Cursor is a specialized IDE built entirely around AI-assisted coding with native Codeium/Claude integration, while Codeium is an AI autocomplete plugin that works across multiple editors. Cursor offers a more integrated experience but requires switching editors, whereas Codeium provides flexibility across your existing tools.
Codeium vs Cursor — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
Choose Codeium if you want to keep using your preferred editor (VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, etc.) while adding powerful AI assistance with unlimited free usage and minimal disruption. Choose Cursor if you're willing to switch to a dedicated AI IDE and value deep integration between code editing and AI features, accepting paid premium tiers for advanced functionality.
Free AI code autocomplete plugin supporting 9+ editors and IDEs
AI-first IDE forked from VS Code with integrated Claude and GPT-4 coding
Structured comparison data for Codeium vs Cursor with 183 attributes.
Primary AI Model Quality (MMBENCH score)
Context Retention (consecutive requests)
Codeium vs Cursor — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Codeium vs Cursor.
Does Cursor work with existing VS Code extensions?
Cursor is forked from VS Code, so it supports many VS Code extensions, but compatibility is not 100% guaranteed. Since it's a separate editor, you may need to reinstall extensions and reconfigure your workspace, which adds switching friction.
What's the cheapest way to get unlimited AI coding?
Codeium's free tier offers unlimited requests (with rate limiting ~20 req/min). Cursor's free tier is capped at 50 premium requests/month. For unlimited AI coding, Codeium free is cheaper than any paid plan.
Yes, Codeium has a full-featured VS Code extension available on the marketplace. Install it in seconds, and you get unlimited free autocomplete with rate limiting. This is the primary use case for Codeium users who want to avoid switching editors.
Cursor has deeper codebase understanding because it can load and context-switch across larger files and projects natively. Codeium's context depends on which editor you're using, but for in-file completion, both are competitive. Cursor's architecture gives it an edge for large refactoring tasks.
Can I switch from Cursor back to VS Code easily?
Yes, but you'll lose integrated AI features unless you install Codeium or another plugin. Your settings and extensions can be exported, but you'll need to reconfigure your workspace. Cursor is a major switch; plan accordingly.