Many developers who tried newer AI-powered editors like Cursor are now heading back to the familiar and flexible Visual Studio Code. While AI tools brought excitement, real-world workflows still favor the stability and ecosystem of VS Code.
A growing number of developers who once switched to Cursor, the AI-driven code editor, are now making their way back to Visual Studio Code. Initially drawn by Cursor’s deep integration with AI coding assistants, many hoped it would streamline development and boost productivity. But after months of use, some are finding that VS Code still offers the best balance of speed, customization, and ecosystem support.
Cursor’s promises of automated suggestions, real-time coding help, and project-wide refactors worked impressively in controlled scenarios. However, many developers say that in real-world projects, AI features can be inconsistent, occasionally intrusive, and not yet mature enough to replace a developer’s intuition or manual coding flow. On the other hand, VS Code’s massive extension library, reliable performance, and community support remain unmatched.
Several users also cite better Git workflows, smoother debugging, and fewer crashes as reasons they’re returning to VS Code. While Cursor has made strides in innovation, it’s clear that trust, stability, and familiarity still play a major role in a developer’s
