Cursor vs GitHub Copilot
These are not the same product class. Cursor is a VS Code fork. Copilot is a plugin. The table is a comparison, not a benchmark score.
| Axis | Cursor | GitHub Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Shape | Standalone VS Code fork | Plugin for VS Code, JetBrains, others |
| Inline complete | Yes | Yes |
| Multi-file / agent | Composer / Agent in-product | Copilot Chat / Edits; depends on plan |
| Models | Switch providers in settings | Models GitHub ships |
| Ignore rules | .cursorignore | Copilot exclusion settings |
| Best when | You can change editors and want repo-level agent edits | You must stay in VS Code/JetBrains and only need completion |
One-line pick
Cannot leave JetBrains or current VS Code: Copilot. Want an agent over the whole repo and can live in Cursor’s window: Cursor. “Which model is smarter” is the wrong first question.
Claude Code CLI: install steps. MCP catalog: /en/mcp/.