Cursor vs IntelliJ IDEA: Which IDE Is Better? (2026)

Cursor and IntelliJ IDEA represent two different philosophies in development tooling. Cursor is an AI-first code editor built on VS Code, designed around conversational AI assistance. IntelliJ IDEA is JetBrains' mature, feature-rich IDE with decades of language intelligence, recently augmented with JetBrains AI Assistant. Both are excellent tools, but they excel in different areas.

This comparison covers features, AI capabilities, language support, performance, pricing, and practical recommendations for different types of developers.

Quick Comparison

Feature	Cursor	IntelliJ IDEA
Base	VS Code fork	Custom JetBrains platform
Primary strength	AI-powered coding	Deep language intelligence
AI integration	Core feature	Add-on (JetBrains AI Assistant)
Language support	All (via extensions)	Java/Kotlin-first, all via plugins
Price	Free / $20/mo Pro	Free Community / $249/yr Ultimate
Refactoring	AI-assisted	100+ built-in refactorings
Debugging	Basic (VS Code-level)	Advanced (best-in-class for JVM)
Performance	Light (~300MB RAM)	Heavy (~2-4GB RAM)
Extensions	VS Code marketplace	JetBrains marketplace
MCP support	Yes, built-in	Limited

AI Capabilities

This is where the biggest differences emerge.

Cursor AI Features

Cursor was built from the ground up as an AI coding tool:

Tab completion: Context-aware multi-line completions that predict your next edit.
Chat (Cmd+L): Ask questions about your codebase with full file context.
Composer (Cmd+I): AI agent that can create and edit multiple files.
Agent mode: Autonomous coding agent that plans, writes, tests, and iterates.
@ mentions: Reference files, folders, docs, or web pages in prompts.
MCP servers: Connect external tools (databases, GitHub, Figma) directly to the AI.
Multi-model: Choose from Claude, GPT-4o, Gemini, and others.
Codebase indexing: The AI understands your entire project, not just open files.

IntelliJ IDEA AI Features

JetBrains added AI Assistant as an optional plugin:

AI code completion: Context-aware suggestions (requires AI Assistant subscription).
AI chat: Ask questions with project context.
AI-powered refactoring suggestions: The AI suggests when to refactor.
Commit message generation: Auto-generate commit messages.
Documentation generation: Generate JavaDoc/KDoc from code.
Explain code: Highlight code and ask for an explanation.
Limited model choice: Primarily uses JetBrains' own model routing.

Verdict on AI: Cursor wins decisively. AI is not a bolt-on feature -- it is the foundation. The agent mode, MCP server support, and multi-model flexibility put it ahead for AI-assisted development.

Language Support and Intelligence

IntelliJ IDEA

IntelliJ's language intelligence is unmatched for JVM languages:

Java: Best-in-class support with deep semantic understanding.
Kotlin: First-class support (JetBrains created Kotlin).
Groovy/Scala: Strong support via built-in plugins.
Spring Framework: Dedicated Spring support with bean navigation, endpoint detection.
Database tools: Built-in SQL editor, database browser, schema diff.
Build tools: Maven, Gradle, and sbt integration.

IntelliJ understands your code at a semantic level. It knows types, can trace through call hierarchies, and can refactor across your entire project with confidence.

Cursor

Cursor inherits VS Code's extension ecosystem:

TypeScript/JavaScript: Excellent (VS Code's core strength).
Python: Very good (via Pylance extension).
Go, Rust, C++: Good (via extensions).
Java/Kotlin: Functional but not as deep as IntelliJ.
All other languages: Supported through extensions.

Cursor's AI compensates for weaker language servers by understanding code contextually, but it cannot match IntelliJ's deterministic refactoring accuracy for Java projects.

Verdict on language support: IntelliJ wins for Java/Kotlin/JVM. Cursor wins for TypeScript/JavaScript. For Python and other languages, they are roughly equal.

Refactoring

Refactoring	Cursor	IntelliJ
Rename symbol	Yes (LSP-based)	Yes (semantic, cross-project)
Extract method	AI-assisted	Built-in, type-safe
Inline variable	AI-assisted	Built-in
Change method signature	AI-assisted	Built-in, updates all callers
Move class to package	Not reliable	Built-in, updates all imports
Convert anonymous to lambda	Not available	Built-in
Safe delete	Not available	Built-in (checks for usages first)
Pull members up/down	Not available	Built-in

IntelliJ's refactoring tools are deterministic and type-safe -- they guarantee correctness. Cursor's AI-assisted refactoring is flexible and works across languages but can occasionally make mistakes that require review.

Verdict on refactoring: IntelliJ wins, especially for large Java/Kotlin codebases where type safety matters.

Debugging

Feature	Cursor	IntelliJ
Breakpoints	Yes	Yes (conditional, exception, field-level)
Watch expressions	Yes	Yes
Variable inspection	Basic	Deep (shows all fields, nested objects)
Hot reload	Limited	Yes (JVM hot swap, Spring DevTools)
Remote debugging	Via extensions	Built-in
Memory profiler	No	Built-in
Thread debugging	Basic	Advanced (thread dumps, deadlock detection)
Database debugging	No	Built-in SQL debugging

Verdict on debugging: IntelliJ wins. Its JVM debugger is the best available.

Performance and Resource Usage

Metric	Cursor	IntelliJ IDEA
Startup time	2-5 seconds	10-30 seconds
RAM usage (idle)	200-400 MB	1-4 GB
RAM usage (large project)	500 MB - 1 GB	2-8 GB
Disk space	~500 MB	~2 GB
Indexing speed	Fast (AI-based)	Slower (but more thorough)

Cursor is significantly lighter. If you are working on a laptop or a machine with limited RAM, Cursor will feel snappier.

Verdict on performance: Cursor wins. It is faster to start and uses less memory.

Pricing (2026)

Plan	Cursor	IntelliJ IDEA
Free	2,000 completions, 50 slow requests/mo	Community Edition (limited features)
Pro	$20/month (unlimited completions, 500 fast requests)	$24.90/month (Ultimate, first year)
Business	$40/month per seat	$24.90/month per seat (Ultimate)
AI add-on	Included	+$10/month (JetBrains AI Assistant)

When you factor in the AI Assistant add-on, IntelliJ Ultimate + AI costs about the same as Cursor Pro. But Cursor's AI is far more capable.

Who Should Use Cursor?

Cursor is the better choice if you:

Write primarily TypeScript, JavaScript, or Python.
Want the best AI coding experience available.
Work on full-stack web projects (React, Next.js, Node.js).
Need MCP server integration for databases, GitHub, or Figma.
Prefer a lightweight, fast editor.
Work across multiple languages frequently.
Are comfortable with VS Code and its ecosystem.

Who Should Use IntelliJ IDEA?

IntelliJ is the better choice if you:

Write primarily Java or Kotlin.
Work with Spring Boot, Micronaut, or Quarkus frameworks.
Need enterprise-grade refactoring tools.
Require advanced debugging (remote, thread-level, memory profiling).
Work with databases regularly (built-in tools are excellent).
Need Maven/Gradle deep integration.
Work in a team that standardizes on JetBrains tools.

Can You Use Both?

Yes, and many developers do. A common setup:

IntelliJ IDEA for Java/Kotlin backend work where type-safe refactoring and debugging matter.
Cursor for frontend work, scripting, prototyping, and any task where AI assistance speeds you up.

Both support the same version control systems and can open the same project directories. You can switch between them seamlessly.

The Hybrid Approach: IntelliJ + AI Plugins

If you want to stay in IntelliJ but get better AI assistance, consider these plugins:

Plugin	What It Adds
JetBrains AI Assistant	Built-in AI chat and completions
GitHub Copilot	AI completions from OpenAI
Continue.dev	Open-source AI assistant (multiple models)
Codeium	Free AI completions

These plugins bring some of Cursor's AI features to IntelliJ, though the integration is not as seamless as Cursor's native approach.

Conclusion

There is no single "better" IDE. Cursor is the best AI-powered code editor in 2026, and IntelliJ IDEA is the best traditional IDE for JVM development. Your choice should depend on your primary language, how much you value AI assistance, and whether you need IntelliJ's enterprise Java tooling.

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