The short answer
If you want an editor that's optimized for AI end to end, go with Cursor; if you want to add smart completions without changing your current VS Code or JetBrains setup, GitHub Copilot is the better fit.
Cursor suits you if
- You want to use a full AI-dedicated editor built on VS Code
- You want the chat to reference your entire codebase across files
- You want it to edit multiple files together in an agent-like way
GitHub Copilot suits you if
- You want to adopt it without changing the editor you use now (VS Code / JetBrains, etc.)
- You want to combine it with GitHub's ecosystem and review features
- You value a track record of enterprise adoption and admin controls
One more option
In the same "all-in-one editor" lineage, Windsurf is also growing. If you're torn over Cursor, it's worth trying alongside it.
A note
Both are paid at their core (there are free tiers and trials, but the details change, so check each official site for the latest). The surest approach is to use both for a few days on a small project and decide based on how well the completions land and which editor you prefer.