Sourcegraph Cody vs Cursor

Sourcegraph Cody and Cursor both integrate AI into the coding workflow, but from different foundations. Cody builds on Sourcegraph's code intelligence platform, while Cursor is a purpose-built AI IDE.

Overview

Sourcegraph Cody is an AI coding assistant backed by Sourcegraph's code graph — a search and intelligence layer that understands your entire codebase, including dependencies, references, and code patterns across repositories. It works in VS Code and JetBrains. Cursor is a VS Code fork that makes AI the central feature of the editor. Composer mode, inline completions, and codebase-aware chat are all designed from the ground up around AI interaction.

Key Differences

Code intelligence foundation: Cody's unique strength is Sourcegraph's code graph, which provides precise cross-repository context, symbol navigation, and reference tracking at massive scale. Cursor indexes your local project but lacks Sourcegraph's multi-repo intelligence. Enterprise scale: Cody excels in large enterprises with hundreds of repositories. Sourcegraph's indexing handles monorepos and cross-service codebases that would overwhelm simpler context engines. Cursor is best for single-project or moderate-sized codebases. AI editing features: Cursor's Composer mode for multi-file AI editing is more polished and interactive than Cody's generation capabilities. Cursor was designed as an editor first; Cody is primarily a search-and-answer tool with code generation features. Editor flexibility: Cody works as a plugin in VS Code and JetBrains, letting you keep your preferred IDE. Cursor requires switching to its VS Code fork.

Pricing

Cody Free includes limited chat and completions. Cody Pro is $9/month. Enterprise pricing is custom. Cursor Free has limited AI usage; Pro is $20/month.

Verdict

Choose Sourcegraph Cody if you work in a large organization with many repositories and need AI that understands code across your entire codebase at scale. Choose Cursor if you want the most polished AI-first editing experience for your local project. For large-scale code intelligence, Cody is unmatched.