Cursor
A VS Code fork that puts AI editing front and centre — and imports your existing setup.
Cursor forks VS Code and promotes AI features into the core workflow. Because it keeps most VS Code extensions, keymaps, and settings, the cost of switching is low.
Install
brew install --cask cursor
On first launch it offers to import your VS Code setup — extensions, theme, and key bindings come across.
Three features that matter
| Feature | Key | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Inline edit | ⌘K / Ctrl+K | Change the selection from a plain-language instruction |
| Chat | ⌘L / Ctrl+L | Ask questions about the code |
| Agent mode | Toggle in the chat panel | Make changes across several files |
Inline edit is the one you’ll use most
Select the code, press ⌘K, and say “turn this loop into a map and add a null check.”
The change appears as a diff for you to accept or reject.
Specifying context
In chat, @ selects what it should look at.
| Input | Meaning |
|---|---|
@filename | A specific file |
@folder | A whole folder |
@Codebase | Search the repository |
@Docs | Registered library documentation |
@Web | Web search results |
Narrower context is more accurate. Naming two or three relevant files usually beats
reaching for @Codebase out of habit.
Project rules
Add .cursor/rules/ to the repository and the rules apply to every request.
---
description: Shared project rules
alwaysApply: true
---
- State management is Zustand. Do not introduce Redux.
- Component files are PascalCase; hooks use the `use` prefix.
- Styling is Tailwind utilities only. Do not create new CSS files.
Compared to the others
| Copilot | Cursor | Claude Code | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form | Extension | Editor | Terminal / extension |
| Strength | Inline suggestion speed | Editing UX, diff review | Autonomous multi-file work |
| Switching cost | None | Low (settings import) | None (keep your editor) |
If you must pick one, pick by the shape of your work. Heavy typing favours Copilot; wanting to eyeball every diff favours Cursor; handing over whole tasks favours Claude Code.
A caution
Cursor trails VS Code releases, so the newest VS Code features can arrive late. Worth checking if your team has a standard editor.
Next
When code can’t leave your machine → Ollama
Last updated 19 Aug 2026, 00:00 UTC.