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CursorvsCodeWhisperer

A detailed side-by-side comparison of Cursor and CodeWhisperer to help you choose the best AI tool for your needs.

Cursor

Price: Free / $20/mo

Pros

  • Best-in-class codebase indexing
  • Uses GPT-4 & Claude 3.5
  • Privacy mode

Cons

  • Requires changing IDE
  • Subscription for best models

CodeWhisperer

Price: Free for Individuals

Pros

  • Free for individual use
  • Great for AWS services
  • Security scans

Cons

  • Less general purpose
  • AWS focused
FeatureCursorCodeWhisperer
Context WindowFull CodebaseMedium
Coding AbilityExcellentGood
Web BrowsingYesNo
Image GenerationNoNo
MultimodalNoNo
Api AvailableNoNo

Real-World Test Results (v2.0 - New Engine)

GraphQL Schema Design

Winner: Draw

Prompt Used:

"Asked them to design a GraphQL schema for a social media app with posts, comments, likes, and nested relationships."
Result A:Cursor created a schema, but it was missing some important relationships and would have caused performance issues at scale.
Result B:The output from CodeWhisperer felt authentic and genuinely human.

Analysis: Cursor has established itself as a leader in Coding through its mastery of Best-in-class codebase indexing. CodeWhisperer dominates Coding workflows with its superior Free for individual use. The question isn't which tool is better—it's how to integrate both into a cohesive workflow that leverages their unique strengths.

The 'Spaghetti Code' Refactor

Winner: Draw

Prompt Used:

"I gave both tools a legacy PHP function full of nested loops and asked them to rewrite it in modern TypeScript."
Result A:Cursor got the job done, but I had to manually fix a few type errors at the end. The structure improved, but it still felt a bit messy.
Result B:CodeWhisperer captured the nuance and detail I was looking for.

Analysis: The value proposition is straightforward: Cursor delivers excellence in Coding through its Best-in-class codebase indexing foundation. CodeWhisperer provides unmatched performance in Coding via its Free for individual use architecture. Trying to use one tool for the other's domain is inefficient—professionals build stacks that include both.

## Cursor vs. CodeWhisperer ### Cursor Cursor differentiates itself through best-in-class codebase indexing, making it ideal for users who prioritize this specific capability. In contrast, CodeWhisperer emphasizes free for individual use, targeting a different use case. **Best for:** Backend Developers & System Architects ### CodeWhisperer CodeWhisperer differentiates itself through free for individual use, making it ideal for users who prioritize this specific capability. In contrast, Cursor emphasizes best-in-class codebase indexing, targeting a different use case. **Best for:** Backend Developers & System Architects

Final Verdict

If you want best-in-class codebase indexing, go with **Cursor**. However, if free for individual use is more important to your workflow, then **CodeWhisperer** is the winner.

📚 Official Documentation & References

Cursor vs CodeWhisperer | AI Tool Comparison - UtilityGenAI