Why I Choose Cursor

By Raymond Perez · Mar 25, 2026

I am a software engineer. TypeScript and web UI are a steady part of my work, but they are not the whole job. I also touch APIs, services, data paths, and whatever it takes to ship a feature safely. I use Cursor because I want one place to think, edit, and move that whole slice forward with AI in the room. Below is my honest view of what that costs, what it does not do, and how I place Cursor next to other options.

• Key Takeaways
• The problem and what Cursor does
• What that friction looked like
• What I wanted in one environment
• Core surfaces
• Built in agent harnesses
• How I actually use it
• Examples by size
• Cost, limits, and caveats
• Models and metering
• What it is not
• Claude, alternatives, and overlap
• Compared in a table
• Cursor
• GitHub Copilot
• JetBrains AI Assistant
• Claude Code
• Amazon Q and Gemini Code Assist
• Cody, Tabnine, and similar tools
• Pushback and how I land
• Closing
• Frequently Asked Questions
• References