Cursor Review: A Serious Leap Toward AI-Native Development

Cursor is an AI-native code editor built on top of the familiar VS Code experience - but make no mistake, this isn’t just a reskin. Cursor is a full rethinking of what it means to write code with AI at the centre of your workflow.

If you've used VS Code before, you'll instantly feel at home. But Cursor’s tight AI integration sets it apart. Rather than copying and pasting code snippets into separate AI tools, Cursor brings the assistant into your editor, with context, memory, and real-time collaboration.

What Makes Cursor Unique

• Multiple AI Agents: You can spin up specialized agents simultaneously - for example, one generating unit tests, another refactoring logic, and a third working on documentation. This parallelism reduces context-switching and unlocks a whole new level of multitasking.
  
• Chat-Based Editing: Imagine having a conversation with your codebase. With a natural-language chat interface, you can request bug fixes, feature additions, or refactors across files. The AI understands project-wide context - this is more than autocomplete; it’s codebase orchestration.
  
• Inline Edits, Supercharged: Select a block of code, hit a shortcut, and re-prompt in-place. Cursor provides intelligent rewrites without ever leaving your editing window.
  
• Live Completions: Autocomplete feels eerily predictive. It anticipates not just syntax, but intent, often completing functions or scaffolding components before you finish typing.
• ‍Project-Wide Context Awareness: The AI indexes your full repo, meaning it can propagate changes consistently across modules and even execute terminal commands - all while respecting dependencies and file structures.

Installation and Setup

Cursor’s setup mirrors VS Code’s simplicity:

1. Download from the Cursor website (Windows, Mac, or Linux).
2. Run the installer and launch the app.
3. Sign up with your email - no credit card required for a 14-day Pro trial.
4. Optionally import your existing VS Code settings and extensions.
5. Cursor just works - no manual AI setup required. However, ensure you have any required runtimes (Python, Node.js, etc.) for language-specific workflows.

Our Team’s Migration Experience

After switching our dev team to Cursor, here’s what stood out:

1. Autocompletion That Feels Predictive

Compared to GitHub Copilot, Cursor’s completions are sharper - especially when working across large files. Its ability to understand context results in fewer corrections and better scaffolding for new features.

2. Rapid UI Prototyping (But Not Pixel Perfect)

Cursor excels at quick component generation. For MVPs or design spikes, this is a dream. But for pixel-perfect implementations from Figma or image references, human adjustments are still needed.

3. Animation Workflow: 4x Faster

Animations that previously took hours now come together in a fraction of the time. Cursor is adept at handling boilerplate, letting you focus on creative polish.

4. Repetitive Code Be Gone

CRUD operations, setup files, and form handling - Cursor automates them like a seasoned junior dev. You provide high-level direction; it takes care of the rest.

5. Handles Logic… With a Little Help

For domain-heavy logic, Cursor needs more guidance. It’s powerful, but not autonomous. Expect to co-pilot here - review output, give corrections, and iterate.

6. Tailwind Integration: Mostly Excellent

Applying Tailwind classes is frictionless. Cursor suggests responsive, modern styles right in the flow of development. Occasionally, its suggestions are overly abstract, requiring you to reel things back for maintainability.

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The Bottom Line

Cursor isn’t just a better autocomplete. It’s a paradigm shift in how we write and manage code. It reduces toil, accelerates delivery, and makes onboarding smoother for new developers.

It’s not perfect, but it’s easily the most promising AI dev tool we’ve used. For any team looking to work smarter, not harder, Cursor is a serious contender.

“If GitHub Copilot is like adding an assistant, Cursor is like hiring a whole AI-powered dev pod.”