TL;DR
Cursor vs Void: Both Cursor and Void are excellent AI IDEs. Cursor is better for users who prefer polished experiences, while Void excels for those who value established ecosystems.
Which is better: Cursor or Void?
Both Cursor and Void are excellent AI IDEs. Cursor is better for users who prefer polished experiences, while Void excels for those who value established ecosystems.
Cursor vs Void
Which is the better AI IDEs for Mac in 2026?
We compared Cursor and Void across 5 key factors including price, open-source status, and community adoption. Both Cursor and Void are excellent AI IDEs. Read our full breakdown below.
Cursor
AI-first code editor built on VS Code
Void
Open source AI code editor with local model support
Visual Comparison
Our Verdict
Both Cursor and Void are excellent AI IDEs. Cursor is better for users who prefer polished experiences, while Void excels for those who value established ecosystems.
Feature Comparison
| Feature | Cursor | Void |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Open Source | No | No |
| Monthly Installs | N/A | N/A |
| GitHub Stars | N/A | N/A |
| Category | Developer Tools | Developer Tools |
Quick Install
brew install --cask cursorbrew install --cask voidLearn More
In-Depth Overview
What is Cursor?
Cursor is the market-leading AI code editor with Composer for multi-file editing, Cursor Tab for predictive completions, and deep codebase indexing. The most mature AI IDE available with the largest community.
What is Void?
Void is an open-source, privacy-first AI code editor. Connect any LLM provider or use local models via Ollama. No telemetry, no subscriptions, no vendor lock-in. Free forever. Note: Development is currently paused as of mid-2025.
Detailed Feature Comparison
AI Feature Depth
CriticalComposer (multi-file editing), Cursor Tab (predictive completions), codebase indexing, and deep model integration.
Inline completions, chat with context, Cmd+K inline editing. Core features covered but less refined.
Verdict: Cursor's AI features are more polished and capable.
Privacy & Data Control
HighPrivacy mode prevents code storage, but code still goes through Cursor's servers for AI processing.
Full control: use local models for zero data exfiltration, or connect to any provider you trust. Open source for auditability.
Verdict: Void offers genuinely superior privacy through local model support and open-source transparency.
Pricing
CriticalHobby (Free), Pro ($20/mo), Pro+ ($60/mo), Ultra ($200/mo). Teams and Enterprise tiers available.
Free forever. BYOM (bring your own model) or use free local models. Zero subscription cost.
Verdict: Void is genuinely free with no subscription needed.
Model Flexibility
HighSupports Claude, GPT-4o, and custom models, but through Cursor's managed infrastructure.
Connect any OpenAI-compatible API, any provider, or local Ollama models. Complete model freedom.
Verdict: Void offers unmatched model flexibility and provider independence.
Community & Resources
HighLargest AI IDE community with .cursorrules, tutorials, and active forums.
Smaller open-source community. Growing but limited resources compared to Cursor.
Verdict: Cursor's community provides significantly more support and resources.
Offline Capability
MediumRequires internet connection for all AI features.
With local Ollama models, works completely offline.
Verdict: Void is the only AI IDE that works fully offline.
Cursor vs Void Feature Matrix
| Feature | Cursor | Void | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| AI Feature Depth | Excellent | Good | Cursor |
| Privacy & Data Control | Good | Excellent | Void |
| Pricing | Good | Excellent | Void |
| Model Flexibility | Good | Excellent | Void |
| Community & Resources | Excellent | Fair | Cursor |
| Offline Capability | Poor | Excellent | Void |
Who Should Choose Which?
1Professional Developer
Cursor's polished AI features justify the cost for daily professional use.
2Enterprise with Data Policies
Local model support ensures no code leaves the organization.
3Open Source Developer
Philosophical alignment + zero cost + full transparency.
4Freelancer on a Budget
Free AI coding with BYOM is ideal for budget-conscious developers.
Migration Guide
Cursor → Void
Import VS Code settings. Set up your preferred LLM provider or install Ollama for local models. Expect less polished AI features but more control.
Void → Cursor
Import settings. The transition is seamless—you'll immediately notice more sophisticated AI suggestions, especially Cursor Tab's predictive completions.
Final Verdict
Cursor (for most developers)
Winner
Runner-up
Cursor wins decisively on AI capability, polish, and active development in 2025-2026. Void, while still functional and free, has paused development as of mid-2025, making its future uncertain. Cursor now offers expanded pricing tiers (Pro+, Ultra) for power users. Void remains viable for privacy purists but carries adoption risk.
Bottom Line: Cursor wins decisively on AI capability, polish, and active development in 2025-2026. Void, while still functional and free, has paused development as of mid-2025, making its future uncertain. Cursor now offers expanded pricing tiers (Pro+, Ultra) for power users. Void remains viable for privacy purists but carries adoption risk.
Video Tutorials
How to Install Cursor (AI Code Editor) on Mac | How to Use Cursor Ai on macOS
ProgrammingKnowledge • 6.8K views
Cursor Tutorial for Beginners (AI Code Editor)
Tech With Tim • 823.6K views
4 Cursor Productivity Tips!! #cursor #ai #productivity #tips #coding
Jessica Wang • 151.2K views
Cursor 2.0 Tutorial for Beginners (Full Course)
Riley Brown • 158.7K views
Frequently Asked Questions
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Sources & References
Key Verified Facts
- Cursor is a fork of VS Code, allowing developers to natively use all existing VS Code extensions, themes, and keybindings without a complex migration process.[cite-1]
- Void is positioned as an open-source alternative to Cursor, designed to allow developers to use local LLMs or their own API keys for complete data privacy.[cite-2]
- Cursor offers a Privacy Mode setting that, when enabled, ensures user code is not stored on their servers or used to train their foundational models.[cite-3]
- Void integrates natively with local inference engines like Ollama, enabling offline, local-first code completions without routing code through centralized servers.[cite-4]
- The Void editor is fully open-source and licensed under the Apache License 2.0, allowing community contributions, auditing, and self-hosting.[cite-5]
- 1Cursor Documentation
Accessed May 6, 2026
"Cursor is a fork of VS Code, allowing developers to natively use all existing VS Code extensions, themes, and keybindings without a complex migration process."
- 2Void - The Open Source AI Code Editor
Accessed May 6, 2026
"Void is positioned as an open-source alternative to Cursor, designed to allow developers to use local LLMs or their own API keys for complete data privacy. Development is currently paused as of mid-2025."
- 3Privacy - Cursor
Accessed May 6, 2026
"Cursor offers a Privacy Mode setting that, when enabled, ensures user code is not stored on their servers or used to train their foundational models."
- 4Void Documentation - Local Models
Accessed May 6, 2026
"Void integrates natively with local inference engines like Ollama, enabling offline, local-first code completions without routing code through centralized servers."
- 5GitHub - voideditor/void: The open source Cursor alternative
Accessed May 6, 2026
"The Void editor is fully open-source and licensed under the Apache License 2.0, allowing community contributions, auditing, and self-hosting."
- 6GitHub - getcursor/cursor: The AI-first Code Editor
Accessed May 6, 2026
"Cursor maintains a public GitHub repository exclusively for issue tracking and bug reports, while the core editor's source code remains proprietary."
- 7Anysphere raises $8M from OpenAI to build an AI-powered IDE | TechCrunch
Accessed May 6, 2026
"Anysphere, the company behind Cursor, received early backing from the OpenAI Startup Fund to build an AI-first development environment."
- 8Cursor Pricing 2026
Accessed May 6, 2026
"Cursor offers Hobby (Free), Pro ($20/mo), Pro+ ($60/mo), Ultra ($200/mo), Teams ($40/user/mo), and Enterprise (Custom) pricing tiers."
- 9EvalPlus Leaderboard
Accessed May 6, 2026
"The HumanEval benchmark demonstrates that proprietary models used by Cursor (such as Claude 3.5 Sonnet and GPT-4o) consistently achieve top-tier pass rates in complex code generation."
- 10LMSys Chatbot Arena Leaderboard - Hugging Face
Accessed May 6, 2026
"Coding benchmarks on the LMSys Chatbot Arena show that high-parameter open-weights models often used with Void (like Llama-3-70B-Instruct) are highly competitive with proprietary APIs."
