Back to glossary

Term

Cursor

Cursor is an AI-first code editor — a fork of Visual Studio Code with AI deeply wired into the editor itself.

Cursor — explained in more detail

Cursor is a code editor designed from the ground up around AI. As a fork of Visual Studio Code, the experience stays familiar: most extensions, themes and keyboard shortcuts remain compatible. The difference lies in how deeply the AI is wired into the editor itself — not living in a browser tab next to it.

Core features

  • Inline edit (Cmd+K): Rewrite a selection through natural language without leaving the editor.
  • Composer: Multi-file changes in one go — Cursor plans edits across several files and applies them as a single patch.
  • Tab autocomplete: Suggestions extend beyond single lines and anticipate entire blocks.
  • Chat with codebase context: Ask questions about the project without attaching relevant files by hand — Cursor indexes the repository.

Models and licensing

Users can choose between different underlying models — typically Claude and GPT variants. Bring-your-own API keys are supported, which makes Cursor attractive for teams that want to control token spend or commit to a specific provider. The application is available cross-platform for macOS, Windows and Linux.

Entdecke mehr

Themenuebersicht