TL;DR
Cursor is an AI-powered IDE that replaces VS Code. Great for inline completions and chat-assisted editing. AcePilot is a bolt-on for Claude Code that adds autonomous project execution with 6 specialist agents, playbooks, and self-calibration. Choose Cursor if you want a smarter editor. Choose AcePilot if you want an autonomous team that ships entire features while you review PRs.
Feature comparison
| Feature | AcePilot | Cursor |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Autonomous execution (multi-task) | AI-assisted editing (single task) |
| Specialist agents | 6 (designer, security, architect, strategist, reviewer, researcher) | 0 |
| Learning across sessions | Yes — playbooks, self-calibration, 13 state files | No — each session starts fresh |
| Autonomous mode | God mode — scans, plans, executes, reviews, ships | No — requires manual prompting per change |
| Business intelligence | Yes — pricing, conversion, analytics, SEO auto-generated | No |
| Deploy pipeline | Yes — auto-detect, build, deploy, verify | No |
| Code review | Built-in — 4-status qualify with independent reviewer | Manual |
| IDE requirement | Works with Claude Code (terminal) | Requires Cursor IDE (VS Code fork) |
| Free tier | Yes — plan + go modes, full state system, no time limit | Yes — limited completions per month |
| Pro pricing | $29/mo | $20/mo |
| Install time | 30 seconds (2 commands) | Download + install app |
When to choose AcePilot
- You want autonomous project execution — not just code completions. Say "website" and get a full business spec, implementation, review, and deployment.
- You already use Claude Code — AcePilot installs in 30 seconds as config files. No new editor to learn.
- You want persistent learning — playbooks capture what works. Session chains persist objectives. The engine gets faster every session.
- You ship solo — 6 specialist agents act as your design, security, architecture, strategy, and code review team.
- You want zero-touch shipping — god mode: scan to PR with no human intervention.
When to choose Cursor
- You want inline code completions — Cursor excels at real-time autocomplete within your editor.
- You prefer a GUI IDE — Cursor provides a familiar VS Code interface with AI built in.
- You work in a team with IDE standards — teams already using VS Code can adopt Cursor with minimal friction.
- You want chat-assisted editing — Cursor's inline chat is effective for single-file edits and quick questions.
Can you use both?
Yes. AcePilot runs in the terminal via Claude Code. Cursor runs as your editor. They don't conflict. Many developers use Cursor for day-to-day editing and AcePilot for autonomous project execution — shipping features, running security reviews, or deploying from a single command.