Cursor is an AI-first code editor built as a fork of VS Code. It adds deeply integrated AI features — Tab autocomplete (next-edit prediction), Composer (multi-file agent), inline Cmd+K edits, and Cmd+L chat — while keeping all your VS Code extensions, themes, and keybindings. It launched in 2023 and is made by Anysphere.

Is Cursor free to use?

Cursor has a free Hobby tier with 2,000 Tab completions and 50 slow premium model requests per month. The Pro plan ($20/mo) gives unlimited Tab completions and 500 fast premium model requests. Business ($40/user/mo) adds team management and privacy controls with zero data retention.

What models does Cursor use?

Cursor supports Claude (Anthropic), GPT-4o (OpenAI), Gemini (Google), and smaller models like cursor-small for fast autocomplete. You can switch models per-session in Settings. Pro users get credits for claude-sonnet-4-6, gpt-4o, and gemini-2.5-pro requests.

How is Cursor different from GitHub Copilot?

Cursor is a full IDE fork of VS Code, not an extension. Its Composer can plan and execute multi-file changes autonomously, while Copilot works file-by-file. Cursor lets you choose your model (Claude, GPT-4o, Gemini); Copilot uses OpenAI models only. Cursor costs $20/mo (Pro) vs Copilot's $10/mo, but Cursor's context window (200k with Claude) is 3x larger.

What is a .cursorrules file?

A .cursorrules file in your project root acts as a persistent system prompt for all AI interactions in that repo. Use it to set your stack, code conventions, naming patterns, and rules. It's injected automatically into every Composer and Chat session for that project.

Cursor AI Coding 10 min read

Cursor AI Guide 2025: The AI-First Code Editor

Q: What is Cursor Composer?

Composer (Cmd+I on Mac, Ctrl+I on Windows) is Cursor's multi-file AI agent. You describe what you want, and Composer reads your codebase, creates or edits multiple files, and shows a diff for you to review. It can run terminal commands too. Composer is what separates Cursor from a simple autocomplete extension.

Cursor is a VS Code fork with deeply integrated AI — Tab next-edit prediction, Composer multi-file agent, and 200k-token codebase context. Here's everything you need to know to get started and get the most out of it.

What Is Cursor AI?

Cursor is an AI-native code editor made by Anysphere. It's a fork of VS Code — meaning it runs all VS Code extensions and keeps your keybindings, themes, and settings — but adds AI features baked in at the IDE level:

Tab — next-edit prediction that autocompletes not just the line but the logical next change
Cmd+K — inline AI edit within the current file (highlight code, describe what to change)
Cmd+L — AI chat with full codebase context using @ symbols (@file, @folder, @docs, @git)
Composer (Cmd+I) — autonomous multi-file agent that plans, edits, and runs commands

Cursor launched in 2023 and grew to over 500,000 developers by 2025. It's particularly popular among TypeScript, Python, and full-stack web developers.

Setting Up Cursor

Download from cursor.com (Mac, Windows, or Linux)
On first launch, click Import VS Code Settings — transfers extensions, themes, and keybindings instantly
Create a free Cursor account (required for AI features)
Go to Settings → Models to choose Claude, GPT-4o, or another model
Open any file — Tab completions start immediately

Migration tip: Cursor and VS Code can run side-by-side. Switch for AI-heavy tasks; keep VS Code for anything that needs a specific extension Cursor doesn't support yet. Settings sync keeps them in parity.

Key Features Explained

Tab — Next-Edit Prediction

Tab doesn't just autocomplete the current line — it predicts your next logical edit. If you rename a variable, it predicts all the downstream changes. Press Tab to accept, Escape to dismiss. It runs on cursor-small by default (fast and free).

Shortcut: Tab (accept) / Escape (dismiss) / Alt+\ (trigger manually)

Composer — Multi-File AI Agent

Composer (Cmd+I) is Cursor's most powerful feature. You describe a task — "add authentication to this Express app using JWT" — and Composer reads your codebase, creates or edits multiple files, and shows a diff. You review each change before accepting. Composer can also run terminal commands.

Best for: new features, refactors, adding tests, migrations. Uses 1 premium request per session.

Cmd+L Chat — Contextual AI Chat

The chat panel supports @ context references: @file (attach a file), @folder (entire directory), @docs (fetch + index external docs), @git (recent commits and diffs), @web (web search). Use these to give Claude or GPT-4o full context about your project.

Shortcut: Cmd+L (Mac) / Ctrl+L (Windows)

Cmd+K — Inline Edit

Highlight any code, press Cmd+K, describe the change in plain English ("make this async", "add error handling", "convert to TypeScript"). The edit happens inline with a diff you can accept or undo.

Shortcut: Cmd+K (Mac) / Ctrl+K (Windows)

Connecting Claude, GPT-4o, and Other Models

Go to Settings → Models to configure which models Cursor uses. Available options include:

Model	Provider	Best For
claude-sonnet-4-6	Anthropic	Coding, reasoning, 200k context
gpt-4o	OpenAI	General tasks, multimodal
gemini-2.5-pro	Google	Long context (1M tokens)
cursor-small	Cursor	Fast Tab completions (free)

You can also bring your own API key under Settings → API Keys to use models outside Cursor's included credits.

Using .cursorrules for Project Context

Create a .cursorrules file in your project root to set a persistent system prompt for all AI interactions in that repo. It's injected automatically into every Composer and Chat session.

Example: .cursorrules for a TypeScript + React project

.cursorrules example for a TypeScript + React project:
You are a senior TypeScript + React engineer.
Always use functional components with typed props.
Prefer named exports. Use Tailwind for styling.
Never use 'any' type. Prefer 'unknown' with type guards.
Test with Vitest + Testing Library.

Good .cursorrules files are concise (under 500 words) and cover: language/framework, code style, testing framework, naming conventions, and any anti-patterns to avoid.

Cursor Pricing (2025)

Plan	Price	Included
Hobby	Free	2,000 Tab completions/mo, 50 slow premium requests
Pro	$20/mo	Unlimited Tab, 500 fast premium requests, all models
Business	$40/user/mo	Everything in Pro + zero data retention, team admin, SSO

"Fast" premium requests use the full model at full speed. "Slow" requests queue behind other users. For most developers, Pro ($20/mo) is the sweet spot.

Cursor vs VS Code + GitHub Copilot

Feature	Cursor Pro	VS Code + Copilot
Price	$20/mo	$10/mo
Multi-file agent	✅ Composer	⚠ Copilot Workspace (GitHub.com)
Model choice	✅ Claude/GPT-4o/Gemini	❌ GPT-4o only
Context window	200k (Claude)	64k
JetBrains support	❌	✅
.cursorrules / custom context	✅	⚠ .github/copilot-instructions.md

Choose Cursor if you want the most powerful agentic AI coding experience. Choose Copilot if you use JetBrains IDEs or need the lower price point with good single-file completions.

Pro Tips for Better Results

Always add a .cursorrules file: Even 5 lines of context dramatically improves Composer output. Include your stack, testing framework, and any naming conventions.
Use @ references in chat: Instead of pasting code, use @file or @folder — Cursor indexes the full file and keeps the chat panel clean.
Review Composer diffs carefully: Composer is powerful but can over-engineer. Use the diff view to accept individual file changes, not just "Accept All".
Switch models by task: Claude for complex reasoning and long refactors; cursor-small for quick Tab suggestions; GPT-4o for data analysis and multi-modal tasks.
Monitor Cursor uptime: If AI features stop working, check Cursor status at Prismix — outages are usually resolved within an hour.

Monitor Cursor Availability

Cursor's AI features depend on both Cursor's infrastructure and the underlying model providers (Anthropic, OpenAI). Track all of them in one place and get instant email alerts when something goes down.

Monitor Cursor Status Free →