Cursor and VS Code are close relatives — Cursor is built as a fork of VS Code, so the editing fundamentals feel familiar from the first keystroke. What separates them is their center of gravity. VS Code is a general-purpose editor where AI is something you add; Cursor treats AI as the default surface you work within. Neither approach wins universally. The right choice depends on how central you want AI to be in your workflow, which extensions you depend on, and what your privacy and compliance requirements look like. For broader context on the product itself, start with our Cursor overview.
What each editor actually is
VS Code is a general-purpose code editor with a large extension ecosystem and deep customization. Its AI capabilities arrive through extensions — most prominently GitHub Copilot, which the official VS Code documentation describes across chat, inline suggestions, and agentic flows. Feature names and behavior evolve, so treat the docs as the source of truth.
Cursor keeps the familiar editor model but builds AI features into the product: tab-style completion, a chat panel, and agent modes. Being a fork of VS Code means a familiar interface — it does not mean every extension, setting, or command behaves identically. Keep that distinction in mind throughout any migration.
The AI workflow
In Cursor, AI is woven into the editing loop. Completion, chat, and agents sit next to your code, and the agent can plan multi-step tasks, search your codebase, edit files, and run terminal commands — typically asking for confirmation before commands execute, depending on current settings and documentation.
In VS Code, the AI loop depends on which extension you install and how you configure it. With Copilot, you get chat and inline assistance; agentic capabilities have been expanding, but the surface area differs from Cursor’s.
Decision criterion: if you want AI as the starting point of every session, that favors Cursor. If you want an editor that works exactly the same with or without AI, that favors VS Code.
Control and steering
Both editors show you proposed changes as diffs before they land, and both let you reject or accept edits piece by piece. Cursor’s agent prompts before running terminal commands by default, and its rules feature lets you persist project conventions — coding standards, preferred patterns, things the model should avoid. We cover the mechanics in our rules getting-started guide.
VS Code offers ways to give Copilot standing instructions as well; specifics have changed over time, so check the current VS Code documentation.
Decision criterion: look at how each tool handles confirmation for destructive actions — terminal commands, file deletions, bulk edits. Whichever editor you pick, verify those defaults rather than assuming them.
Extensions and ecosystem
VS Code’s marketplace is the largest extension ecosystem in editors today. Cursor’s extension support centers on its own marketplace, which is based on the Open VSX registry — meaning some extensions available in VS Code’s marketplace may be missing, out of date, or behave differently.
If your workflow hinges on a handful of extensions (language tooling, linters, remote development, database clients), verify each one before committing. This is the single most common migration blocker.
Migrating: a practical checklist
Cursor’s quickstart documentation describes importing your VS Code extensions, themes, and settings when you first launch it. Use that as the starting point, then verify:
- Inventory your extensions. In VS Code, run
code --list-extensions > extensions.txtto get a complete list. - Note your configuration. Confirm your user settings, keybindings, and snippets are captured — via Settings Sync or by copying your
settings.json. - Import. Use Cursor’s import-from-VS-Code option during setup.
- Walk the list. For each extension, confirm it installed, activates, and works in a real project. Where something is missing, check for an Open VSX alternative.
- Recreate workspace-level settings. User settings migrate; per-workspace settings often need manual attention.
- Test themes and keybindings. Muscle memory is the fastest way to spot import gaps.
Privacy and security boundaries
Treat privacy as a review step, not an afterthought, for either editor.
- Cursor documents a privacy mode; what is retained, logged, or used for model improvement depends on your settings, plan, and — for organizations — administrator configuration. Region-specific rules may also apply. Read the current privacy documentation before choosing.
- VS Code lets you configure telemetry, and Copilot’s data handling is governed by GitHub’s settings and your organization’s policies.
The durable rule: behavior varies by product, plan, administrator, model, and region. Don’t assume the two editors handle data the same way, and don’t assume your current settings carried over intact after an import.
Verify the migration — and how to roll back
Verification beats trust. Give each editor a small, real task: fix a known bug, write one test, refactor one function. Review every change in git diff before committing, and never commit agent-generated edits you haven’t read. If something behaves unexpectedly, note the extension or setting involved rather than pushing through.
Recovery is straightforward if you keep both editors installed side by side:
- Your VS Code installation is untouched by the trial — the import copies configuration into Cursor; it doesn’t move it.
- Keep a backup of your
settings.jsonand extension list before starting. - Work in a git branch during evaluation so any unwanted AI edits can be reverted cleanly.
- If you decide to stay on VS Code, uninstalling Cursor leaves your original setup intact.
Choosing by scenario
| Scenario | Lean toward | Why |
|---|---|---|
| AI is the core of your daily coding | Cursor | Tab, chat, and agents are built into the editor itself |
| Editor-first, occasional AI help | VS Code | Add Copilot when needed; the rest of the editor is unchanged |
| Heavy extension dependencies | Test both | Fork status plus the Open VSX-based marketplace means some extensions differ |
| Admin-managed or compliance-sensitive environments | Whichever clears your review | Compare both privacy docs and your organization’s policies first |
| Existing, carefully tuned VS Code setup | Trial Cursor, keep VS Code | Import is low-risk and reversible; side-by-side testing costs little |
There is no universal winner here. The honest answer for most developers is to run the checklist above, spend a few working sessions in each, and let your actual tasks decide.
FAQ
Is Cursor a drop-in replacement for VS Code?
Not exactly. Cursor is a fork and offers one-click import of settings, themes, and extensions, but extension availability and behavior can differ because its marketplace is based on Open VSX. Test your critical extensions before switching permanently.
Can I keep both editors installed?
Yes. They run side by side with separate configurations. Keeping VS Code installed during evaluation is the recommended approach — it doubles as your recovery path if you uninstall Cursor later.
How do I stop the agent from making unwanted changes?
Review proposed diffs before accepting them, confirm what happens with terminal commands (Cursor’s agent prompts by default, per current documentation), and use rules to encode your project’s conventions so the model has standing guidance.
Where should I verify privacy details?
In the official documentation for whichever editor you use: Cursor’s privacy and security docs on one side, VS Code’s telemetry settings and Copilot’s documentation on the other. What applies to you depends on plan, administrator policy, and region, so confirm against current docs rather than older articles.