Microsoft Visual Studio Code vs Cursor
A data comparison of two Developer Tools apps for macOS. Figures come from Homebrew metadata and 30-day install statistics; this page contains no subjective reviews.
Verdict: If you want the larger user base (30-day installs: 36,536 vs 6,983), choose Microsoft Visual Studio Code; that usually means more tutorials and faster answers.
| Microsoft Visual Studio Code | Cursor | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | GUI app | GUI app |
| Category | Developer Tools | Developer Tools |
| Open source | Not declared | Not declared |
| License | Not declared | Not declared |
| Apple silicon | Universal binary | Universal binary |
| Latest version | 1.143.1 | 3.27.14,69b724ebc67ec522c1b5d287a5025f7a7e81be97 |
| Dependencies | 0 | 0 |
| Installs (30 days) | 36,536 | 6,983 |
| Install command | brew install --cask visual-studio-code | brew install --cask cursor |
Which one should you install?
- If you want the larger user base (30-day installs: 36,536 vs 6,983), choose Microsoft Visual Studio Code; that usually means more tutorials and faster answers.
Install either one with a single command:
How to read this comparison
This compares only facts Homebrew publishes: package type, category, license, architecture, version, dependency count and 30-day installs. Higher installs mean more people installed it via Homebrew, not a quality score. Data updated 2026-11-14。