Cursor vs VS Code: We Ran Both for 30 Days
A practical 30-day comparison of Cursor and VS Code across multi-file edits, agent workflows, and pricing — based on actual usage.
7 min read
Why we did this
We’re publishing weekly reviews of AI dev tools. Cursor is the most-asked-about one, so we ran both editors in parallel for a real month.
Headline numbers
| Tool | Multi-file edit | Pricing | Offline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cursor Best for AI-heavy work | Native | $20/mo Pro | Limited |
| VS Code Best for Plain editing | Via extensions | Free | Yes |
The cases where Cursor pulled away
When refactoring across 4+ files, Cursor’s chat-driven multi-file edit reduced our sequence of operations from ~12 steps to 3.
// Before: open file, find usage, edit, save, repeat...// After:// "Rename `getUser` to `getCurrentUser` across the repo, update callers"Cursor
AI-native code editor forked from VS Code, with multi-file chat edits.
Free plan available · $20/mo Pro
Affiliate link · We earn a commission at no cost to you.
Where VS Code still wins
Cold-start memory, plugin ecosystem (Copilot is no longer Cursor-only), and the sheer reach of “VS Code Server in a browser” for remote/dev container work.
FAQ
Is Cursor a drop-in replacement? +
For most TypeScript/Python workflows, yes. Less mature for niche languages.
Do you get a commission? +
Yes — see the affiliate disclosure box at the top.