Cursor IDE is a fork of VS Code with an AI layer on top: chat, Composer, and.cursorrules. If you're already using VS Code, switching to Cursor costs nothing in setup -- your extensions, keybindings, and settings import automatically. The meaningful differences are: Cursor has Composer for multi-file AI edits, chat that reads your full codebase, and.cursorrules for persisting your conventions. VS Code with Copilot gives you inline suggestions and limited chat, but not Composer and not persistent context. For developers who want AI involved in planning, refactoring, and generating across multiple files, Cursor leads by a significant margin. The switch takes about 10 minutes and is reversible -- you can run both editors without conflict. At aidowith.me, the Reusable Prompt System route covers how to get the most from Cursor's features across 10 steps in ~1h 15min.
Last updated: April 2026
The Problem and the Fix
Without a route
- You're using VS Code with Copilot and not sure if switching to Cursor is worth the disruption to your existing setup.
- You've tried Cursor once but it felt like VS Code with an extra chat panel because you didn't configure.cursorrules.
- No comparison article you've read gives a clear answer on when Cursor is definitively better and when it's not.
With aidowith.me
- Switching from VS Code to Cursor takes under 10 minutes -- all extensions, keybindings, and settings transfer automatically.
- Composer is the feature that makes Cursor meaningfully different: multi-file edits in one prompt have no direct equivalent in VS Code + Copilot.
- A clear comparison matrix shows which tasks favor Cursor and which are the same in both tools.
Who Needs This Comparison
Marketers
Content, campaigns, and briefs done in hours instead of days.
Sales & BizDev
Prep calls, draft outreach, research prospects in minutes.
Managers & Leads
Reports, presentations, and team comms handled faster.
How It Works
Import your VS Code settings into Cursor
Download Cursor, run the installer, and import all your VS Code settings, extensions, and keybindings in under 10 minutes.
Run the same 3 tasks in both tools
Pick a bug fix, a feature addition, and a refactor. Run each in VS Code and then in Cursor with.cursorrules set up. Compare the time.
Build a Cursor workflow on top of VS Code habits
Add.cursorrules and a prompt library to the workflow you already have -- you're not starting from scratch, you're adding a layer.
Build Your First Cursor Workflow
10 steps, ~1h 15min. You configure Cursor, run your first Composer session, and finish with a prompt system that works on every project.
Start This Route →What You Walk Away With
Import your VS Code settings into Cursor
Run the same 3 tasks in both tools
Build a Cursor workflow on top of VS Code habits
A clear comparison matrix shows which tasks favor Cursor and which are the same in both tools.
"I switched from VS Code to Cursor thinking it would take a week to get comfortable. It took an afternoon. My extensions were all there, my keybindings worked, and I was using Composer by day 2."- Frontend developer, design-led agency
Questions
Cursor is built on VS Code so the base editing experience is identical. The difference is the AI layer: Cursor adds Composer for multi-file AI edits, a chat panel that reads your full codebase, and.cursorrules for persisting your conventions automatically. VS Code with GitHub Copilot gives you inline suggestions and basic chat but not Composer or.cursorrules.
Yes. Cursor imports your VS Code settings, extensions, themes, and keybindings automatically during setup. The extension marketplace in Cursor is the same as VS Code's, so anything you install in one works the same in the other. Most developers report that their full VS Code environment is functional in Cursor within 10 minutes of switching.
No. You can run both simultaneously -- they don't conflict. Many developers keep VS Code for projects where Cursor isn't needed and use Cursor for active development. Since your settings sync between them, switching back is just opening the other app. The decision doesn't have to be permanent -- try Cursor on one project before making it your default.