Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
Cursor and Windsurf take a different approach: they rebuild the editor experience from the ground up with AI at the centre. The distinction matters more than it sounds.
Think of it this way. Copilot is like adding a very clever passenger to your car — they can navigate, suggest routes, and point out hazards, but you're still driving the same vehicle. Cursor and Windsurf are more like getting a new car where AI is integrated into the steering, the brakes, and the engine. The driving experience itself changes.
Both Cursor and Windsurf are built on the VS Code foundation (technically, they're forks), so they look familiar. Your extensions, themes, and keyboard shortcuts carry over. But what happens when you interact with the AI is fundamentally different from a plugin bolted onto an existing tool.
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