In the fast-paced world of software development, our team is always looking for tools that can give us an edge. So, when we decided to adopt Cursor as our new primary editor, I was curious to see how it would stack up against my trusted VS Code and GitHub Copilot setup. After a month of using it for all my daily tasks, I have some experiences I'd like to share.

Here's the story of how that month went.

The Awkward First Week

The initial days were, as with any new tool, a period of adjustment. It's like trying to write with your non-dominant hand. Cursor looks and feels a lot like VS Code, but it's the small things that throw you off. The muscle memory I had built over years was suddenly in need of a refresh.

Changing settings felt a bit awkward at first. I found myself missing some familiar features, like the side-by-side file comparison (the diff view) I relied on. Even simple things like opening and closing the sidebar, chat, and terminal took some getting used to. I was so accustomed to my VS Code layout that I decided to stick with Cursor's default theme and just power through.

The "Aha!" Moment: It's a Canvas, Not Just an Editor

Just as I was getting into the new rhythm, things started to click. The magic of Cursor isn't in replicating VS Code perfectly; it's in its AI-first approach.

The biggest game-changer for me was the context. With Copilot, I was always vaguely aware of a context limit---a boundary I couldn't see but knew was there. Cursor feels different. It feels like a rough canvas where I can draw anything, anytime. I never once had to worry about it losing track of the conversation or the files we were discussing. This made planning new features and refactoring existing code feel incredibly fluid.

Another feature I initially overlooked turned out to be pure gold: the terminal command input box. When you go to type a command, a little search box pops up, suggesting commands you might want to run. It's brilliant! My only gripe is that it feels a bit intrusive, and there isn't an obvious way to quickly hide it when you just want to see the terminal output. Speaking of which, my go-to command for clearing the terminal screen didn't work, which was a small but persistent annoyance.

The Good, The Bad, and The AI

After settling in, I started to notice the finer details of day-to-day work.

What I Loved:

  • AI-powered Editing: Cursor truly shines when you ask it to plan and edit files. It grasps the bigger picture in a way that feels a step ahead.
  • The Infinite Canvas: As I said, not worrying about context limits is liberating.
  • Terminal Helper: That command search is a fantastic idea, even if it needs a bit of polish.

What I Missed (The Frustrations):

  • Core Editor Features: I still miss VS Code's smooth layout management and the side-by-side diff view. It's a fundamental tool I didn't realize I valued so much.
  • Extension Ecosystem: While most of my extensions were available, a key one was missing: Prompt Booster. I really relied on that extension and its MCP server to streamline my AI interactions.
  • Tool Management: In Copilot, I could use special @ commands to refer to my custom "MCP tools." Cursor allows this too, but you have to be very explicit. It doesn't intelligently pick the right tool for the job; you have to tell it. Also, Cursor seems to have a lower limit on tools (around 48) compared to Copilot (128). Deselecting all my tools in VS Code was a one-click affair; in Cursor, it's a bit more tedious.

The Verdict: Front-end vs. Back-end

My work is split between front-end and back-end development, and I noticed a difference in performance.

For front-end development (React, CSS, etc.), Cursor is fantastic. The experience feels just as good, if not slightly better, than VS Code.

But for back-end development, specifically with Java and Spring Boot, I feel that IntelliJ IDEA still holds the crown for its deep understanding of the ecosystem. The intelligence just isn't quite there yet in Cursor for complex Java projects. For Python, however, it worked great---pretty much on par with my old VS Code setup.

So, Am I Switching Back?

A month ago, I might have been tempted. Today, the answer is no.

Despite the missing features and the small annoyances, I've completely shifted to Cursor. The transition was an adjustment, but the destination was worth it. It's a trade-off: you lose some of the polished, mature features of a traditional editor, but you gain an AI assistant that feels deeply integrated, not just bolted on.

Cursor isn't perfect, but it feels like a glimpse into the future of coding. And for now, I'm happy to be living in it.