{"id":160361,"date":"2026-10-23T14:38:51","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T14:38:51","guid":{"rendered":"\/tutorials\/?p=160361"},"modified":"2026-10-23T14:38:54","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T14:38:54","slug":"cursor-vs-vs-code","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"\/tutorials\/cursor-vs-vs-code\/","title":{"rendered":"Cursor vs VS Code: which AI code editor should you choose?"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the Cursor vs. VS Code decision, Cursor is the better choice if you want an editor built around AI agents from the ground up, and VS Code if you want a free, open-source editor where you pick your own AI tools.<\/p>

Both run capable AI agents and support many of the same leading AI models. Cursor bundles the editor, agents, and its own AI models into one subscription starting $20<\/strong>\/month. VS Code is free; the AI comes from GitHub Copilot, Claude Code, or any provider you connect to.<\/p>

The two tools share a codebase: Cursor forked VS Code (copied its open-source code to build a separate product), which is why they feel familiar side by side. Nine differences drive the choice between them: AI agents, codebase context, multi-file editing, autocomplete, extensions, customization, pricing, privacy, and team use.<\/p>

Cursor vs. VS Code at a glance<\/h2>

The main difference between Cursor and VS Code is that Cursor is a single product that covers the editor, agents, and models on a single subscription, while VS Code is a free editor with an AI layer that is separate and entirely yours to choose.<\/p>

Criterion<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Cursor<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

VS Code<\/strong><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Price<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Free version available; paid from <\/span>$20<\/strong>\/month<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Free; Copilot from <\/span>$10<\/strong>\/month<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

AI agents<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Built-in Agent, cloud agents, Automations<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Copilot, Claude, and Codex in one Agent Sessions view<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

First-party models<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Composer 2.5, Grok 4.6, Grok 4.7<\/span><\/p><\/td>

MAI-Code-1.1-Flash<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Autocomplete<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Cursor Tab: predicts next edit<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Copilot inline and next-edit suggestions<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Extensions<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Open VSX registry<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Microsoft Marketplace, 80,000+ extensions<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Privacy<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Privacy Mode: code not used for training<\/span><\/p><\/td>

No training on Business and Enterprise; individual plans must opt out<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Team plans<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Teams from <\/span>$40<\/strong>\/user\/month<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Copilot Business <\/span>$19<\/strong>\/user\/month<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr>

Best for<\/strong><\/p><\/td>

Integrated, agent-first development<\/span><\/p><\/td>

Flexible AI setup, free for any workflow<\/span><\/p><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>

Most developers evaluating AI assistants for writing and editing code<\/a> focus mainly on agents and pricing. The differences run deeper than the table suggests, because both editors are built on the same code.<\/p>

Is Cursor the same as VS Code?<\/h2>

No. Cursor is a commercial fork of VS Code’s open-source codebase. It looks and works like VS Code on the surface, but uses its own AI system, extension marketplace, and pricing model.<\/p>

Cursor’s team took VS Code’s source code, which Microsoft publishes under an open-source license (the MIT license), and rebuilt the AI layer and extension marketplace on top of the same editing engine.<\/p>

Because Cursor started from VS Code’s code, the two feel nearly identical to use. The keyboard shortcuts are the same, and Cursor imports your existing VS Code settings and extensions on first launch.<\/p>

Cursor is not replacing VS Code. Both are actively maintained, and Cursor regularly pulls in VS Code’s editor updates.<\/p>

Cursor’s parent company, Anysphere, became part of SpaceX in August 2026. SpaceX’s AI division (formerly xAI) develops the Grok models that now appear in Cursor’s model picker alongside Claude and GPT.<\/p>

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Already using VS Code? When you first open Cursor, go to Settings → Import VS Code Settings to carry over your extensions, keyboard shortcuts, and preferences in one step.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/p>

What is Cursor?<\/h2>

Cursor is a code editor by Anysphere, built on VS Code’s open-source codebase, that adds a built-in AI agent system on top of the standard editing experience.<\/p>

The central feature is the agent: you describe what to build, and it reads the codebase, writes a plan, edits files, runs terminal commands, and keeps going until the code’s automated tests pass.<\/p>

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