Cursor

Cursor is a code editor built as a fork of VS Code, designed around AI assistance rather than treating it as an add-on. It offers multi-file code completion that draws on context across your whole codebase instead of just the open file, along with a chat interface for asking questions about your code, generating functions, and making larger multi-file edits or refactors directly from natural language instructions.

It's aimed at developers who want AI help woven into their daily editing workflow instead of switching between a chatbot and their IDE. Because it's a VS Code fork, most extensions, themes, and keybindings carry over, so the switching cost is low for anyone already using VS Code. Common uses include writing boilerplate, navigating unfamiliar codebases, debugging, and applying changes across several files at once.

What sets it apart from plugin-based AI coding tools is that the AI is built into the editor's core rather than bolted on, giving it deeper access to project context and letting it apply edits inline with review and diff tools rather than just pasting suggestions into a chat window. It supports multiple underlying models and is priced as a monthly subscription with usage-based tiers rather than a flat unlimited plan.