Author Cobuter_Man, creator of APM, reflects on their year-long experience using AI-driven code editors. After switching from Cursor to VS Code with GitHub Copilot, they critique Cursor’s opaque billing practices and praise Copilot’s transparent limits and performance. The article discusses open-source AI code assistants, the rise of alternatives like Claude Code, and the importance of fair policies and user trust.

AI Code Assistants: From Cursor to GitHub Copilot

In this article, Cobuter_Man details their journey exploring AI code assistants, focusing on experience with Cursor and a later shift to VS Code with GitHub Copilot and other open-source options.

Early Impressions with Cursor

The author initially found Cursor to be highly efficient, even feeling the value exceeded the cost. However, after changes to Cursor’s billing transparency, request limits, and service speed, dissatisfaction grew among users, as reflected in subreddit discussions. Ambiguities over the meaning of “unlimited” caused confusion and pushed some users to examine the business’s legal standing.

Migration to Alternatives

Predicting further negative changes, Cobuter_Man canceled their Cursor subscription early, avoiding recent frustrations. They note a decline in Cursor’s relative quality, as competitors—open-source and proprietary—have closed the gap or surpassed Cursor in functionality and community support.

Open Source and Copilot Preference

Advocating for open-source options, the author praises offerings like Claude Code, VS Code integrations (Roo and Cline), and especially GitHub Copilot. They prefer Copilot for its fair and accurate 300-request monthly limit on the Pro plan, stability (especially in agentic tasks), and the benefits of GitHub Education’s student access (though noting that Cursor’s student plan is less accessible globally).

Community Sentiment and Company Practices

The post highlights the importance of clear communication from AI assistant vendors and transparency in subscription policies. Cobuter_Man observes that while Cursor once led the field, user trust has eroded, causing migration to alternatives. They close by questioning whether Cursor will address these issues or continue relying on a loyal user base.

This post appeared first on Reddit Github Copilot. Read the entire article here