
Claude Code
GitHub Copilot
Windsurf Editor
Google Antigravity
warp by spolu
Lovable
replit
The AI-first Code Editor. Build software faster in an editor designed for pair-programming with AI.

Fences
Start Menu X
Start Menu Reviver
Open Shell
StartAllBack
Power8
StartIsBack
Classic Shell was developed for Windows 8 since that was the first version of the popular operating system to forgo the iconic Start menu.

Which is more popular?
Based on our record, Classic Shell should be more popular than Cursor. It has been mentioned 18 times since March 2021.
Website, pricing, platforms and company facts side by side.
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| Website | cursor.com | classicshell.net |
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What each product offers, as listed by its team.


Possible disadvantages
Possible disadvantages
An editorial look at what each product does well and who it suits.


Overall verdict
Why this product is good
Recommended for
Cursor is recommended for small to medium-sized businesses looking for an efficient customer relationship management (CRM) solution. It's ideal for teams that need an integrated system to manage customer interactions, support operations, and sales tracking.
Overall verdict
Why this product is good
Recommended for
Classic Shell is recommended for users who miss the classic Windows Start menu and layout, those who find the new Windows designs less intuitive, and individuals who want more control over their interface customization. It's particularly suitable for people transitioning from older Windows versions to newer ones who wish to maintain a certain level of familiarity.
Walkthroughs and reviews on video.
Why I QUIT VS Code for Cursor AI (Honest Review + Beginner Tutorial)
More videos
Classic Shell with Windows 10!
More videos
How often each product is chosen within a category, 0–100% relative to the other.


Share your experience with using Cursor and Classic Shell. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
External articles and on-site reviews we used to compare the two products.


Cursor AI integrates advanced AI capabilities through OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Claude. This integration allows Cursor AI to offer intelligent code suggestions, automated error detection, and dynamic code optimization.
The gap between Cursor and Windsurf is narrow and closing fast. While Cursor wins for now based on slightly better overall results and stability, Windsurf's rapid development and polished experience make it a...
Cursor's tab completion is pretty wild. It'll suggest multiple lines of code, and it's looking at your whole project to make those suggestions. For TypeScript and Python files - when Tab suggests an unimported symbol,...
We have no reviews of Classic Shell yet. Be the first one to post
Recommendations tracked on public social media and blogs since March 2021.


Cursor has spent the past week in headlines after confirming a partnership with SpaceX that could eventually lead to a $60 billion acquisition. The deal, for now, centres on training more capable coding models using SpaceX’s compute... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
The step up from there is an editor with a built-in agent like Cursor, Google Antigravity, Windsurf, or VS Code with a coding extension. These are code editors with an AI agent living inside them, and the difference is the responsible... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
Where llms.txt genuinely gets read is a different layer: coding and agent tooling — Cursor, Claude Code, GitHub Copilot, Windsurf — pulling a documentation site's pages with less token waste, plus emerging agent protocols like OpenAI's... - Source: dev.to / 3 months ago
There's a great add-on called... ClassicShell http://classicshell.net/. - Source: Hacker News / almost 3 years ago
Windows Classic Shell is what I have used for over a decade. It brings back the old start menu and can be customized. Source: over 3 years ago
ClassicShell is no longer being developed. OpenShell succeeded it. (c.f., http://classicshell.net/). Source: almost 4 years ago
When comparing Cursor and Classic Shell, you can also consider the following products.

Transform hours of debugging into seconds with a single command. Experience coding at thought-speed with Claude's AI that understands your entire codebase—no more context switching, just breakthrough results.
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Keep your desktop organized with Fences. This is a simple software program that allows you to sort the tabs on your desktop and create files that are easily recognizable to you.
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Your AI pair programmer. With GitHub Copilot, get suggestions for whole lines or entire functions right inside your editor.
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Start Menu X with Start Button. Power users know how inconvenient and time-consuming it is to launch programs from the system menu.
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Tomorrow's editor, today. Windsurf Editor is the first AI agent-powered IDE that keeps developers in the flow. Available today on Mac, Windows, and Linux.
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Free Download! Recover and update your computer with Driver Reviver and Registry Reviver. Easily update software, unlock new functionality and remove hardware device errors and clean, repair and optimize your registry in a few simple mouse clicks!
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