Complete Guide to Cursor (2026)

Cursor is an AI-focused code editor made by Anysphere. A code editor is the application where a developer opens project files, reads code, makes changes, and runs the project. Cursor grew out of Visual Studio Code (VS Code), the popular free editor from Microsoft that many developers already use, which is why it looks familiar on first launch.

Its importance comes from how deeply AI sits inside that familiar workspace. Cursor began with suggestions that appeared while you typed, then added tools for changing several files, agents that can run commands, and cloud agents that work away from your laptop. That progression helped turn it into one of the names people mention first when discussing AI-assisted programming.

Cursor	At a Glance
Made by	Anysphere
Built from	VS Code's open-source core
Known for	Tab, Composer, Agent, Grok Bot
Best fit	Our #1 AI coding tool overall
Starting price	Free Hobby plan

How Cursor Got Here

Anysphere was founded in 2022 by Michael Truell, Sualeh Asif, Arvid Lunnemark, and Aman Sanger, who met at MIT. In October 2023, TechCrunch described Cursor as the company's AI-native software-development environment and a fork of VS Code.

A fork is a new product built from a copy of an existing codebase whose source is published for anyone to reuse (open source). Microsoft publishes the core of VS Code under an open-source licence, so Anysphere could begin with a proven editor layout and build a separate product around AI.

That decision removed a large part of the switching cost. Developers already knew its sidebar list of files, searchable menu of commands, keyboard shortcuts, themes, and add-on layout. An extension is an add-on that gives an editor another capability, such as support for a programming language or a connection to a service.

Cursor first became known for Tab completion. The editor watches the nearby code and predicts the next useful edit, which may cover several lines or carry a repeated change into another location. The developer presses Tab to accept or keeps typing to ignore it.

Composer expanded the idea from predicting the next edit to coordinating a larger request across files. Agent Mode went further by letting the AI search, edit, run terminal commands, read errors, and continue. This was the point where Cursor began to feel like a workspace for directing work as well as writing code.

Cursor's February 2026 account of its own progression describes a move from Tab to interactive agents and then to cloud agents. The company says cloud agents can run on separate remote computers, tackle longer jobs, and return evidence such as logs and live previews for review.

This product history explains the current interface. Tab handles the next edit while you stay in the file. Composer and Agent handle a larger local task. Cloud agents take work away from the local computer. A beginner can learn these in that order instead of treating every button as part of one complicated AI feature.

What Cursor Is

Cursor is a complete editor, so it can replace VS Code for many workflows. It opens a repository, often shortened to repo, which is a project folder containing code, supporting files, and the recorded history of changes.

The editor keeps ordinary programming tools around the AI. You can browse files, search text, open a terminal, review the project's recorded changes, install extensions, and pause a running program to inspect an error. The AI tools can see the code surrounding your task and can propose edits inside the same window.

A terminal is a text-based window for typing commands. Cursor includes one because many projects use commands to start the app, run tests, or create a release. Agent Mode can run those commands for you. A beginner should keep the setting that asks for approval before each command until those commands are familiar.

Cursor also offers access to several AI model families. A model is the underlying AI system that reads the request and produces the response. Cursor provides access to its own models and models from other companies, while the plan and current account determine which choices appear.

Getting Started

Start with one project you already understand. A small personal site, a class exercise, or a copy of a simple app is better than an unfamiliar live business project. You need enough context to recognise when Cursor found the right file and when its suggestion has wandered.

This local walkthrough requires project files on your computer. If your site exists only inside Shopify, WordPress.com, or another hosted service, use that service's export or repository instructions before continuing. Without a safe local copy, use that hosted service's own editing tools instead.

Install Without Removing VS Code

1. Download Cursor from cursor.com and run the installer.
2. Choose the setup option to import your VS Code settings if you already use VS Code.
3. Keep VS Code installed while you test the extensions that matter to your work.
4. Sign in to Cursor and begin on the free Hobby plan unless you already need a paid feature.

Imported settings can include keybindings, snippets, themes, and extensions. A keybinding connects a keyboard shortcut to an action. A snippet is a saved piece of text or code that the editor can insert for you.

Cursor uses VS Code's open-source core, although some Microsoft proprietary extensions can be exceptions. Keep the old editor until you have opened the debugger, remote-access tools, and sign-in extensions your project depends on. Your project files remain ordinary files either way.

Open a Project You Know

1. Duplicate the project folder with Finder on macOS or File Explorer on Windows so your first trial uses a copy.
2. In Cursor, choose File, then Open Folder, and select that copied folder.
3. Open the Agent side panel with Ctrl+I, as shown in Cursor's official quickstart.
4. Select Ask mode and type: "Explain what this project does and tell me how to run it. Do not edit files or run commands."
5. Compare the answer with any README file (the project's own introduction document), course instructions, or notes supplied with the project.

If you still do not know how to run the project, pause before requesting an edit. Ask the person or service that supplied the files for the correct start instructions. The unchanged running project is your baseline, meaning the known state you will compare with Cursor's result.

Try One Visible Change

Give Cursor one task with an obvious result: "Change the home-page heading from Welcome to My Portfolio." Ask it to show the proposed change before applying anything else. This keeps the trial focused on finding one file and producing one visible result.

1. Keep the Agent side panel open and switch from Ask to Agent.
2. Type the exact visible result you want, then ask Cursor to show the proposed change.
3. Read the proposed diff before accepting it.
4. Run the project with the confirmed instructions and check the visible result.
5. Reject any unrelated file or package change.

A diff is the before-and-after view of changed text. Added and removed lines are marked so you can see what the AI proposes. The diff is more reliable than a summary because it shows the change that will reach the files.

How I Use Cursor

For a beginner, the useful part of Cursor is the simple loop: open a file, accept or reject a small Tab suggestion, and read the before-and-after view of any bigger change. That before-and-after view is called a diff, and reading it is the habit that keeps you in control.

My own documented Cursor use is a more advanced setup, and it is fine to skip this paragraph for now: I point Cursor's cloud agents at auto-deployed development environments, where the editor matters less than the handoff between a prompt, a running site, and the finished diff. I pair Cursor with Claude Code when a task needs a second plan or a separate review.

A development environment is a safe working version of a project used before a public release. A deployment copies a tested version to a server where it can run. Those terms describe the advanced workflow, but the review principle applies just as well to a beginner changing one local page: look at both the code change and the visible result.

The Main Cursor Tools

Cursor's names make more sense when you arrange them by task size. Tab helps with the next edit you are making. Chat and inline edit help with one question or selected area. Composer and Agent coordinate larger work, while cloud agents run a handed-off task on remote infrastructure.

Tool	Job Size	What You Review
Tab	Next edit	Suggested text
Inline edit	Selected area	Focused diff
Chat	Question or explanation	Answer and cited files
Composer	Several files	Multi-file diff
Agent	Multi-step task	Files and command output
Cloud agent	Remote handoff	Result and artifacts

Tab Completion

Tab completion predicts an edit while you type. It may finish a line, add several related lines, or suggest the same rename in the next likely place. Press Tab to accept the suggestion and Escape to dismiss it.

This is Cursor's lightest form of help because you remain in control of the file and see the suggestion where it will land. It is useful for repetitive work and familiar patterns. Read the whole proposed block when the suggestion crosses several lines.

Chat and Inline Edit

Chat answers questions about the project and can use the selected code as context. Context means the information the model can see while answering, such as the current file, selected lines, or other files you explicitly include.

Inline edit changes a selected section of code. On macOS, Cmd+K opens that flow; Windows uses Ctrl+K. Select the smallest area that owns the change, state the outcome, and inspect the focused diff.

Composer and Agent

Composer plans and coordinates changes that cross files. Agent can add command execution and continue after reading an error. The name agent describes software that can take a sequence of actions toward a goal instead of returning a single answer.

Start in Ask or Plan when you need an explanation first. Move to Agent only after the task, project area, and expected check are clear. Keep command approval enabled while you are learning what the project runs and which commands can affect data.

Cloud Agents

A cloud agent runs on a remote computer managed by Cursor. It receives a repository and a task, prepares an environment, works through the request, and returns a result for review. Your laptop does not need to carry the whole job.

Cursor's cloud-agent engineering notes explain that remote agents create extra work around environment setup, reliability, and orchestration. In plain language, the cloud computer must be taught how to install and run your project before the agent can produce a trustworthy result.

Cloud agents suit longer, clearly bounded work that can proceed without constant questions. They are a poor first choice for a project that only runs on your laptop or a task whose expected result is still unclear. Begin locally, then move a repeatable job to the cloud.

Grok Bot

Grok Bot is the reason Cursor now sits at the top of our AI coding tools ranking. It gives you AI teammates, called bots, that work on a persistent cloud Linux computer. The computer is assigned per user and shared between your bots, so a bot can install tools, keep files between sessions, sign in to services, and pick a longer job back up where it left off. In our daily use, that isolated shared machine simply works.

Access comes with the plan you may already pay for: Grok Bot is included with SuperGrok and paid Cursor plans, with usage allowances that scale by tier: Cursor's pricing page lists access from Pro while xAI's own eligibility list starts at Pro+, so confirm on your account. Subscriptions include weekly usage, and xAI does not publish the allowance size, so watch the meter during your first week before you build a routine around it.

Two limits shape how we actually use it. Grok Bot cannot use the browser on your own computer (its browser runs on the cloud machine, and it cannot reach localhost or private addresses) and the weekly usage cap is real. So we hand Grok Bot the bounded, delegable work and keep Claude Code or Codex for computer use, local browser control, and anything that must touch a machine you own. The right split of tasks between them is still settling, and that pairing is our current answer.

How Diffs and Approvals Work

Cursor's visual diff is one of the reasons people choose the editor. A multi-file change appears as a list of affected files with additions and removals. Review the file list first because an unexpected file often reveals scope drift (the agent wandering beyond the job you asked for) before you read every line.

Scope drift happens when the agent expands beyond the requested job. A small form fix may turn into a package update or a broad refactor (a rewrite of working code to change its structure). Reject the extra change and start a fresh, narrower session when the agent keeps pulling unrelated work into the diff.

Command approval is separate from file review. A command can run tests, start the project, install a package, or alter stored data. Read the command and its purpose before approving it, especially when it contains words such as delete, migrate, reset, deploy, or install.

Cursor earns trust one reviewed diff and one verified result at a time.

Models in Plain Language

Cursor is both an editor and a route to several AI models. The model affects how the agent reasons, how quickly it responds, and how much included usage a task consumes. A harder model can waste allowance on a heading change or a simple explanation.

Cursor also develops its own Composer models for software work. Its current product includes models from Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and SpaceXAI, although the exact picker depends on the plan and account. The working picker is the final source of truth for what you can select.

On July 8, 2026, Cursor announced Grok 4.5 with SpaceXAI. SpaceXAI's July 16 announcement said the model was available in Cursor on all plans with a limited free promotion. No end date was published, so check the current picker before budgeting around it.

Keep your first model comparison deliberately small and repeatable. Run the same known task with the default model, then change only the model and repeat. Compare the changed files, test result, time, and usage so you know which part of the setup produced the difference.

Pricing

Cursor's official pricing page, checked September 1, 2026, starts with a free Hobby plan and confirms Pro at $20 per month; Teams starts at $40 per user each month, and Enterprise uses custom pricing. The page now describes Pro+ and Ultra by their limit multiples (3x and 20x Pro) rather than published prices; the last figures Cursor published were $60 and $200, so confirm the current number in your account before budgeting. Paid tiers now also carry Grok Bot access with allowances that scale upward; Ultra advertises the highest Grok Bot usage limits.

Optional usage-based billing can continue agent work after the included allowance. That overage arrives in addition to the subscription, so set a spending cap before enabling it. Different models consume the allowance at different rates, which makes one person's number of tasks a poor budget for another person.

Plan	Price	Beginner Reading
Hobby	Free	Try the editor
Pro	$20/mo	Regular individual use
Pro+	3x Pro limits ($60 at last publish)	Heavier agent use
Ultra	20x Pro limits ($200 at last publish)	Agent-heavy work
Teams	From $40/user/mo	Shared administration
Enterprise	Custom	Large organizations

My first Cursor bill surprise came from leaving agent work on premium models and checking the usage dashboard a few days later: $60 gone. The work was useful, and I could not see the accumulating cost during the flow. I now set the cap before enabling on-demand usage.

My take: use Hobby to learn the interface and pay for Pro after the visual workflow saves time on a project you already understand. Pro+ and Ultra belong to measured agent usage. Vague tasks stay vague with a larger allowance.

Where Cursor Is Strong

Cursor's main advantage is continuity across the whole workspace. The file, AI conversation, diff, terminal, and running project can stay in one window. That reduces the work of copying code between a browser chatbot and an editor, and it makes the proposed change visible beside the surrounding project.

Tab completion remains useful because it meets you at the smallest possible unit of work. You can ignore a weak suggestion without opening a conversation. When a repeated edit is obvious, one accepted suggestion can remove several minutes of mechanical typing.

Composer and Agent are strongest on bounded changes that cross files. They can update a component and its test together, or trace a renamed value through related code. The visual file list makes that coordination easier to inspect than a long stream of terminal output.

The VS Code lineage also matters for adoption. A developer can keep familiar themes, shortcuts, and many extensions while learning the AI layer in stages. That is a smaller move than learning a new editor and a new agent workflow on the same day.

Where Cursor Needs Supervision

Cursor can produce a large amount of plausible code before you notice that it misunderstood the task. Agent speed makes review more important because a wrong assumption can spread across several files. Keep the task bounded and stop when the changed-file list grows beyond the expected area.

A Cursor forum report about Plan switching into Agent remained open when this page was checked in July 2026. For a read-only investigation, say "stay in Plan mode and do not edit files," then verify that no changed-file indicator appears in the sidebar before you continue.

Large repositories can also exceed the context selected for a session. Cursor may find a nearby pattern and miss a rule stored elsewhere. Use the context and rules guide after the basic workflow feels normal, and start a fresh session when the agent repeats a mistake.

Cursor is a weaker fit for someone who needs a platform to supply the hosting, database, and deployment as part of the same beginner experience. It edits project files well, but the editor does not remove the need to understand how the project runs and where it will be published.

Teams should test required extensions and account controls before replacing VS Code. The shared visual foundation does not guarantee that every proprietary Microsoft extension or organization policy will carry over. A one-project trial exposes those gaps without forcing the whole team to move.

Compare Cursor

The AI coding tools comparisons place Cursor beside the main alternatives:

• Cursor vs Claude Code compares editor-first work with task-first delegation.
• Cursor vs GitHub Copilot compares two editor assistants and their pricing.
• Cursor vs OpenCode compares commercial polish with an open-source agent.
• Cursor vs Codex compares visual local work with delegated cloud workflows.

The Verdict

Cursor is our number-one AI coding tool, full stop, not just the best editor. The editor half of that verdict is unchanged: AI woven into a familiar VS Code-style workspace, visual diffs worth reviewing, and a Tab-to-Agent learning path a beginner can climb. What settled the top spot is Grok Bot arriving on the same plans: one subscription now covers the editor you work in and the agents that work while you do something else. It converted the skeptics on our own team, including Mark Gates, who spent the year arguing for local models, moved his main workflow off VS Code and Copilot because of it, and now runs OpenCode on Grok Bot's shared VM.

Begin on Hobby with one known project, learn Tab before Agent, and pay for a paid tier when the workflow saves measurable time, then treat Grok Bot as the second half of the product. Its limits decide the rest of your stack: no browser on your own machine and a capped weekly allowance mean you still want Claude Code (our number two) or Codex (a close third) beside it for computer use and local control. A hosted building platform remains the better pick only when you need the database and deployment supplied for you.

FAQ

Is Cursor a version of VS Code?

Cursor is a separate editor from Anysphere that is built from VS Code's open-source foundation. The familiar file tree, shortcuts, themes, and extension support make the move easier, while Cursor adds its own AI tools throughout the editor.

Can a complete beginner use Cursor?

Yes, but Cursor still expects you to work with project files and understand whether a change is correct. Start with a small project you can run, use one visible task, and read the diff before accepting it. A hosted no-code platform may be easier if you also need hosting, a database, and deployment supplied for you.

What is the difference between Tab and Agent?

Tab predicts the next edit while you type and waits for you to accept it. Agent takes a written task, finds relevant files, proposes changes across the project, and can run commands. Tab feels like faster typing, while Agent feels like handing over a bounded job.

How much does Cursor cost?

Cursor's Hobby plan provides a free starting point, and Pro is $20 a month (confirmed against the official pricing page on September 1, 2026). Cursor now lists Pro+ and Ultra by limit multiples (3x and 20x Pro) rather than published prices; the last published figures were $60 and $200, so confirm in your account. Teams starts at $40 per user, Enterprise uses custom pricing, paid tiers carry Grok Bot access that scales by tier, and optional usage-based billing can add to the subscription.

Does Cursor work with VS Code extensions?

Cursor can import VS Code settings, keybindings, snippets, themes, and many extensions because it is built on VS Code's open-source core. Some Microsoft proprietary extensions can be exceptions, so keep VS Code installed until you test the extensions that your work depends on.

What are Cursor cloud agents?

Cloud agents run a coding task on remote computers managed by Cursor instead of using your laptop for the whole job. You hand off a task, the agent works in its own environment, and you return to review the result, logs, or preview. They suit longer jobs that can proceed with occasional check-ins.

What is Grok Bot and do I get it with Cursor?

Grok Bot gives you AI teammates that work on a persistent cloud Linux computer, assigned per user and shared between your bots, where they can sign in to tools and finish longer jobs. It is included with SuperGrok and paid Cursor plans, with allowances that scale by tier. It cannot use the browser on your own computer and its weekly usage is capped, so most people pair it with a local agent such as Claude Code or Codex.

Going Deeper

The Cursor workflows guide covers the longer daily routine and VS Code migration. The context and rules guide explains how to point Cursor at relevant files and store project instructions.

Cursor can also run scheduled or triggered work. The Cursor Automations guide owns that advanced topic. Finish several supervised Agent tasks before creating an automation, because a repeated unclear task only repeats the confusion faster.

The Grok Bot guide covers handing a bounded job to a persistent cloud computer while Tab, Agent, and your local files stay in Cursor. The Origin guide covers Cursor-hosted repos, pull requests, and when GitHub remains the remote.

History, features, models, pricing, and Grok Bot plan facts were checked against the cited vendor and independent sources when this page was updated on September 1, 2026.