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Cursor vs VS Code: what is the difference

Cursor is a VS Code fork with AI built in; VS Code is the free editor where AI comes from extensions. Read the table first, then pick a route.

Side by side

Dimension	Cursor	VS Code
Positioning	AI-first editor built on a VS Code fork	Free, open-source general editor
AI	Built-in chat, completion and multi-file agent	Via extensions (Copilot, Cline, Roo Code…)
Price	Free tier; Pro about $20/month (check the site)	Editor free; AI extensions paid or your own API key
Offline	Editing offline; AI features need the network	Fully offline; most AI extensions need the network
Chinese UI	English-first interface	Official Chinese language pack, full UI
Extensions	Compatible with the VS Code marketplace	The marketplace itself; largest catalogue

Prices and quotas change; check the Cursor and VS Code sites. This page is about choosing, not quoting.

Subscribe to Cursor: heavy daily coding, want built-in completion and a multi-file agent without wiring plugins. Costs a foreign card and an always-on network.
VS Code + free AI extensions: zero budget, fully offline, or you want to plug in a domestic model API. Recommended stack: VS Code + Cline / Roo Code + a model API.
Hybrid: VS Code as the daily driver, Cursor for one project for a month, then decide.

Payment: Cursor / GitHub Copilot need a foreign card; without one, VS Code + an extension that takes your own API key is the cheapest route.
Network: Cursor's AI calls go to its servers; VS Code itself works offline.