Cursor
Cursor is a standalone software development tool compatible with major operating systems including Windows, macOS, and Linux. Developed by Cursor, it supports various large language models (LLMs) such as GPT-4, GPT-4 Turbo, and the upcoming GPT-5, among others. Notably, Cursor also features its custom model ‘cursor-small’. It offers a substantial context window of 1 million tokens, enabling extensive data processing capabilities. While it does not support local inference, it excels in agentic editing across multiple files and provides full terminal access. Predictive edits and a seamless migration process further enhance its usability. Cursor’s pricing ranges from free to $20 per month, with a privacy policy that adheres to standard practices and certifications like SOC2 Type II for enterprise clients.
Pros
- ✓ Supports a wide range of LLMs including GPT-5.
- ✓ Offers a large context window of 1 million tokens.
- ✓ Seamless migration process.
- ✓ Full terminal access.
- ✓ Predictive edits feature.
Cons
- ✕ Does not support local inference.
- ✕ Pricing can go up to $20 per month.
IntelliJ IDEA
IntelliJ IDEA is a standalone development environment created by JetBrains, designed to support developers on Windows, macOS, and Linux platforms. It integrates with several advanced LLMs including GPT-5 and JetBrains’ own custom models. With a context window of 200k tokens, IntelliJ IDEA offers robust local inference capabilities, making it a powerful tool for developers needing on-device processing. It also includes features like multi-file agentic editing, full terminal access, and predictive edits. While its migration requires some setup, the tool is offered in both free and professional tiers, adhering to a standard privacy policy and SOC2 Type II certification for enterprises.
Pros
- ✓ Supports local inference.
- ✓ Integrates with custom JetBrains SLMs.
- ✓ Available in both free and professional tiers.
- ✓ Full terminal access.
- ✓ Predictive edits feature.
Cons
- ✕ Migration requires setup.
- ✕ Smaller context window compared to Cursor.
Comparison Table
| Feature | Cursor | IntelliJ IDEA |
|---|---|---|
| Architecture Type | standalone | standalone |
| Supported Os | Windows, macOS, Linux | Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Developer | Cursor | JetBrains |
| Supported Llms | GPT-4, GPT-4 Turbo, GPT-4o, GPT-5 (High MAX), Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini, cursor-small, Supermaven | GPT-5, Gemini 2.0, Llama 4, Mistral Enterprise, JetBrains SLMs |
| Custom Model | cursor-small | JetBrains SLMs |
| Context Window | 1M tokens | 200k tokens |
| Agentic Editing | Yes, multi-file | Yes, multi-file |
| Terminal Access | Full | Full |
| Privacy Mode | Standard Privacy Policy | Standard Privacy Policy |
| Certifications | SOC2 Type II (Enterprise) | SOC2 Type II (Enterprise) |
| About Price | Free – $20/mo | Free/Pro |
| Config File | .cursorrules | .intellij-ai-config |
| Migration | Seamless | Requires setup |
Conclusion
<p>Both Cursor and IntelliJ IDEA offer strong development environments with unique strengths. Cursor is ideal for users needing a large context window and seamless migration, while IntelliJ IDEA excels with local inference capabilities and custom model integration. Choosing between them depends on specific project needs and preferences.</p>