Cursor Editor Review: Is the AI IDE Worth It?

Cursor is a fork of VS Code built around AI as a first-class feature rather than a bolt-on extension. After using it as a daily driver, here's the honest assessment: it's genuinely good at some things, over-eager at others, and worth trying if AI-assisted coding is central to how you work.

What it gets right

The killer feature is multi-file editing driven by natural language. You describe a change — "add a settings page and wire it into the nav" — and Cursor proposes edits across several files that you review and apply. Because it's a VS Code fork, your extensions, keybindings, and themes come along.

The inline "edit selection" flow is also excellent: highlight code, describe the change, get a diff. It's faster than copy-pasting into a chat window.

Where it falls short

It can be over-eager, rewriting more than you asked for. Review diffs carefully.
On very large codebases, context selection matters — you sometimes need to point it at the right files.
It's another subscription on top of tools you may already pay for.

Cursor vs a standard editor + Copilot

Factor	Cursor	VS Code + Copilot
Multi-file AI edits	Native, strong	Limited
Inline completion	Yes	Yes (Copilot)
Familiar VS Code base	Yes (fork)	Yes (original)
Extra subscription	Yes	Copilot sub
Best for	AI-first workflows	Incremental AI help

Who it's for

If you already think in terms of "describe the change, review the diff," Cursor removes friction. If you mostly want smart autocomplete and occasional chat, VS Code with Copilot covers that at lower switching cost.

Pricing note

Cursor offers a free tier and paid plans (roughly $20/month USD for the Pro tier at the time of writing). Verify current pricing on their site, since AI tool pricing changes often — that's exactly the kind of detail worth double-checking before you commit a team budget.

FAQ

Is Cursor just VS Code with Copilot?

No. It's a VS Code fork with deeper, native AI integration — especially multi-file edits — rather than AI delivered through an extension.

Will my VS Code extensions work?

Most do, since Cursor is built on VS Code. Check any that rely on the Marketplace specifically.

Is it safe for proprietary code?

Review the privacy and data-retention settings, and check your company policy. Like all cloud AI tools, code is processed remotely by default.

Can I try it before paying?

Yes, there's a free tier that's enough to evaluate the core workflow before upgrading.

The verdict

Cursor is the strongest AI-first editor available right now, and the multi-file edit flow is a real productivity gain if you adopt its workflow. It's not a must-switch if you're happy with VS Code plus Copilot, but it's absolutely worth a free-tier trial. Just review every diff — the same power that makes it fast makes it capable of changing more than you intended.