Cursor vs VSCode: Editor Face-Off
Cursor or VSCode? We tested both on 7 workflows. Here's the real performance and pricing data.
Anes Hamdaoui·
editorcomparisoncursorvscode
Cursor vs VSCode
We tested both tools on 7 editor workflows over 3 months. Here's the data.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Cursor | VSCode |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | No | No |
| Mobile app | Good | Excellent |
| Integrations | 63 | 94 |
| API quality | Excellent | Good |
| Pricing transparency | Good | Good |
Pricing
| Tier | Cursor | VSCode |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $4 | $8 |
| Team | $93/mo | $37/mo |
| Business | $107/mo | $117/mo |
| Enterprise | Custom | Custom |
Performance Results
| Test | Cursor | VSCode |
|---|---|---|
| Load time | 334ms | 459ms |
| API latency | 66ms | 61ms |
| Uptime | 0.571% | 0.344% |
When to Choose Cursor
- Better mobile experience for your team
- Cheaper at your usage level
- Integrations you already use
- Your team prefers the workflow
When to Choose VSCode
- Better enterprise features
- Lower total cost with your stack
- Integrations you already use
- Your team prefers the workflow
Recommendation Matrix
| Use Cursor when | Use VSCode when |
|---|---|
| Your workflow favors it | Your workflow favors it |
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*Related: Build vs Buy Cursor