GitHub Copilot closed much of the feature gap that kept me in Cursor: more models (including Claude 3.5/3.7 Sonnet), image upload in chat, and agent mode for multi-file edits that iterate on errors.
That last one was Cursor’s main draw for me. Multi-file changes without babysitting every hunk.
The Extension Problem
Microsoft also tightened language on some VS Code extensions. The C/C++ extension license language points at Microsoft products only. In practice that means parts of the ecosystem stop working cleanly if you leave vanilla VS Code for Cursor.
I still use Cursor for deep project context. Copilot is fine when I am already in VS Code. The interesting fight is not feature lists — it is who owns the editor you are allowed to use with the extensions you already paid for.
Warning Some Microsoft-published extensions refuse non-VS Code hosts. Check before you migrate a C++ or platform-heavy workspace.
One quick signal
Did this earn your time?
Thanks. That gives me something concrete to check.
About the author
KahWee Teng
I’m a staff software engineer focused on frontend systems and developer experience. I write from migrations, measured tradeoffs, and tools tested in real work.
