The Complete Guide to Cursor IDE

What Is Cursor?

Cursor is a fork of Visual Studio Code rebuilt around AI-first development. It takes the familiar VS Code interface — extensions, keybindings, themes — and adds deeply integrated AI capabilities: inline code generation, multi-file editing via Composer, codebase-aware chat, and autonomous task execution.

Unlike bolt-on AI plugins, Cursor's AI features are woven into the editor's core. The AI understands your open files, project structure, and editing history, producing suggestions that fit your specific codebase rather than generic patterns.

Key Features

Tab Completion

Cursor predicts your next edit — not just the next line of code, but multi-line completions that understand what you're trying to accomplish. It analyzes your recent changes and suggests the logical next step.

Cmd+K Inline Editing

Select code and press Cmd+K to describe what to change. "Add error handling" or "Convert to async/await" applies targeted transformations without leaving your editor flow.

Composer (Multi-File)

Composer lets you describe a feature or change, and Cursor edits multiple files simultaneously. It reads your codebase to understand relationships between files and makes coordinated changes.

Chat with Codebase Context

Cursor's chat panel includes your open files, referenced files (@-mentions), and codebase index as context. Questions about "how does auth work in this project?" return answers specific to your code, not generic documentation.

Pricing Tiers

Free tier includes limited AI requests. Pro ($20/mo) provides 500 fast requests and unlimited slow requests. Business ($40/mo) adds admin controls and team management. The free tier is sufficient to evaluate — most developers upgrade within a week.