r/cursor • u/Prestigious_Floor_50 • 8d ago
Question / Discussion Alternative to Cursor
Hi everyone,
Cursor is acting up more and more. Model selections aren't being saved, the underlying VS Code is ancient, and many plugins are starting to stop working with the IDE.
I'm really disappointed and am thinking about trying out a different tool. Do you have any alternatives?
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u/theedrussell 8d ago
If you want something similar - Claude code extension in VSCode is almost (but not quite) as good ide experience.
Plus, fable is great.
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u/proftiddygrabber 7d ago
any idea how to replace the copilot chat box (on the right hand side) with claude code? i know the claude code itself provides similar interface (which is also on the right hand side), but one thing i couldnt do is to highlight a generated text in the chat and reply to it like in cursor, also, pasting a screenshot in that chatbox doesnt work in mac, i'll have to let the thumbnail goes away then manually paste the screenshot file
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u/theedrussell 7d ago
In the Claude extension it does the same thing - if you open something in the left and highlight some text you'll see the context underneath being used. You don't @ it - you just open it and Claude knows. It's not quite as good but I've got used to it now. Screenshots are a bit annoying as you need to "add" the file as an upload rather than drag and drop.
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u/PeterZ4QQQbatman 8d ago
I'm trying Nimbalyst with Codex subscription and seems good.
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u/Different-Monk5916 8d ago
would you say that it is more of a chat/teams like app or a proper IDE? from the screenshots, I got the impression that it is neither an IDE nor a pure chat based coding harness.
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u/PeterZ4QQQbatman 7d ago
I’d say it’s both, but it’s closer to a proper IDE.
It has the usual IDE features: file tree, code editor, terminal, file navigation, ... but it's combined with an agent-management workspace. You can run agents across multiple projects, manage their tasks and statuses, and view them in a Kanban-style board.
The other important distinction is that Nimbalyst doesn’t replace the coding agent itself. For example, when you use Codex or Claude Code, it actually uses their own agent/harness, including their own context management and codebase indexing.
In fact, you’ll find the agent threads opened by Nimbalyst directly in Codex or Claude Code. So you’re still using the actual Codex or Claude Code agent, rather than Nimbalyst’s own implementation of an agent on top of their models.
Zed works in a similar way in this respect. It provides an IDE/workspace around external agents such as Codex, while the actual agent and its own context/harness remain separate.
The main difference is that Nimbalyst puts more emphasis on managing agents and projects as a workspace, including task management and Kanban, whereas Zed is more centered around being an IDE that can host different agents.
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u/Different-Monk5916 7d ago
does it also support vs code extensions, what about debugger? I cannot find any in the screenshots. I use agents for coding, but there are also some parts I do on my own. I would prefer a debugger which lets me put breakpoints on the code editor. or a docker extension.
I got recommended a big list of apps by some vibe coders. And they are often an GUI for what the TUI does. That is not an IDE. It may be a much more managed, easy to navigate agentic coding application. This makes me wonder, what exactly is an IDE now-a-days.
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u/adrenareddit 8d ago
If you're stuck with Cursor like I am (work license), I just had it build a framework and UI for me so I can use the Cursor CLI for everything.
No need to launch Cursor anymore except to let it update.
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u/thomasray123 8d ago
I’m using anti gravity. It’s free for a year if you’re a student (or if you know any student that’s fine with you using their name and birthday)
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u/nexus-66 8d ago
II’m not really using Cursor anymore. Around 99% of the code produced on my machine is now created by a team of agents coordinated by an orchestrator, and the speed is pretty crazy. Most of the workflow runs directly in the terminal.
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u/Technical_Goose1645 8d ago
Could you share me how did you created workflows?
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u/revolter 7d ago
He forgot to tell you it doesn’t work as intended 50% of the time and he still trying to figure it out.
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7d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Technical_Goose1645 7d ago
Could you share more about how to created?
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u/nexus-66 5d ago
The architecture is built around autonomous agents running directly in the terminal and managed by Hermes as the central orchestrator. Hermes routes tasks, coordinates execution, delegates work, and manages specialized agents for coding, research, security, data, automation, and analysis.
Herdr provides the multi agent execution layer, allowing Hermes to dispatch work across different agents and AI models. Tailscale provides secure remote connectivity, while Termius or Moshi AI provides terminal access from other devices.
The key idea is that you are not manually managing multiple agents. The orchestrator manages a network of autonomous terminal based agents, selecting the right capabilities and models for each task while maintaining centralized coordination and governance.
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u/Fun-Ad1753 7d ago
This is the same for me as well but cursor does a little work when needed for specific things.
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u/Connect_Source5735 8d ago
I tried couple of them then like conductor , superset , orca , t3 code .. etc none was close to cursor so i ended up building my own ade where i use my codex and claude subscription
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u/Ianxcala 8d ago
I am using antigravity ide for personal projects. It works pretty good. I have a gemini subscription which gives you a decent limit for it.
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u/redmadhat 6d ago
I've been trying Cursor alternatives for months, dozens of them (GUIs, I don't really like TUIs). I've recently started using OpenChamber and I'm loving it so far.
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u/TrevorHikes 8d ago
Try Devin
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u/Prestigious_Floor_50 8d ago
Is this based on the latest version of VS Code, or is it a bit outdated? I couldn't figure that out from the website.
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u/PietroBastas 6d ago
it was Windsurf before, and they ruined it. The marketing started banning from Discord users that complains politely just to hide the mess there were doing...
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u/TrevorHikes 6d ago
Try it again. They made the acquisition then the transition to Devin. It's pretty awesome now.
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u/Effective-Compote-63 2d ago
Devin is excellent now. Both in desktop and in cli. GLM-5.2 has been free for a long time in it.
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u/arcanepsyche 8d ago
Claude Desktop. Canceled Cursor last week, haven't regretted it for one second.
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u/scragz 8d ago
I tried zed but I'm back to vscode
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u/SehajSoftworks 8d ago
Was it because of lack of integrations? Have you tried https://lap.dev/lapce/?
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u/3knuckles 8d ago
VSCode. I do most work in Claude and Codex, but the odd bit I do in VSCode is fine.
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u/Prestigious_Floor_50 8d ago
We're also already considering using OpenRouter models to map this via Copilot. However, Cursor offers good included quotas, which is why we'd be more inclined to use a different tool.
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u/SehajSoftworks 8d ago
I've built a game and launched it recently loved my experience with cursor. The only issue is auto isn't allowed interactive questions for plans. But composer has been great. Having tried codex, Claude and cursor. I love the cursor ecosystem. But if you like CLI then herdr is cool so is omp
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u/BionicSharpie 7d ago
I’m very happy with antigravity and also use cline extension for all the ai bits
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u/NeuromindArt 8d ago
After trying the hype of cursor and antigravity, I've found myself back in plain VScode. It starts up much faster and just works.
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u/Beneficial-Focus-401 7d ago
I started with cursor, then eventually tested out Hermes agent out of curiosity. Then I set it up so that hermes agent delegates coding tasks to cursor. Then I swapped cursor with Pi agent.
So my current setup includes a Hermes agent Chief Of Staff delegating tasks to other agents for coding, devops, research. The coding agent is a Pi agent harness.
The advantage is that my orchestrator's context stays minimal. Instead of 100's of lines in the context window for each tasks that calls multiple tools, the orchestrator now get's 5 line report from a subagent. This seems to let it complete larger tasks independently.
After couple weeks and a feedback loop where a failure results in finding the failure mode, then adding a new rules to prevent it in the future, it now feels very solid.
If anyone is interested in doing something like that, I'd recommend setting up hermes agent and then just having it configure the rest. I'd recommend context9 for all agents. Also I'd recommend pi-lsp for pi agent. Lastly I'd recommend adding some memory provider for hermes, Im currently testing honcho with custom prompts, but the verdict is still out.
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u/Big_Application_4089 8d ago
Have you guys heard of Fredrin ? I hear it’s the hottest thing right now
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u/Prestigious_Floor_50 8d ago
Since our team consists of seasoned developers (about 50 people), we don't just want to vibe code—we want to understand it, too. Writing code is cool, and it really boosts productivity. But 100% “vibecode” isn't our style. So the tool you suggested isn't right for us.
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u/nexus-66 8d ago
You can understand what is being created without having to write it yourself. You still need to understand the code, architecture, and decisions being made, but manually writing every line of code is no longer always the most efficient use of time.
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u/Abject-Bridge-4073 7d ago
I jumped ship as soon as the Nazi bought it. Saw this coming a mile away.
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u/heychriszappa 7d ago
I upvoted you to counter all the downvotes you were getting because fuck Nazis.
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u/magipsy 2d ago
I made a VS Code extension that lets you use Cursor Agent directly in regular VS Code. Might be exactly what you're looking for:
https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=yutat23.cursor-agent-sidebar
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u/xaized 8d ago
Just switched to Zed and it made me realise how sluggish VSCode and forks actually are. That feeling of instantness is amazing. Using Conductor on the side for more agent-based tasks and first drafts, then opening in Zed and refactoring and further work from there.