As AI-powered developer tools continue to reshape how we write code, Cursor and Sourcegraph Cody stand out as two prominent solutions in the market. Both offer advanced AI-powered code completion, but while Cursor focuses on being a complete VS Code-based editor with integrated AI capabilities, Cody takes a more platform-agnostic approach with broader IDE support.
This comparison will help you understand the key differences and make an informed decision for your development needs.
Feature Comparison
Code Completion
Cursor
Cursor provides robust code completion through its Cursor Tab feature, offering multi-line suggestions and modifications to existing code. The system can understand context from recent changes and linter errors, allowing developers to partially accept suggestions using keyboard shortcuts. The completion system is deeply integrated into the editor, providing 2,000 free suggestions for hobby users and unlimited completions for Pro users.
Cody
Sourcegraph Cody's code completion is designed to work across multiple IDEs, focusing on maintaining consistent coding patterns and reducing common errors. It provides context-aware suggestions based on your entire codebase, helping developers write code faster, while ensuring consistency with existing patterns. The system is particularly strong in understanding multi-repository contexts in enterprise environments.
AI Chat Capabilities
Cursor
Cursor features a comprehensive chat system with support for multiple AI models, including GPT-4 and Claude. The chat interface preserves history, automatically includes relevant file context, and offers web search capabilities. Users can generate code blocks and instantly apply them to their projects, with the added benefit of terminal integration for command generation.
Cody
Cody's chat interface emphasizes codebase context awareness, allowing developers to use @-mentions to pull in specific context from files, symbols, and repositories. The chat system is designed to handle complex queries across multiple files and provides interactive debugging capabilities. It integrates well with the IDE's native features and supports custom prompts for common tasks.
Context Awareness
Cursor
Cursor employs automatic indexing of codebases with embeddings-based search for accurate code references. The system allows customizable indexing rules via .cursorignore and maintains a privacy-focused design without storing plaintext code. The context awareness extends to terminal integration and recent code changes.
Cody
Cody excels in context awareness with multiple retrieval methods, including Keyword Search, Sourcegraph Search API, and Code Graph analysis. It supports cross-repository context in enterprise environments and offers sophisticated context window management with configurable sizes and token limits. The system can understand relationships between different parts of the codebase and provide relevant suggestions.
Privacy and Security
Cursor
Cursor emphasizes privacy with an optional Privacy Mode that prevents code storage. The system processes sensitive information locally and maintains transparent data handling policies. No permanent storage of plaintext code occurs, and users have control over codebase indexing configurations.
Cody
Cody offers enterprise-grade security controls with repository-level permissions and organizational control over data access. The platform provides secure context handling and scalable infrastructure, making it suitable for large organizations with strict security requirements.
Pricing
Cursor
- Hobby
- Free for individual users
- Pro two week trial
- 2000 completions
- 50 slow premium requests
- Pro
- $20 per month
- Unlimited completions
- 500 fast premium requests
- Unlimited slow premium requests
- 10 o1-mini uses per day
- Business
- $40 per user, per month
- Enforce privacy mode org-wide
- Centralized team billing
- Admin dashboard with usage stats
- SAML/OIDC SSO
Sourcegraph Cody
- Free Tier
- Free for individual users
- Single repository access
- Basic IDE integration
- Essential code completion
- Pro Tier
- $9 per month
- Unlimited chat and commands
- More powerful LLMs for chat
- Support with limited SLAs
- Enterprise Tier
- $19 per user, per month
- Multi-repository support
- Enhanced features across all IDEs
- Team collaboration capabilities
- Custom deployment options
Conclusion
Cursor and Sourcegraph Cody represent two different approaches to AI-powered development assistance. Cursor provides a more integrated experience as a complete VS Code-based editor with powerful AI features, making it an excellent choice for individual developers and smaller teams who primarily use VS Code.
Sourcegraph Cody, on the other hand, excels in enterprise environments with its multi-repository support and broader IDE integration options. It's particularly valuable for large organizations that need to manage code across multiple repositories and require enhanced security features. Being more focused on enterprise customers, its platform-agnostic approach and advanced context awareness features make it a compelling choice for larger development teams.