Why I Stopped Using Cursor and Reverted to VSCode

In late 2024, Cursor gained traction as a sleek, AI-first IDE powered by Claude 3.5 Sonnet. It offered two standout features:

1. Multi-LLM support (unlike Copilot at the time).

2. “Composer” – a prompt-based project generator.

But by April 2025, VSCode + GitHub Copilot had caught up—and even surpassed Cursor in key areas.

1️⃣ GitHub Copilot’s LLM Leap

✅ Now supports Claude 3.7 Sonnet and GPT-4.5, released the same day as their public launches. ✅ Weekly feature updates and rapid innovation.

2️⃣ Better Jupyter Notebook Experience

✅ VSCode offers inline Copilot prompts and cell-aware chat, making it ideal for data scientists. ✅ Cursor lacks this level of integration, requiring manual prompt triggers.

3️⃣ Cost & Professional Alignment

✅ GitHub Copilot: $10/month ✅ Cursor: $20/month For many, the value proposition just doesn’t justify the higher cost.

4️⃣ Familiarity & Ecosystem

✅ VSCode’s UI is already second nature to most developers. ✅ Copilot’s integration feels native, not bolted on.

5️⃣ The Innovation Race

✅ Microsoft’s resources allow Copilot to rapidly adopt community-loved features. ✅ Cursor’s early lead in innovation has narrowed significantly.

Final Thoughts

Cursor is still a great product—but VSCode has reasserted itself as the best AI-powered IDE for developers and data scientists alike.

🔥 Are you sticking with VSCode or exploring new AI IDEs? Let’s discuss! 🚀