Cursor
Cursor is a code editor built from the ground up for AI-assisted development. Based on VS Code, it adds powerful AI features: chat with your codebase, AI autocomplete, inline edits, and the ability to generate entire files from natural language descriptions.
How to Get the Most Out of Cursor
Chat with Your Entire Codebase to Understand Unfamiliar Code
Open a large repository you're new to, press Cmd+L to open the AI chat, and ask "Explain the overall architecture of this project" or "How does authentication work here?" Cursor indexes your codebase and gives answers with direct references to specific files and line numbers. This turns hours of manual code reading into a 5-minute orientation.
Use Inline Edit (Cmd+K) to Refactor Code Without Switching Context
Select any block of code, press Cmd+K, and describe the change: "Refactor this to use async/await instead of callbacks" or "Add error handling and TypeScript types." Cursor shows a diff of the proposed changes inline — you accept or reject with one keypress. This is dramatically faster than writing the refactored code yourself or copying to a chat window.
Generate Boilerplate from a Natural Language Spec
In a new file, press Cmd+L and describe what you need: "Create a React component for a data table with sorting, pagination, and a search input. Use Tailwind for styling." Cursor generates the complete component with props, state management, and handlers. Use @filename references to ensure the new code follows patterns from existing files in your project.
Our Take
Cursor is the best AI coding tool for developers who work in a full codebase rather than isolated snippets — the codebase-aware chat and inline editing are genuinely better than anything GitHub Copilot or Tabnine offer. The $20/month price is easy to justify if it saves even a few hours of development time per month. For simpler autocomplete needs or if you're deeply invested in GitHub workflows, Copilot integrates more natively. Bolt.new is better for greenfield prototyping; Cursor wins for ongoing development work.
Frequently Asked Questions
✓ Pros
- Best AI coding experience available
- Chat with your entire codebase
- Built on familiar VS Code foundation
- Inline AI editing and generation
- Supports all major languages
✗ Cons
- Internet required for AI features
- Pro plan needed for heavy use
- Coding-only tool
- Some users prefer native VS Code