For the longest time, I didn’t understand why Cursor had to be a dedicated app built on VS Code when it could have just been an extension. It didn’t seem to add much beyond an AI copilot layer on top of VS Code. I avoided it for a long time because I didn’t think it made a meaningful difference. But with v2, the app has become phenomenal. I’m saying this because I recently switched to using it for most of my work, replacing VS Code entirely. The new multi-agent interface is something I’ve genuinely started to appreciate. Cursor v2 also makes it much easier to quickly review the changes an agent makes and go deeper when needed.

Cursor helps me code faster

The AI features aren’t a gimmick

Cursor treats AI as a core part of the editor rather than an optional extension. This changes how you interact with your code. In VS Code, GitHub Copilot works quietly in the background and offers suggestions when it sees an opportunity. It is helpful, but the workflow stays mostly traditional. You write code, Copilot suggests a few lines, and you decide what to accept. Cursor, on the other hand, asks you to think less like someone filling out a file and more like someone directing an assistant.

I was genuinely surprised by how well Cursor handles UI work. It follows instructions closely, especially when you describe how a component should look or behave.

Its refactoring abilities are also more useful than I expected. You can point it to a group of files and ask it to clean them up based on your style guide. It reads the rules, applies them consistently, and brings your code into a predictable structure.

I also like how easy it is to edit small sections of code. You can highlight a block of ten or twenty lines and ask Cursor to reformat it, rewrite it, or turn it into a clear if or else. It handles these micro-edits with a level of accuracy that feels natural during development. You stay in the flow because you spend less time rewriting boilerplate and more time thinking about what you actually want to build.

The autocomplete is another strong feature. It does more than fill in the next word or line. It predicts where your logic is going and adjusts suggestions across multiple lines when your code changes. If you rename a variable, it can reflect that change across the surrounding block without being asked.

Cursor V2 improves this approach even more with its multi-agent system. You can ask multiple agents to work on separate tasks simultaneously. One agent can write documentation while another creates tests, and a third reviews code changes. They work in parallel, and you get a set of results to choose from. The agents operate in isolated sandboxes, which lets them explore solutions without messing up your main code.

Another major upgrade is Cursor’s Composer model, which makes the editor feel more real-time. Since you can choose your own models or even bring your own API keys, you get more control over performance and privacy than you do with Copilot.

Cursor adds features VS Code cannot support

It brings features that even extensions can’t match

Since Cursor is based on VS Code, you get the interface you already know, including the same keyboard shortcuts, the same debugging tools, and the same extension system. I didn’t face any issues while migrating since Cursor imports themes, settings, and extensions. What sets Cursor apart is that it takes everything VS Code has and adds features that cannot be built through extensions.

One example is the Cursor Tab and the AI command workflow. These exist as part of Cursor’s core UI and cannot be replicated inside VS Code because the extension API is limited. Cursor gives you a built-in chat panel and an environment where working with AI is as natural as navigating the file tree.

Cursor’s collaboration tools are another step forward. Instead of relying on Live Share, Cursor has its own real-time collab features. You can code together, share the AI assistant, and even talk through the built-in voice chat. When two developers highlight code during a session, the shared AI understands both perspectives and generates suggestions for the group. VS Code can approximate this with multiple tools, but you still need to jump across apps or panels. Cursor brings everything into one environment.

Cursor also improves code reviews. Its AI can look at your diffs, explain changes, point out bugs, or highlight suspicious patterns. If you want a commit message, Cursor can generate one based on the actual code you changed. Copilot can help in a limited way, but it does not analyze your project in the same depth.

You don’t really need to ditch VS Code

VS Code has evolved into more than a development tool. It has become an open-source platform with countless ways to extend its capabilities. If you are already using VS Code, you don’t need to replace it. You can improve it with extensions that sharpen your workflow and help you grow as a developer. You can even self-host a VS Code fork and access it in your browser, giving you a portable coding environment that works across devices.