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Comparing Cursor and Lapce: Which Tool Suits Your Needs?

Alex Hrymashevych Author by:
Alex Hrymashevych
Last update:
25 Jan 2026
Reading time:
~ 2 mins

Cursor

Cursor is a cutting-edge tool developed by Cursor that operates as a standalone application compatible with Windows, macOS, and Linux. It supports various large language models, including GPT-4, GPT-4 Turbo, GPT-4o, GPT-5 (High MAX), and others. The tool features a custom model known as ‘cursor-small’ and offers a massive context window of 1M tokens, making it highly efficient for complex tasks. Cursor provides full terminal access and supports agentic editing across multiple files, ensuring a seamless coding experience. The tool includes predictive editing capabilities, enhancing productivity. With a free tier available, pricing ranges up to $20 per month, making it accessible for various users. The platform maintains a standard privacy policy and holds SOC2 Type II certification for enterprise-level security.

Pros

  • Supports multiple advanced LLMs
  • Large context window of 1M tokens
  • Full terminal access
  • Agentic editing with multi-file support
  • Predictive edits enhance productivity
  • SOC2 Type II certified

Cons

  • May require a subscription for full features
  • Complex interface for beginners

Lapce

Lapce is a powerful standalone application developed by the Lapce Project, supporting Windows, macOS, and Linux. While it doesn’t integrate with large language models, it offers a context window of 32k tokens. Lapce does not support agentic editing or terminal access, focusing instead on providing a streamlined, distraction-free environment for users. It operates under a standard privacy policy and is SOC2 Type II certified, ensuring a high level of security for enterprise users. The tool is available for free, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious developers. Migration may require setup, but the platform promises a smooth user experience once configured.

Pros

  • Free to use
  • Focuses on distraction-free environment
  • SOC2 Type II certified
  • Cross-platform support

Cons

  • No support for large language models
  • Limited context window compared to competitors
  • No terminal access or agentic editing

Comparison Table

Feature Cursor Lapce
Architecture Type standalone standalone
Supported Os Windows, macOS, Linux Windows, macOS, Linux
Developer Cursor Lapce Project
Supported Llms GPT-4, GPT-4 Turbo, GPT-4o, GPT-5 (High MAX), Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Gemini, cursor-small, Supermaven
Custom Model cursor-small
Context Window 1M tokens 32k tokens
Agentic Editing Yes, multi-file No
Terminal Access Full No
Privacy Mode Standard Privacy Policy Standard Privacy Policy
Certifications SOC2 Type II (Enterprise) SOC2 Type II (Enterprise)
About Price Free – $20/mo Free
Config File .cursorrules Имя файла для промптинга (напр. .cursorrules).
Migration Seamless Requires setup

Conclusion

Both Cursor and Lapce offer unique benefits to developers, with Cursor excelling in advanced LLM support and productivity features, while Lapce provides a minimalist, cost-effective solution. Depending on your needs, either tool could enhance your development workflow.