Cursor

This workflow adds a small API endpoint across handler, route, and test files — the kind of cross-cutting change normal chat handles poorly without copy-paste.

Cross-file endpoint with Composer

1. Open the repo and index. Confirm .cursorignore excludes secrets and build artifacts. Wait for indexing to finish on first open.
2. Describe the change in Composer. Example: "Add GET /api/health that returns status and version from package.json; follow existing Express patterns."
3. Review the diff plan. Cursor proposes edits across route registration, handler module, and tests. Accept file-by-file — reject anything that touches unrelated modules.
4. Run tests in terminal. Execute the project's test command. If failures appear, highlight stderr and ask Agent to fix only the failing assertions.
5. Commit with context. Use the built-in commit message generator or write your own; note which model tier you used if auditing quality for the team.

Rule of thumb: smaller, verifiable requests beat monolithic "build the whole feature" prompts — especially on repos the index has never seen before.

Cursor's free Hobby tier includes limited Tab completions and a small number of premium model requests per month — enough to evaluate UX, not to carry full-time professional load. Expect hard caps that stop Agent and Composer mid-sprint.

Cursor Pro (typically around $20/month) raises limits on fast requests, unlocks heavier Agent usage, and includes bundled frontier model access. Business/Team tiers add centralized billing, privacy mode options, and admin features — verify current seat pricing on cursor.com.

Cursor is not an API product: there is no public REST API for "run Cursor on my CI." Some users attach personal OpenAI or Anthropic keys to extend usage, but billing and data handling differ from native subscription credits. Confirm whether your code is retained for training under your plan's privacy settings — important for commercial repos.

GitHub Copilot is the safer enterprise default when you already pay for GitHub Enterprise and want Microsoft-backed policy docs, Copilot Chat in multiple IDEs, and org-wide admin controls. Copilot is less agentic out of the box but frictionless inside GitHub's billing universe.

Windsurf (Codeium) pushes aggressive agentic flows and cascade-style multi-file editing with competitive pricing. Evaluate it side-by-side with Cursor if Agent mode limits or subscription cost are blockers — UI metaphors differ but the job-to-be-done overlaps heavily.

Claude complements rather than replaces Cursor: many developers draft architecture and edge-case analysis in Claude Pro, then implement in Cursor with Composer. Claude Code (Anthropic's terminal tool) is another overlap — pick one primary surface to avoid paying twice for the same reasoning.