Short answer
If you want to keep the code open, watch it change and accept edits one at a time, pick Cursor. If you would rather hand over a whole job, like "build this feature and run the tests," and only check the result, pick Claude Code. Claude Code started in the terminal. It now also runs from VS Code and JetBrains extensions, a desktop app and the web, all on the same engine. Cursor is built around calling an agent from inside an editor. If you barely code and want to make one web page, favor whichever shows the result on screen right away. That is usually less frustrating.
Side by side
Plan names and usage limits change often, so check each company's official pricing page rather than trusting a number in an article.
What it looks like
- Claude Code
- Type commands in a terminal. Also available as VS Code and JetBrains extensions, a desktop app and on the web
- Cursor
- A code editor app with an agent built in
Models
- Claude Code
- Claude models
- Cursor
- Your choice of Anthropic, OpenAI and Google models, plus Cursor's own models
Project rules file
- Claude Code
- CLAUDE.md (it can read AGENTS.md if you already have one)
- Cursor
- Rules feature
Connecting outside tools
- Claude Code
- MCP, hooks, skills, subagents
- Cursor
- Plugins, skills, MCP and rules, added in one place
Planning a big task
- Claude Code
- Plan mode, and several agents running in parallel
- Cursor
- Plan Mode
Automation and repeat jobs
- Claude Code
- Non-interactive runs inside scripts, scheduled tasks, CI integration
- Cursor
- Not mentioned in the overview docs, so not listed here
Pricing
- Claude Code
- Claude plans (see the official pricing page)
- Cursor
- See the official pricing page at cursor.com/pricing
Same request, different experience 1: "The login button does nothing"
In Cursor, the file with the problem is open on the left. The agent's changes show up in green and red, and you accept or reject each one with your own eyes. If you can read even a little code, this feels safe.
Say the same thing to Claude Code and it usually finds and reads the files, explains the cause, makes the fix and runs something to check. By default it asks before editing a file or running a command. What you see is text only. If you cannot read code, there comes a moment when you are just trusting the words "I fixed it."
Same request, different experience 2: "Change these ten screens the same way"
Repeating one change across many files is easier in Claude Code. Terminal commands can be chained, and the official docs give an example of passing a list of changed files along with "review only these." You can also split work across subagents and run them at the same time.
Cursor is built for following one thread at a time, right in front of you. That does not mean it cannot do a ten-file job, but you keep checking results on the same screen. For a narrow request like "only this part, like this," the editor is faster.
If you do not code and are choosing for the first time
A terminal is a black window where you type text. Even pasting a one-line install command can feel strange. Claude Code's docs include a separate guide to using the terminal for exactly that reason. So for a first try, choose whichever shows results on screen immediately.
You may not need either one. A single-page site or a simple game can be done by getting code from a chatbot and pasting it into a browser. The vibe coding article covers that route first.
Using both together
Claude Code's docs link to installing its extension in Cursor. You open a Claude Code panel inside Cursor instead of a separate terminal. Some people read code in Cursor and hand the big jobs to Claude Code.
That means two subscriptions. Use them for about a month, see which one runs out of allowance first, and then cut down to one.
What trips people up when switching
- Claude Code does not read the rules files you built up in Cursor. Move them into CLAUDE.md. If your team already uses AGENTS.md, Claude Code can read that file.
- Shortcuts and screens are completely different. The "fix only what I selected" habit from an editor becomes naming a file or line number in plain words.
- When permission prompts keep appearing, it is tempting to allow everything. Before you do, check whether write access is open on any folder that must never be wiped.
Compare them with the same request
Give both tools the same sentence and see how much each one asks and how much it changes. Do it in an empty practice folder, not in a real working folder.
In this folder, create a single-page index.html called "Today's To-Do." I want to type a task and add it, tick it to cross it out, and have the list still there after a refresh. When you are done, tell me in three lines which files you made and how I can check that it works.
Watch for: whether it asks questions first, how many files it creates, and whether it tells you how to verify. The difference in process says more about each tool than the result does.
FAQ
Can I only use Claude Code in a terminal?
No. According to the official docs you can use it in a terminal, VS Code and JetBrains extensions, a desktop app and a web browser. It is the same engine, so the CLAUDE.md file and settings in a project are shared. Most routes need a Claude subscription or an Anthropic Console account.
Can I use Claude models in Cursor?
Cursor's docs say you can choose among Anthropic, OpenAI and Google models, plus Cursor's own models. Which model is available on which plan is listed on Cursor's model and pricing pages.
Which is less risky if I pick only one?
The risk comes from permissions more than from the tool. Both can edit files and run commands, so start in a practice folder, and only let either one near an important folder when it has a backup such as git.
Should I use either for office work like cleaning up a spreadsheet?
Both are too much for that. Upload the file to a chatbot first. Consider an agent only if the job repeats.
Keep going
Checked against sources on 2026-11-05. Sources: Claude Code docs: Overview, Claude Code docs: Permissions, Cursor docs. How we write