Tabnine is a general-purpose AI code completion tool that works across 30+ IDEs with both cloud and local deployment options, while Cursor is a specialized IDE built from VSCode that integrates AI-assisted editing directly into the editor with real-time code understanding.
Tabnine vs Cursor — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
AI code completion plugin supporting 30+ IDEs with deployment flexibility and proprietary models.
AI-first IDE forked from VS Code with integrated Claude and GPT-4 coding
Core Architecture. IDE Compatibility. AI Context Window. Code Generation Models. Deployment Options. Starting Price (Monthly). Free Tier Limitations
Choose Tabnine if you need flexibility across multiple IDEs, prefer on-premise deployment options, or work in environments with strict data privacy requirements. Choose Cursor if you want the deepest AI integration within a single IDE, need larger context windows for complex codebases, and prefer a more seamless, AI-first development experience with state-of-the-art language models like Claude 3.5 Sonnet.
Tabnine: 2,048 tokens | Cursor: 200KB (Claude)
Tabnine: 7+ IDEs (VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, Neovim, Sublime, Emacs, Visual Studio) | Cursor: N/A
Tabnine: 80-120ms | Cursor: 50-200ms (Tab autocomplete)
Tabnine: 15+ | Cursor: 1 (Cursor IDE only)
Tabnine: Proprietary closed-source | Cursor: N/A
Tabnine: Limited (Pro required for unlimited) | Cursor: 50 (trial)
Tabnine: 22 primary languages | Cursor: 50+
Tabnine: SOC 2, HIPAA, GDPR, ISO 27001 | Cursor: N/A
Tabnine: Enterprise tier only | Cursor: N/A
Tabnine: Full offline support | Cursor: Limited (chat requires internet)
Tabnine: Not supported | Cursor: Native support
Tabnine: 5-10 minutes | Cursor: Immediate
Tabnine: Yes (limited completions) | Cursor: 14-day free trial
Tabnine: Yes, full offline support | Cursor: N/A
Tabnine: 7+ years in production | Cursor: N/A
Tabnine: Yes (hybrid mode) | Cursor: N/A
Tabnine: Basic AWS SDK suggestions | Cursor: N/A
Tabnine: 6 GB (locally downloadable) | Cursor: N/A
Tabnine: Yes (Enterprise plan) | Cursor: N/A
Tabnine: 30,000 tokens | Cursor: 200,000 tokens
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: VS Code-based only
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Native & Superior
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Not publicly disclosed
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Significant but undisclosed
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Proprietary Commercial
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Cursor Pro $20/mo
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Business $40/user/mo
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Standalone editor — a fork of VS Code (install Cursor itself)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Cursor app only (VS Code-compatible extensions/themes carry over)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT, Google Gemini, plus Cursor fast models (per-request switching)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Composer (Agent) plan-execute-verify loop across many files; runs commands and tests
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Whole-repo semantic embeddings with automatic relevant-file retrieval; built for monorepos
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Very fast predictive Tab completions that jump to the next edit location
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: SSO, privacy mode (no retention/training), admin controls, SOC 2
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Graphical IDE (VS Code fork)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Interactive in-editor coding
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Flat plan with request quota + usage add-ons
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Monthly fast-request quota
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Multi-model (Claude, GPT, Gemini, etc.)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Not designed for it
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Workspace indexing + @-mentions
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Low (VS Code familiarity)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Interactive feature building & quick edits
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Yes — free Hobby tier plus a 2-week Pro trial
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Agent (formerly Composer)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Mature indexing with @-symbol references
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Claude, GPT, Gemini families (frequent day-one additions)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Mature enterprise tier with SSO + privacy mode
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: macOS, Windows, Linux
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Largest AI-IDE community and mindshare
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: 0 (paid tier required)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Claude 3.5 Sonnet (Superior)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Native @-indexing across entire codebase
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: ~15,000 (via VS Code)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Native Claude integration
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Code sent to Anthropic servers
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Desktop (Mac, Windows, Linux)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4, Others
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: ~500K (estimated based on download trends)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Entire projects (no hard limit)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: 1.5 years (launched Oct 2024)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: 200,000 (Claude 3.5 Sonnet)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: ~50 (via Claude AI)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: 50 premium requests
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: 70,000+ (VS Code)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: 4+ (Claude, GPT-4, local)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Electron (VS Code fork)
Primary AI Model Quality (MMBENCH score)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: 1-2 steps (download IDE)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: 3 (Claude, GPT-4, other)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Code, text, file references
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Native VS Code-based editor
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: 1–3 seconds (avg inline suggestion)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Automatic full-project indexing
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: No native mobile app
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Varies by plan (Pro tier higher)
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: ~500KB+ codebase context
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Claude 3.5 Sonnet + GPT-4
Tabnine: N/A | Cursor: Full native support
How to choose between Tabnine and Cursor
Tabnine vs Cursor — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Tabnine vs Cursor. Contains 154 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Tabnine vs Cursor — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Tabnine vs Cursor.
Yes, Tabnine works as a plugin/extension in 30+ IDEs including VSCode, all JetBrains IDEs (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm), Visual Studio, Sublime Text, Vim, Neovim, and Emacs. This makes it ideal if you don't want to switch editors. Cursor, by contrast, requires using its VSCode-based IDE.
What's the difference in context window and why does it matter?
Tabnine's Pro plan maxes out at 30,000 tokens while Cursor provides 200,000 tokens. A larger context window means the AI can see and understand more of your codebase at once—critical for refactoring large projects, understanding architecture across files, or working with monorepos. Cursor's 200k window enables it to analyze entire large codebases in one request.
Which is better for security and privacy?
Tabnine offers stronger privacy options: it supports on-premise deployment, private local models, and can run entirely offline in air-gapped environments. Cursor is cloud-only by default (though Pro tier includes local mode). If data residency or avoiding cloud transmission is critical, Tabnine is the clear choice.
Cursor's free tier is more generous: you get 50 monthly uses of Claude 3.5 Sonnet and 200 uses of GPT-4o. Tabnine's free tier offers only basic completions with its proprietary model. This makes Cursor significantly better for trying before committing financially.
Can I use Cursor with my favorite IDE (PyCharm, Visual Studio, etc.)?
No, Cursor is a standalone IDE based on VSCode. It doesn't work as a plugin in other editors like JetBrains IDEs or Visual Studio. If you're committed to another IDE, Tabnine is the only viable option.
How to Choose Between Tabnine and Cursor
Core Architecture: Tabnine has Plugin/extension for existing IDEs, while Cursor has Standalone IDE forked from VSCode.
IDE Compatibility: Tabnine has 30+ IDEs (VSCode, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Sublime, Vim, etc.), while Cursor has Single IDE based on VSCode.
AI Context Window: Tabnine has Up to 30,000 tokens (Pro plan), while Cursor has Up to 200,000 tokens (Claude 3.5 Sonnet backend).
Code Generation Models: Tabnine has Proprietary Tabnine model, GPT-4 integration optional, while Cursor has Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4o, and proprietary cursor-small model.
Deployment Options: Tabnine has Cloud, on-premise, local/private models, while Cursor has Cloud-only (local mode requires Pro subscription).
Starting Price (Monthly): Tabnine has $15 (Pro for individuals), while Cursor has $20 (Pro subscription).
Free Tier Limitations: Tabnine has Basic completions, limited to Tabnine model only, while Cursor has 50 uses of Claude 3.5, 200 uses of GPT-4o monthly.