What is Cursor AI? The AI Code Editor Explained 2026

Quick Summary: Everything you need to know about Cursor in 2026. This guide is written for complete beginners — no technical knowledge required.

What is Cursor?

Cursor is an AI-powered code editor built on VS Code. It understands your entire codebase and can write, edit, and debug code using natural language. Think of it as VS Code with a genius AI partner built in.

How It is Different from Copilot

Copilot suggests one line at a time. Cursor understands your entire project. It can make changes across multiple files, refactor code, and answer questions about your codebase. It is a full AI coding experience, not just autocomplete.

Getting Started

1. Download Cursor from cursor.com. 2. It imports your VS Code settings automatically. 3. Open a project. 4. Press Cmd+K (Mac) or Ctrl+K (Windows) to start an AI prompt. 5. Describe what you want in English.

Key Features

Cmd+K: Inline code generation from natural language. AI Chat: Ask questions about your code, get explanations. Multi-file editing: AI changes multiple files at once. Tab completion: Smart code suggestions as you type.

Pricing

Free: 2,000 completions/month, 50 premium requests. Pro ($20/mo): Unlimited completions, 500 premium requests. Business ($40/mo): Team features, admin controls.

Who Should Use It

Any developer who wants to code faster. Especially valuable for: building new features, understanding unfamiliar codebases, writing tests, debugging, and refactoring. Both beginners and experts benefit.