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Short answer: In the Cursor vs VSCode question, stay on VS Code if you want a free editor and are happy adding GitHub Copilot, which starts at $10 a month. Switch to Cursor if you want a coding agent as the center of your workflow, with paid plans from $8 a month. VS Code now has agents of its own, so the gap is smaller than it was a year ago.
Cursor is an AI coding agent and editor, and VS Code is Microsoft’s code editor with AI built in through Copilot. To compare them fairly, this post puts Cursor next to VS Code plus Copilot, because VS Code on its own has no model behind it. You can read more on our Cursor page and our GitHub Copilot page.
Cursor vs VS Code at a glance
| Cursor | VS Code (with Copilot) | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A coding agent with a desktop editor, a terminal CLI and cloud agents | A code editor with AI agents, chat and inline suggestions |
| Editor price | Included in the plan | Free for private and commercial use |
| AI price | Free plan, then Plus at $8 a month | Copilot Free, then Pro at $10 a month |
| Models | Cursor’s models, plus Claude, GPT and Gemini on higher plans | Dozens of models across providers, or your own key |
| Agents | Agent in the editor, CLI and cloud agents | Agent in the editor, run locally or in the cloud |
| Extensions | Has its own Marketplace link | 80k+ extensions in the Extension Marketplace |
| MCP servers | Not covered on the pages we checked | Supported |
| Platforms | Desktop editor (macOS shown), terminal | macOS, Windows, Linux and the browser |
| License | Commercial product | MIT source code, Microsoft product license |
What is Cursor?
Cursor describes itself as a coding agent for building ambitious software. You hand it a task, it works through the code and you review the result. Its cloud agents use their own computers to build, test and demo features. They can run in parallel. Cursor also runs in the terminal, in Slack and as a reviewer on GitHub pull requests.
It is built as an AI product first, with the editor as one surface among several. That shapes the price too: you pay for usage of the agent, and the editor comes along with it. Our Cursor review covers its plans in more detail.
What is VS Code?
VS Code is Microsoft’s code editor. Microsoft calls it the open source AI code editor. It runs on macOS, Windows and Linux. There is also a version in the browser. The FAQ says it is free for private or commercial use. The source code is under an MIT license, while the product ships under a Microsoft product license.
The AI comes from GitHub Copilot, which is a separate plan. In VS Code it gives you inline suggestions, chat, inline chat and an agent that works in your workspace with a Plan option. You can use models from your Copilot plan, bring your own key or connect a local model. Agents can use tools from extensions and MCP servers. Browse our MCP servers directory for ones to add.
Cursor vs VS Code pricing
VS Code is free. The real question is what you pay for the AI on top of it. Cursor bundles the editor and the agent into one plan, while VS Code splits them: a free editor and a separate Copilot plan.
Cursor pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Limited AI usage |
| Plus | $8 a month, $80 billed yearly | Cursor’s own models only |
| Premium | $30 a month, $300 billed yearly | 4x Plus usage, cloud agents, third-party models |
| Super | $100 a month, $1,000 billed yearly | 15x Plus usage, priority access at peak times |
| Ultra | $200 a month, $2,000 billed yearly | 50x Plus usage, earliest access to new models |
Usage comes from one pool that refreshes weekly. Third-party models such as Claude, GPT and Gemini are not in the pool: on Premium and above they are billed at API list price from prepaid credit. Older plans such as Pro at $20 continue for existing customers, so you may still see them quoted.
VS Code with GitHub Copilot pricing
| Plan | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| VS Code | $0 | The editor, free for private and commercial use |
| Copilot Free | $0 | 2,000 inline suggestions a month, 50 chat requests |
| Copilot Pro | $10 a month | $15 in AI credits, unlimited inline suggestions, cloud agent |
| Copilot Pro+ | $39 a month | More credits and third-party coding agents in preview |
| Copilot Max | $100 a month | Built for heavy agent use |
| Copilot Business | $19 per user a month | Admin controls for organizations |
One AI credit equals $0.01. Chat, agent mode and the CLI use credits. Completions do not, and they stay unlimited on paid plans. We cover the details in our Cursor vs GitHub Copilot post.
Which costs less?
VS Code with Copilot Free costs nothing, which Cursor cannot match for real agent work. At the paid entry point Cursor Plus is $2 a month under Copilot Pro, but Plus only includes Cursor’s own models. To use Claude or GPT inside Cursor you need Premium at $30 a month, plus API-rate usage. Copilot Pro is the cheaper way to get strong models in an editor.
Where Cursor wins
- Agent first. The product is built around handing over tasks, not around adding chat to an editor.
- Cloud agents. They build, test and demo a feature on their own computers while you do something else.
- One pool across surfaces. The editor agent, the CLI and cloud agents draw from the same usage pool.
- Code review. Cursor reviews pull requests on GitHub.
- Terminal use. The same agent runs from the command line, so you are not tied to the editor window.
Where VS Code wins
- Free editor. There is nothing to buy to start, and you can add AI later.
- Choice of models. You can bring your own key or use models from several providers.
- Huge extension library. Microsoft lists more than 80,000 extensions.
- Runs anywhere. Mac, Windows, Linux and the browser.
- Open source base. The Code – OSS source code is under the MIT license.
- Plan and agent options. The agent has a Plan option for thinking a task through before it changes code.
How to decide fairly
Do not decide on feature lists alone. Both tools change fast, and a table of checkmarks hides how each one feels in daily work. Pick one real task from your own repository, such as fixing a failing test and adding a small feature beside it. Run it in Cursor, then in VS Code with Copilot. Compare how many rounds each took, how much allowance it used and whether the diff was easy to read.
Watch the meter. A long agent run can look cheap on day one and expensive by day ten, and the two tools meter use differently: Cursor weekly, Copilot monthly.
What neither does
Neither replaces code review. Both can produce code that looks right and is wrong, so run the tests and read the diff before you merge. VS Code collects usage data by default, though you can set telemetry to off. Cursor does not publish exact task counts per plan, so you cannot know in advance how far a plan will stretch. If you prefer a terminal agent to an editor, look at Claude Code and our Cursor vs Claude Code comparison.
Which should you choose?
- You want to try AI coding for free: VS Code with Copilot Free.
- You want an agent to take whole tasks and run in the cloud: Cursor, on Premium.
- You rely on a specific extension: stay on VS Code.
- You want to pick models or use your own key: VS Code.
- You work in a company on GitHub: VS Code with Copilot Business for central control.
- You are not sure: run one real task in each, then compare what each needed from you.
FAQ
Is Cursor better than VS Code?
Neither is better for everyone. Cursor suits people who want an agent as the main way they work. VS Code suits people who want a free editor with the choice to add Copilot or their own model.
Is Cursor free?
Cursor has a Free plan with limited AI usage. Paid plans start at $8 a month for Plus. VS Code is free for private and commercial use, but Copilot is a separate plan.
Is VS Code open source?
Partly. Microsoft publishes the Code – OSS source code under an MIT license. The VS Code you download is a Microsoft distribution under a Microsoft product license.
Can VS Code do what Cursor does?
For many tasks, yes. VS Code has an agent, inline suggestions, chat, MCP support and cloud or local agents. Cursor puts more of its product around agents, including parallel cloud agents and PR review.
Can I use Cursor and VS Code together?
Yes. They are separate apps, so you can keep VS Code for daily work and try Cursor on one project. You pay for each AI plan separately.
What else should I look at?
Our best AI coding agents page ranks the options by job.
Prices here come from Cursor, GitHub and Visual Studio Code, checked in October 2026.