AI Editors: Cursor and Windsurf

An AI editor is where you actually build. It looks like a normal code editor, but it has an AI baked right in that can read your whole project, answer questions, and write code for you.

The two most popular ones for vibe coding are Cursor and Windsurf. Both are forks of VS Code, so they feel familiar even if you've never coded — and the AI does most of the typing.

A chat window can write code, but it can't see your files. You end up copy-pasting back and forth and losing context.

An AI editor like Cursor lives inside your actual project. It knows your files, can edit them in place, and remembers what you're building. That tight loop — describe, generate, review, repeat — is the heart of vibe coding.

Cursor is the most popular AI-native editor. Its killer feature is a chat panel that understands your codebase. You press a shortcut, describe what you want, and it edits the right files for you.

You can point it at specific files with @ mentions so it focuses on exactly what matters. Here is the kind of prompt you'd type inside Cursor.

Beyond chat, Cursor lets you select code and ask for a change right where it lives. Highlight a block, press the edit shortcut, and describe the tweak in plain English.

This is perfect for small, surgical changes — like 'make this red' or 'add a loading message' — without rewriting the whole file.

Windsurf (by Codeium) is Cursor's main rival. It's also a VS Code fork with deep AI built in.

Its standout feature is Cascade — an agent that can plan and carry out multi-step changes across many files, narrating what it's doing as it goes. Great when a request touches more than one file.

Both are excellent. The differences are mostly feel and pricing:

• Cursor — extremely popular, huge community, polished chat and inline edits.
• Windsurf — smooth agentic flows with Cascade, clean interface, often a generous free tier.

You don't need both. Pick one, learn its shortcuts, and stick with it for a while.

The single most important habit in any AI editor: give it context. Both Cursor and Windsurf let you reference files, folders, or docs with the @ symbol.

When the AI can see the right files, it stops guessing and starts building exactly what you mean.

When you accept a suggestion, the editor shows a diff — green lines added, red lines removed. You review it, then click Accept or Reject.

This is your safety net. You stay in control: the AI proposes, you approve. Always glance at the diff before accepting, especially as files grow.

To make this concrete: if you asked Cursor for a button that greets you, it might generate the JavaScript below. You don't have to write it — but it's nice to recognize what the AI produced.

These editors don't have their own brain — they connect to AI models like Claude, GPT, and Gemini. You can usually pick which model handles your request.

For building code, strong reasoning models (like Claude's Sonnet or Opus) tend to give cleaner results. You can switch models from a dropdown if one isn't doing the job.

Ready to try one? Here's the fastest path:

• Download Cursor or Windsurf and open it.
• Open a folder (or create an empty one) as your project.
• Press the chat shortcut and describe your first idea.

No setup rituals needed — you're talking to the AI within minutes.

What is the main advantage of an AI editor like Cursor over a plain chat window?

AI editors are where vibe coding happens day to day. Key takeaways:

• Cursor and Windsurf are VS Code-based editors with AI built in.
• They can read your whole project and edit files in place.
• Use @ to give the AI the right context.
• Always review the diff before accepting changes.

Next up: agentic tools like Claude Code and Copilot that can run code for you.