In December 2024, I wrote an article sharing my expertise utilizing VSCode (GitHub Copilot) and Cursor (Claude 3.5 Sonnet) from the angle of a Information Scientist.
I concluded the article by stating:
After utilizing Cursor for the previous two weeks, I’ve determined to make use of it for all of my future initiatives.
Since writing this text, not solely have there been vital developments to VSCode and Cursor, however a brand new wave of AI-powered IDEs (e.g. Windsurf) have emerged. Upon evaluating and testing these different IDEs, I’ve determined to revert to VSCode as my major IDE of alternative.
On this article, I’ll focus on why I’m now not utilizing Cursor, why I’ve reverted to VSCode and GitHub Copilot, and my opinion on what IDE you ought to be utilizing as a Information Scientist.
What I Favored Most About Cursor
Let me state this primary: Cursor is a good product. I saved listening to builders focus on Cursor increasingly, with many profiting from their 2-week free trial. I used to be hesitant at first, however after studying persistent reward for the software program, I made a decision to type my very own opinion firsthand.
I liked that Cursor’s interface was the identical as VSCode. Upon set up, Cursor enabled you to obtain all of your current VSCode extensions, which positively helped with adoption because it made you’re feeling proper at house.
In December 2024, two key Cursor options made it stand out from the gang. The primary was the power to make use of quite a few completely different LLMs, not like GitHub Copilot, which had restrictions on what LLMs have been accessible. Secondly, Cursor had a function referred to as “Composer” that allowed customers to generate a whole mission code base by merely describing it by way of a immediate.
As described in my article “Do you have to change from VSCode to Cursor?”, these have been the 2 options I used to be most enthusiastic about and based mostly my preliminary evaluation on.
Why I Switched Again to VSCode
VSCode has been my major IDE for over 7 years, I used to be additionally a beta tester for GitHub Copilot, one thing I’ve been paying for since its launch.
As beforehand defined, a key good thing about Cursor is its similarity to VSCode from an interface perspective. Though a minor motive, switching again to VSCode meant I didn’t must refamiliarise myself with another UI.
GitHub Copilot eradicated one of many two most important causes for my preliminary transfer to Cursor when it enabled the power to implement SOTA newly-released LLMs. As of writing in April 2025, under is the present checklist of LLMs accessible by way of GitHub Copilot:
Claude 3.7 Sonnet was launched on February twenty fourth, 2025. On the identical day, Microsoft introduced that this mannequin was now accessible by way of GitHub Copilot. GPT-4.5 was launched on February twenty seventh, 2025, and was additionally made accessible on the identical day in GitHub Copilot Chat to Copilot Enterprise customers.
An enormous enchancment on their LLM providing when in comparison with again in December 2024.
As a Information Scientist, I usually work in Jupyter Notebooks for exploration duties. Though AI-assistance works higher when Programming utilizing .py information, I discover VSCode is best than Cursor when working with Jupyter Notebooks.
Vscode presents GitHub Copilot directions when including a brand new cell to your pocket book, this isn’t accessible utilizing Cursor. Though AI-assistance is on the market, it’s tougher because the person has to make use of Ctrl/⌘ + Okay to start writing their immediate.
When working with Jupyter Notebooks utilizing VSCode and GitHub Copilot, you even have the power to speak together with your AI-assistant, referencing the cells in your pocket book you need the AI to concentrate on. This performance makes it extremely simple to implement AI-assistance in your coding workflow.
The ultimate two elements, which have been much less necessary however positively performed a task in my general resolution, have been price and utilization in my skilled position.
GitHub Copilot prices $10 per 30 days in comparison with Cursor, which prices $20 per 30 days. I requested myself, am I getting twice the worth from utilizing Cursor over VSCode? The reply to this query was no, subsequently, this added extra weight in the direction of reverting to VSCode.
Lastly, in my skilled position as a Lead Information Scientist, I exploit VSCode day by day. I’d by no means choose an IDE based mostly solely on the one I exploit in my skilled position, though it positively helps to maintain issues aligned the place doable.
For the aim of this text, I’m highlighting high-level factors from my expertise with VSCode and GitHub Copilot. Be at liberty to message me by way of social media when you’ve got extra particular questions you wish to ask.
How GitHub Copilot Closed the Hole
GitHub was bought for $7.5 billion by Microsoft in 2018. As Microsoft is a far bigger firm than Anysphere Inc., they’re capable of place much more sources on bettering their product providing.
As an finish person, competitors is inspired because it pushes firms to innovate and develop at a tempo that permits them to maintain up with one another. This additionally signifies that when a brand new function is launched and is extensively adopted by the group, the entire competitor firms rush to develop that very same function into their very own product providing.
When Cursor was first gaining reputation, it had many options (e.g., Composer, Tab, and Cursor Prediction) that its opponents didn’t have. That is now not the case.
As proven in GitHub Copilot’s changelog, releases are occurring weekly, with some days consisting of multiple new function being made accessible to all GitHub Copilot customers.
As of right now, there aren’t many options that Cursor presents that aren’t additionally accessible utilizing VSCode and GitHub Copilot. Microsoft has proven prior to now 4 months that it’s inserting big significance on making GitHub Copilot one of the best AI coding assistant in the marketplace. Whereas some enhancements are nonetheless wanted, they’re transferring at a fast tempo, closing the hole, and are ready to guide the market by the tip of 2025.
Ultimate Ideas
Firstly, I don’t imagine any textual content editor/IDE is best than another. It is best to at all times make this judgment your self based mostly on trial-and-error and never finalise your resolution based mostly on what’s most spoken about on-line.
I’ve been utilizing VSCode for a number of weeks now since reverting from Cursor, and I’ve not regretted my resolution. I imagine Microsoft is making nice progress with GitHub Copilot and has actually closed the hole to all the brand new AI-assistant IDEs.
There’ll at all times be options that pop up right here and there that aren’t accessible within the IDE you’re at the moment utilizing. In the event that they’re extensively adopted by the group, all opponents will implement them with time. Don’t use this as a chance to maintain switching your IDE.
Disclaimer: All opinions shared on this article are my very own based mostly on my private expertise; I’ve no affiliation with Cursor, VSCode, or GitHub Copilot. Except said in any other case, the writer owns all photographs included on this article.
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