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Flywrite

Cursor vs VS Code for writing with an AI agent

Pick VS Code if you want a free editor for code and prose: Claude Code runs there through Anthropic's extension on your Claude plan, and an experimental Markdown Editor lets you edit rendered Markdown. Pick Cursor if you want an editor with its own Agent built in and paid plans that include usage of Cursor's own models; Claude and other third-party models aren't included in them. If you mostly write long Markdown on a Mac, pick Flywrite, the third option: a writing app with the terminal built in, where Claude Code sees the file and text you're working on and the whole project is checkpointed when it starts.

Published by Flywrite. We make Flywrite, the third option on this page. Facts are from each product's own pages, checked . · Updated

Pick Cursor if

  • You want an agent built into your editor
  • You want paid plans that include usage of the editor's own models
  • You're moving from VS Code and want your extensions, themes and settings imported in one click

Pick VS Code if

  • You want a free editor, including for work
  • You want AI without paying for an editor plan: Copilot Free or your own model credentials
  • You'd like to edit rendered Markdown in its experimental Markdown Editor

Pick Flywrite if

  • You write articles, docs or plans on a Mac
  • You want Claude Code to see the file and text you're working on, with no extension to install
  • You want a rendered page styled your way, per project or per file

Facts side by side

Facts checked October 27, 2026
FactCursorVS CodeFlywrite
What it is A code editor based on VS Code, with its own Agent built inA free code editorA Mac writing app for Markdown with a terminal built in
Price Free plan with limited Agent and Chat usage; paid plans (current pricing)Free for private or commercial use$99 a year, every feature, GitHub backup included
AI included Paid plans include a weekly usage pool for Cursor's own models. Claude and other third-party models aren't included; on higher paid plans they're billed at API list price from prepaid creditCopilot Free, with a monthly allowance, when you sign in without a plan; or chat with your own model credentials, no Copilot plan neededNone built in and no Flywrite AI fee; your agent's provider bills you
Claude Code Anthropic's Claude Code extension installs in both, or run the CLI in the integrated terminal. Needs a paid Claude plan or a Console accountThe terminal under your draft, with a Claude Code launcher; needs the same paid Claude plan or Console account
Built-in agent Cursor Agent in the side pane (Cmd+I): it searches, reads and edits files and runs terminal commandsVS Code's agents in chat, with Copilot or the Claude and Codex agent harnessesNone. Launchers for Claude Code, Codex and Cursor Agent, and any CLI agent runs in the terminal
What Claude Code sees With Anthropic's extension: your selection and the active fileThe file you're in, the line you're on and the text you've highlighted, with no setup; Cursor Agent too, after a one-time setup
Undoing agent edits Cursor Agent checkpoints before significant changes; restoring one reverts files, not the conversation. Claude Code's /rewind works tooChat checkpoints before each request; they don't reverse completed terminal commands. Claude Code's /rewind works tooA whole-project checkpoint when Claude Code starts; restore the project or one file. /rewind works too
Backup and history Git in the standard Source Control panel, with AI-written commit messagesBuilt-in Git: commit, push, pull and sync, including with GitHubOne Sync button backs up to your own GitHub repository, with no Git commands; GitHub's free plan includes private repositories
Platforms Mac, Windows and LinuxMac

Sources: Cursor Models & Pricing, Cursor Agent, VS Code FAQ, Set up GitHub Copilot in VS Code, Claude Code in VS Code, Claude Code setup, Flywrite docs. Each source and its date is listed under Sources and limits.

Flywrite is $99 a year for Mac, with no AI fee. Buy Flywrite for Mac

Cursor Agent side pane, extension or terminal VS Code Extension or chat panel, or terminal Flywrite Terminal under the page Cursor Agent side pane, extension or terminal VS Code Extension or chat panel, or terminal Flywrite Terminal under the page
Illustration, not a screenshot.

Where each one wins

Where Cursor wins

  • Its own Agent, built in. Cursor Agent opens in the side pane with Cmd+I, and it searches, reads and edits files and runs terminal commands for you.
  • Its own models included. Paid plans include a weekly usage pool for Cursor's own models, in the same subscription as the editor.
  • A free plan to start. The free plan includes Agent and Chat, with limited usage.
  • Your VS Code setup in one click. Cursor is based on VS Code, and one click imports your extensions, themes, settings and keybindings.

Where VS Code wins

  • Free for any use. VS Code is free for private or commercial use.
  • AI with no paid plan. Signing in without a plan enrolls an eligible GitHub account in Copilot Free, and chat can use your own model credentials with no Copilot plan.
  • A rendered Markdown Editor. VS Code's experimental Markdown Editor edits rendered Markdown directly, without a separate preview. Its docs say it could change or be removed.
  • Every VS Code extension. Cursor's extensions come from the Open VSX registry rather than the VS Code Marketplace, so not every VS Code extension is listed there or works the same.

Where Flywrite wins

  • A Markdown page you style your way. A Rendered view with Source one keystroke away, and your own theme, colors, fonts and page width, per project or per file.
  • No vault, just a folder. Any folder of plain files opens as a project, with no database or special format.
  • Free backup and sync to your own GitHub. One Sync button backs up the project to your own GitHub repository, with no Git commands. It's included in Flywrite, and GitHub's free plan includes private repositories.
  • Any CLI agent, with launchers. Claude Code, Codex and Cursor Agent have launchers, and any agent that runs in your Mac's terminal runs in Flywrite. Flywrite never charges for AI.
  • A terminal that knows your file. With no extension to install, Claude Code sees the file you're in, the line you're on and the text you've highlighted. Flywrite checkpoints the whole project the moment Claude Code starts.

Writing with an agent, step by step

Documented behavior from each product's docs, checked October 27, 2026
StepCursorVS CodeFlywrite
Start the agent Open Cursor Agent in the side pane (Cmd+I), or Claude Code's extensionOpen Claude Code's extension, run the CLI in the integrated terminal, or use a VS Code agent in chatClick a launcher in the terminal under your draft
Point it at your text Cursor Agent searches and reads the files it needs; Claude Code's extension sees your selectionClaude Code's extension sees your selection; the CLI gets your selection and active file while the extension runsSelect text: Claude Code sees the file, line and selection; Cursor Agent does after its one-time setup
See the change Agent edits your files; in Claude Code's Manual mode, each edit opens first as a side-by-side diffThe same diff in Claude Code's Manual mode; the preview or the experimental Markdown Editor shows the rendered textThe editor updates live as the agent edits your files
Undo it Restore a Cursor checkpoint from the chat, or rewind in Claude CodeRestore a chat checkpoint, or rewind in Claude CodeRestore the project or one file from the checkpoint taken when Claude Code started; /rewind works too
Undo a change made by a shell command Cursor's checkpoint docs don't say whether they cover a file a shell command changed, and point to Git for permanent version control. Claude Code's /rewind skips a file only a shell command changedChat checkpoints don't reverse completed terminal commands. Claude Code's /rewind skips a file only a shell command changedRestoring the project brings every file back to the checkpoint taken when Claude Code started, so later edits go back too

Keep coding in Cursor or VS Code, write in Flywrite

  1. Open the same folder. Choose Open Folder in Flywrite and pick the folder your drafts already live in. There's nothing to import and no vault.
  2. Make the page yours. Choose a theme, fonts and page width in Settings → Appearance.
  3. Start Claude Code from its launcher in the terminal under your draft. It sees your selection with no setup.
  4. Bring Cursor Agent along if you use it: install Cursor's CLI, then run the one-time setup in Settings → Agents. How Cursor Agent works in Flywrite.
  5. Connect GitHub backup if you want it, and keep your editor for code. Your drafts stay ordinary files both apps can open.

Questions

Can I use Claude Code in Cursor and VS Code?

Yes. Anthropic's Claude Code extension installs in both, or you can run the CLI in the integrated terminal. Either way, Claude Code needs a paid Claude plan or a Console account.

Are Claude models included in Cursor's plans?

No. Cursor's paid plans include a weekly usage pool for Cursor's own models; third-party models such as Claude cost API list price on the higher plans. Claude Code through Anthropic's extension runs on your Claude plan instead, and Flywrite adds no AI fee either way.

Do I need to pay for AI in VS Code?

No. Signing in without a plan enrolls an eligible GitHub account in Copilot Free, a monthly allowance, and chat can use your own model credentials without a Copilot plan. VS Code itself is free for private or commercial use.

Does VS Code have a WYSIWYG Markdown editor?

VS Code's docs describe an experimental Markdown Editor that edits rendered Markdown directly, and say it could change or be removed. The built-in preview sits beside the source or toggles with it. Flywrite has a Rendered view styled your way, per project or per file, with Source one keystroke away.

How do I undo an agent's edits in each?

Cursor Agent checkpoints before significant changes and VS Code checkpoints before each chat request; restoring brings files back, but VS Code's checkpoints don't reverse terminal commands. Claude Code's /rewind works in all three, though it skips a file only a shell command changed. Flywrite checkpoints the whole project when Claude Code starts, so restoring it brings back every file, whatever changed it.

Is Flywrite on Windows or Linux?

No. Flywrite is a Mac app. Cursor and VS Code run on Mac, Windows and Linux.

Bring your agent to Flywrite

$99 a year · Mac · every feature

Buy Flywrite for Mac See how the terminal works

Sources and limits

Plans and features change, so check each product's current pricing before you buy.