursor safe for private code? Cursor sends code to AI providers. Privacy mode routes requests through your own API key, but your code still goes to the model provider. Do not use Cursor for code that contains secrets, credentials, or proprietary algorithms you cannot share.
Does Cursor work offline? No. Cursor requires an internet connection to use its AI features. The editor itself works offline, but tab completion, chat, and Composer need to communicate with AI providers.
Can I use my own API key with Cursor? Yes. Cursor supports using your own OpenAI or Anthropic API key. This is recommended for privacy and can be cheaper at low usage.
Related reading
My verdict
Cursor is the best AI editor I have used. It is not perfect. It hallucinates. It costs money. It sends your code to third parties.
But the productivity gain is real. Tab completion that understands your whole codebase. Chat that answers questions with file references. Composer that refactors across multiple files. These are not gimmicks. They are meaningful improvements to how I write code.
I will keep using Cursor to build Flow. The time it saves me is worth the subscription and the privacy tradeoff. Your calculation may differ, and that is fine. Try the free tier and decide for yourself.