VS Code VS Cursor

Compare VS Code VS Cursor and see what are their differences

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VS Code

Build and debug modern web and cloud applications, by Microsoft

Cursor

The AI-first Code Editor. Build software faster in an editor designed for pair-programming with AI.

Landing page //
2024-10-09

Landing page //
2025-02-04

VS Code

Website: code.visualstudio.com
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Cursor

Website: cursor.com
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VS Code features and specs

Cross-platform
VS Code works on Windows, macOS, and Linux, providing a consistent development experience across different operating systems.
Extensibility
A vast library of extensions allows users to add functionalities like debuggers, linters, and themes, making it highly customizable.
Integrated Git
Built-in Git integration makes it easy to manage version control tasks directly within the editor.
Performance
Lightweight compared to full-fledged IDEs, ensuring good performance even on systems with limited resources.
IntelliSense
Advanced code completion and refactoring tools help improve coding efficiency and reduce errors.
Community Support
A strong and active community provides extensive support, tutorials, and third-party extensions.
Debugging
Robust debugging tools for various languages and frameworks are available out of the box.
Free and Open-Source
VS Code is completely free to use and open-source, which is beneficial for both individual developers and organizations.

Possible disadvantages of VS Code

Limited IDE Features
While extensible, it may lack some advanced features found in dedicated IDEs out of the box.
Extension Management
Managing and configuring a large number of extensions can become cumbersome and sometimes lead to performance issues.
Learning Curve
Although user-friendly, it has a steeper learning curve for beginners due to its numerous features and customization options.
Memory Usage
Despite being lightweight, it can consume a significant amount of memory when multiple extensions are installed.
Update Frequency
Frequent updates may sometimes introduce bugs or require users to adapt to new changes quickly.
Internet Dependency
Some features and extensions may require an internet connection to function optimally.
Telemetry
By default, VS Code collects usage data, which might be a concern for users sensitive about data privacy. However, this can be disabled.

Cursor features and specs

User-Friendly Interface
Cursor offers an intuitive and easy-to-navigate interface, making it accessible for users of all tech backgrounds.
Comprehensive Analytics
Provides robust analytics tools that allow users to gain insights and make data-driven decisions effectively.
Integration Capabilities
Easily integrates with a wide range of third-party applications, enhancing its functionality and usability.
Customizability
Offers customization options that allow users to tailor the platform to meet their specific needs and requirements.
Real-Time Collaboration
Facilitates real-time collaboration among team members, improving communication and productivity.

Possible disadvantages of Cursor

Cost
May be expensive for small businesses or individual users, which could limit accessibility.
Complex Setup
Initial setup and configuration can be complex and time-consuming, requiring technical expertise.
Learning Curve
Despite its user-friendly interface, some advanced features may have a steep learning curve.
Dependence on Integrations
While integrations are a strength, the platform's full potential might only be realized if used with specific third-party tools.
Privacy Concerns
Users might have privacy concerns regarding data handling, especially when integrated with numerous external services.

Analysis of VS Code

Overall verdict

Yes, VS Code is generally considered a good choice for developers due to its flexibility, efficiency, and strong community support. It is lightweight, fast, and user-friendly, catering to both novice and experienced developers.

Why this product is good

VS Code, developed by Microsoft, is a widely popular and versatile code editor. It offers a robust extension ecosystem, which allows developers to customize their workflow and coding environment extensively. Additionally, VS Code supports numerous programming languages right out of the box and provides features like IntelliSense, debugging, Git integration, and a built-in terminal, making it a powerful tool for developers.

Recommended for

Web developers looking for a comprehensive yet lightweight coding environment.
Software developers who need an editor with extensive language support and customization options.
Beginner programmers who would benefit from a feature-rich editor that can grow with their skills.
Developers interested in an open-source tool with continuous updates and community-driven enhancements.

Analysis of Cursor

Overall verdict

Cursor is a valuable tool for businesses seeking to streamline their customer management processes. It is particularly praised for its ease of use, flexible features, and ability to enhance productivity by automating repetitive tasks.

Why this product is good

Cursor (cursor.com) is considered a good platform because it offers users a robust framework for managing customer interactions and data. It integrates well with other software solutions, provides intuitive user interfaces, and comes with analytical tools that help in making informed business decisions.

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.

VS Code videos

+ Add

My New Favorite Text Editor - Visual Studio Code

Cursor videos

+ Add

Why I QUIT VS Code for Cursor AI (Honest Review + Beginner Tutorial)

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to VS Code and Cursor)

VS Code

Cursor

Text Editors

100 100%

Text Editors

0% 0

0 0%

100% 100

IDE

100 100%

IDE

0% 0

Developer Tools

93 93%

Developer Tools

7% 7

User comments

Share your experience with using VS Code and Cursor. For example, how are they different and which one is better?

Reviews

These are some of the external sources and on-site user reviews we've used to compare VS Code and Cursor

VS Code Reviews

dksinden

· Working at SpeechKit · over 5 years ago

Boost Your Productivity with These Top Text Editors and IDEs

Visual Studio Code, commonly known as VS Code, is a powerful and extensible code editor developed by Microsoft. With its rich ecosystem of extensions and features like IntelliSense, debugging, and Git integration, VS Code enhances your coding productivity.

Source: convesio.com

13 Best Text Editors to Speed up Your Workflow

Finally, the Visual Studio Code website has numerous tabs for you to learn about the software. The documentation page walks you through steps like the setup and working with different languages. You’re also able to check out some tips and tricks and learn all of the Visual Studio Code keyboard shortcuts. Along with a blog, updates page, extensions library and API...

Source: kinsta.com

Jupyter Notebook & 10 Alternatives: Data Notebook Review [2023]

Previously, VS Code was more suited to developers or engineers due to its lack of data analysis capabilities, but since 2020, the VS Code team has collaborated with the Jupyter team to create an integrated notebook within VS Code. The end result is a fantastic IDE workbook for data analysis.

Source: lakefs.io

The Best IDEs for Java Development: A Comparative Analysis

Overview: Although not a traditional IDE, VS Code has gained popularity as a lightweight code editor.

Source: dev.to

20 Best Diff Tools to Compare File Contents on Linux

Visual studio code is a code editor made by Microsoft. It supports several development operations like debugging, task running, and version control. It works on Linux, macOS and Windows operating systems.

Source: linuxopsys.com

Cursor Reviews

Cursor vs Windsurf vs GitHub Copilot

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 compelling alternative that could easily take the lead with a few refinements. If you want to really push the boundaries of what AI can do for your coding, Cursor is...

Source: www.builder.io

Cursor vs GitHub Copilot

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, Cursor will auto-import it to your current file. Plus, it even tries to guess where you're going to edit next.

Source: www.builder.io

Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, VS Code seems to be a lot more popular than Cursor. While we know about 1146 links to VS Code, we've tracked only 3 mentions of Cursor. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

VS Code mentions (1146)

What Are the Best Code Editors for Collaborative Coding?
Visual Studio Code is a highly popular, lightweight, and versatile code editor. Its Live Share extension transforms it into a powerful collaborative tool. With Live Share, developers can co-edit and co-debug codes in real-time, making it easier to handle complex projects together. It offers:. - Source: dev.to / 16 days ago
Before the Code: Why I Chose Web Development and How I Got Started
Built-in terminal (you’ll love this later) Download it here. - Source: dev.to / 18 days ago
#The Chronicles of Sam: 10,000 Hours to Say “Hi” Automatically 💬
Somewhere between enabling CORS and accidentally enabling IAM authentication, Sam backed out slowly and did what all developers eventually do when faced with AWS UI: They closed the tab and opened [VSCode 🖥️].(https://code.visualstudio.com/). - Source: dev.to / 23 days ago
Build Python Docker Development Environment on Win11 from Scratch
Download VSCode through the following URL Https://code.visualstudio.com/. - Source: dev.to / 30 days ago
How to Handle File Uploads with Node.js and Express - Multer Edition
A text editor or lightweight IDE such as Visual Studio Code. - Source: dev.to / 30 days ago

Cursor mentions (3)

AI user interface patterns
In the wild: Code assistance plug-ins in IDEs (such as Genie AI, Amazon Q, CodeGPT, Codeium and Llama Coder) and dedicated IDEs (such as Cursor). Email and text message completion, as seen in Gmail, LinkedIn messaging and Apple Messages. - Source: dev.to / 8 months ago
TailwindCSS: A Game-Changer for AI-Driven Code Generation and Design Systems
Tools like Cursor are taking this to the next level. Cursor is an AI-powered code editor that integrates seamlessly with frameworks like TailwindCSS, allowing developers to generate code snippets, refactor existing code, and even get explanations about complex codebases. When used in conjunction with TailwindCSS, Cursor can significantly speed up the development process, suggesting appropriate utility classes and... - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago
What is this reality where everyone can build an app
We’ve been talking for a while about how neural networks will replace (and are replacing, to some extent) developers. This change is expected in the foreseeable future — not tomorrow, as NVIDIA’s CEO might hope, but I bet I’ll witness it in my lifetime. Twenty years ago, website creation required a skillset possessed by a small circle of people. Now, we’re seeing that virtually anyone can build a basic app with... - Source: dev.to / 9 months ago

What are some alternatives?

When comparing VS Code and Cursor, you can also consider the following products

Sublime Text - Sublime Text is a sophisticated text editor for code, html and prose - any kind of text file. You'll love the slick user interface and extraordinary features. Fully customizable with macros, and syntax highlighting for most major languages.

GitHub Copilot - Your AI pair programmer. With GitHub Copilot, get suggestions for whole lines or entire functions right inside your editor.

Vim - Highly configurable text editor built to enable efficient text editing

Windsurf Editor - 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.

Notepad++ - A free source code editor which supports several programming languages running under the MS Windows environment.

Onuro AI - The Apple of Code Assistants

Sublime Text vs VS Code

Sublime Text vs Cursor

GitHub Copilot vs VS Code

GitHub Copilot vs Cursor

Vim vs VS Code

Vim vs Cursor

Windsurf Editor vs VS Code

Windsurf Editor vs Cursor

Notepad++ vs VS Code

Notepad++ vs Cursor