In December 2024, I wrote an article sharing my expertise utilizing VSCode (GitHub Copilot) and Cursor (Claude 3.5 Sonnet) from the angle of a Knowledge Scientist.
I concluded the article by stating:
After utilizing Cursor for the previous two weeks, I’ve determined to make use of it for all of my future initiatives.
Since writing this text, not solely have there been important developments to VSCode and Cursor, however a brand new wave of AI-powered IDEs (e.g. Windsurf) have emerged. Upon evaluating and testing these different IDEs, I’ve determined to revert to VSCode as my major IDE of alternative.
On this article, I’ll talk about why I’m now not utilizing Cursor, why I’ve reverted to VSCode and GitHub Copilot, and my opinion on what IDE you have to be utilizing as a Knowledge Scientist.
What I Preferred Most About Cursor
Let me state this primary: Cursor is a superb product. I stored listening to builders talk about Cursor increasingly more, with many profiting from their 2-week free trial. I used to be hesitant at first, however after studying persistent reward for the software program, I made a decision to type my very own opinion firsthand.
I liked that Cursor’s interface was the identical as VSCode. Upon set up, Cursor enabled you to obtain all of your current VSCode extensions, which undoubtedly helped with adoption because it made you’re feeling proper at house.
In December 2024, two key Cursor options made it stand out from the group. The primary was the power to make use of quite a lot of totally different LLMs, in contrast to GitHub Copilot, which had restrictions on what LLMs have been out there. Secondly, Cursor had a characteristic referred to as “Composer” that allowed customers to generate a complete challenge code base by merely describing it through a immediate.
As described in my article “Should you switch from VSCode to Cursor?”, these have been the 2 options I used to be most enthusiastic about and primarily based my preliminary evaluate on.
Why I Switched Again to VSCode
VSCode has been my major IDE for over 7 years, I used to be additionally a beta tester for GitHub Copilot, one thing I’ve been paying for since its launch.
As beforehand defined, a key advantage of Cursor is its similarity to VSCode from an interface perspective. Though a minor motive, switching again to VSCode meant I didn’t must refamiliarise myself with another UI.
GitHub Copilot eradicated one of many two important causes for my preliminary transfer to Cursor when it enabled the power to implement SOTA newly-released LLMs. As of writing in April 2025, under is the prevailing record of LLMs out there through GitHub Copilot:
Claude 3.7 Sonnet was launched on February twenty fourth, 2025. On the identical day, Microsoft announced that this mannequin was now out there through GitHub Copilot. GPT-4.5 was launched on February twenty seventh, 2025, and was additionally made available on the same day in GitHub Copilot Chat to Copilot Enterprise customers.
An enormous enchancment on their LLM providing when in comparison with again in December 2024.
As a Knowledge Scientist, I typically work in Jupyter Notebooks for exploration duties. Though AI-assistance works higher when Programming utilizing .py information, I discover VSCode is best than Cursor when working with Jupyter Notebooks.
Vscode affords GitHub Copilot directions when including a brand new cell to your pocket book, this isn’t out there utilizing Cursor. Though AI-assistance is out there, it’s harder because the consumer has to make use of Ctrl/⌘ + Ok to start writing their immediate.
When working with Jupyter Notebooks utilizing VSCode and GitHub Copilot, you even have the power to talk along with your AI-assistant, referencing the cells in your pocket book you need the AI to deal with. This performance makes it extremely straightforward to implement AI-assistance in your coding workflow.
The ultimate two elements, which have been much less vital however undoubtedly performed a job in my general determination, have been price and utilization in my skilled position.
GitHub Copilot prices $10 monthly in comparison with Cursor, which prices $20 monthly. I requested myself, am I getting twice the worth from utilizing Cursor over VSCode? The reply to this query was no, subsequently, this added extra weight in the direction of reverting to VSCode.
Lastly, in my skilled position as a Lead Knowledge Scientist, I exploit VSCode day by day. I might by no means choose an IDE primarily based solely on the one I exploit in my skilled position, though it undoubtedly helps to maintain issues aligned the place doable.
For the aim of this text, I’m highlighting high-level factors from my expertise with VSCode and GitHub Copilot. Be happy to message me through social media in case you have extra particular questions you want to ask.
How GitHub Copilot Closed the Hole
GitHub was purchased for $7.5 billion by Microsoft in 2018. As Microsoft is a far bigger firm than Anysphere Inc., they’re capable of place much more assets on enhancing their product providing.
As an finish consumer, competitors is inspired because it pushes corporations to innovate and develop at a tempo that permits them to maintain up with one another. This additionally signifies that when a brand new characteristic is launched and is extensively adopted by the neighborhood, all the competitor corporations rush to develop that very same characteristic into their very own product providing.
When Cursor was first gaining reputation, it had many options (e.g., Composer, Tab, and Cursor Prediction) that its rivals didn’t have. That is now not the case.
As proven in GitHub Copilot’s changelog, releases are occurring weekly, with some days consisting of multiple new characteristic being made out there to all GitHub Copilot customers.
As of right now, there aren’t many options that Cursor affords that aren’t additionally out there utilizing VSCode and GitHub Copilot. Microsoft has proven prior to now 4 months that it’s putting enormous significance on making GitHub Copilot one of the best AI coding assistant available on the market. Whereas some enhancements are nonetheless wanted, they’re shifting at a speedy tempo, closing the hole, and are ready to steer the market by the tip of 2025.
Closing Ideas
Firstly, I don’t imagine any textual content editor/IDE is best than every other. It’s best to all the time make this judgment your self primarily based on trial-and-error and never finalise your determination primarily based on what’s most spoken about on-line.
I’ve been utilizing VSCode for a number of weeks now since reverting from Cursor, and I’ve not regretted my determination. I imagine Microsoft is making nice progress with GitHub Copilot and has actually closed the hole to all the brand new AI-assistant IDEs.
There’ll all the time be options that pop up right here and there that aren’t out there within the IDE you’re at present utilizing. In the event that they’re extensively adopted by the neighborhood, all rivals will implement them with time. Don’t use this as a possibility to maintain switching your IDE.
Disclaimer: All opinions shared on this article are my very own primarily based on my private expertise; I’ve no affiliation with Cursor, VSCode, or GitHub Copilot. Except acknowledged in any other case, the creator owns all pictures included on this article.
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Joyful studying! 🚀
