Claude Code is better at understanding legacy code you didn't write. Cursor is better at generating net-new features fast. That's the whole comparison — everything else is details.
I've been running both on a production Django/React app for six months. Here's what actually matters.
Where Claude Code Wins
Claude Code reads context better than anything I've tested. My authentication middleware was failing intermittently. I pasted the error. Claude traced it through four middleware layers, found the race condition in my session store, and explained why it only happened under load.
I never told it we were using Redis. It figured that out from imports.
Cursor would have needed explicit @ references for every file. Even then it might have missed the architectural reason we built it that way. Claude Code just gets it.
The weakness: it's slow at boilerplate. New API endpoint with validation, serializers, and tests? Three prompts and too much back-and-forth. Sometimes you just want the code.
Where Cursor Wins
Cursor's autocomplete is magic when you're building something new. I start typing a function signature and it completes the entire implementation before I finish the docstring. Right about 70% of the time — high enough to trust it.
Cmd+K inline editing is faster than anything Claude offers for small changes. Highlight, describe, enter. Done. No context switching.
The weakness: it hallucinates when context gets complex. It'll confidently import a function that doesn't exist, or reference a column you renamed three months ago. You have to review everything, which kills the speed advantage.
The Actual Decision
Use Claude Code for: debugging, refactoring, understanding code someone else wrote.
Use Cursor for: building new features where you know the architecture and just need implementation done fast.
If you only work on codebases you wrote yourself, Cursor is probably enough. But if you're joining projects mid-stream or inheriting legacy code, Claude Code saves hours every week.
The Best Setup in 2026
Run both. Use Cursor as your daily driver. Open Claude Code when something breaks and you don't know why.
$40/month total. Best tool for each situation. Worth it.
Full breakdown with pricing details at The Dev Brief
