Which IDE Should You Use for Development?

Choosing the right code editor can have a surprisingly big impact on how you work.

As developers, we spend a huge amount of our time inside our editor. Writing code, debugging errors, searching through files, reviewing documentation, working with Git, installing extensions, and increasingly, working with AI.

There are many editors available, but three names continue to come up in developer discussions: Cursor, Visual Studio Code, and Sublime Text.

I have used different editors over the years, and each one has its own philosophy. Sublime Text focuses heavily on speed and simplicity. Visual Studio Code provides an incredibly flexible development environment. Cursor takes the VS Code foundation and pushes it heavily toward AI-assisted development.

So which one should you actually use?

The answer depends on how you develop.

The three editors

Before comparing them, let's quickly understand what each editor is trying to achieve.

Visual Studio Code

Visual Studio Code is probably the most flexible option of the three.

It is developed by Microsoft and has a massive ecosystem of extensions. You can turn a relatively simple editor into a complete development environment for almost any programming language or framework.

For web development, you can configure VS Code for:

  • React
  • TypeScript
  • JavaScript
  • PHP
  • Laravel
  • Python
  • Node.js
  • Next.js
  • Docker
  • Git
  • SQL
  • Tailwind CSS

And that's only scratching the surface.

The biggest advantage of VS Code is its ecosystem. If you need a feature, there is a good chance that an extension already exists for it.

Cursor

Cursor is built on top of the VS Code ecosystem, but its main focus is AI-assisted development.

Instead of treating AI as another extension, Cursor makes AI part of the development workflow.

You can ask questions about your codebase, generate code, refactor existing code, explain errors, and work with multiple files using natural language.

For developers who use AI heavily, this changes the experience considerably.

Instead of constantly switching between your editor and an AI chat interface, you can work with AI directly alongside your code.

For example, instead of manually explaining a large component to an AI assistant, you can ask it to understand the relevant files and make a change across the project.

That can save a lot of time.

Sublime Text

Sublime Text takes a completely different approach.

It is lightweight, fast, and intentionally simple.

If you open Sublime Text on an older machine, you will immediately notice how quickly it starts.

There is much less going on compared with a heavily configured VS Code or Cursor installation.

That simplicity is its biggest strength.

If your priority is opening a file, editing it, searching through a project, and getting out of the way, Sublime Text is still excellent.

But modern application development often requires more than just editing files.

That's where the differences become obvious.

Performance

Performance is one area where Sublime Text has a clear advantage.

It is extremely lightweight and generally consumes fewer system resources.

VS Code is heavier, especially when you install a large number of extensions.

Cursor has similar considerations because it is based on the VS Code architecture and adds AI-related functionality on top.

For a developer working on a large project with many extensions, the difference can become noticeable.

I'd roughly think about them like this:

EditorPerformanceFeaturesAI
Sublime TextExcellentGoodLimited
VS CodeVery GoodExcellentExcellent with extensions
CursorVery GoodExcellentExcellent

Performance isn't everything, though.

A fast editor that makes you spend more time solving development problems isn't necessarily making you more productive.

Extensions and ecosystem

This is where VS Code dominates.

The VS Code extension ecosystem is enormous.

Need better PHP support?

There's an extension.

Need Laravel tooling?

There's an extension.

Need Tailwind CSS autocomplete?

There's an extension.

Need Docker integration?

There's an extension.

Need Git visualization?

There are several.

This ecosystem is one of the main reasons VS Code became so popular.

Cursor benefits from much of this ecosystem because of its VS Code foundation.

Sublime Text also has packages and plugins, but its ecosystem isn't comparable to VS Code's.

For modern full-stack development, I would therefore put VS Code and Cursor significantly ahead of Sublime Text.

AI-assisted development

This is probably the biggest difference between these editors.

AI has changed how I approach development.

Previously, I might spend an hour reading documentation and debugging a complicated issue.

Now I can use AI to help me understand the problem, explore possible solutions, generate boilerplate, and investigate unfamiliar code.

Cursor is particularly interesting because AI is deeply integrated into the editor.

You can ask questions about your project instead of explaining the entire project manually.

For example:

Find where authentication is handled and explain how a user moves from login to the dashboard.

Or:

Refactor this component into smaller reusable components without changing its behavior.

Or:

Find the reason this TypeScript error occurs and fix it across the relevant files.

These kinds of workflows can dramatically reduce repetitive development work.

VS Code can provide many of these capabilities through AI extensions and tools, so it isn't left behind.

The important distinction is that Cursor makes AI a central part of the product.

The danger of AI

There is one important thing developers shouldn't ignore.

AI can make you faster, but it can also make you worse.

If you blindly accept generated code, you might eventually become dependent on something you don't understand.

I still believe developers need to understand the fundamentals.

You should know why your code works.

You should be able to debug without AI.

You should be able to read documentation.

You should understand your framework.

AI should accelerate your thinking — not replace it.

For me, the best workflow is:

Understand → Ask AI → Review → Test → Improve

Not:

Ask AI → Copy → Pray

TypeScript and React development

For modern frontend development, my preference is between VS Code and Cursor.

If I'm working with React and TypeScript, I want:

  • TypeScript language support
  • ESLint
  • Prettier
  • Tailwind CSS IntelliSense
  • Git integration
  • Fast navigation
  • Code completion
  • Debugging
  • AI assistance
  • Terminal integration

VS Code handles all of these extremely well.

Cursor adds another layer by making AI-based code exploration and modification much more natural.

For a React/TypeScript project, both are excellent choices.

PHP and Laravel development

The same applies to PHP and Laravel.

A good Laravel development setup requires more than syntax highlighting.

You want intelligent autocomplete, code navigation, debugging, formatting, Git integration, terminal access, and framework-aware tooling.

VS Code has a mature ecosystem for PHP and Laravel development.

Cursor can use much of the same ecosystem while providing AI capabilities on top.

For Laravel developers who already rely heavily on AI, Cursor can be particularly attractive.

When I would choose Sublime Text

I wouldn't completely dismiss Sublime Text.

There are situations where it makes perfect sense.

For example, if I need to:

  • Quickly edit a configuration file
  • Modify a small script
  • Search through a large text file
  • Make a quick change on a low-resource machine
  • Open a file instantly

Sublime Text is fantastic.

It doesn't try to be everything.

And sometimes that's exactly what you want.

When I would choose VS Code

I'd choose VS Code when I want a reliable and highly configurable development environment.

It is especially attractive when:

  • Working on a team
  • Using many different technologies
  • Needing specific extensions
  • Working with complex projects
  • Wanting maximum customization
  • Teaching or collaborating with other developers

Another advantage is familiarity.

Because VS Code is so widely used, finding tutorials, extensions, configuration examples, and solutions to problems is incredibly easy.

When I would choose Cursor

I'd choose Cursor when AI is an important part of my development workflow.

If I'm working on a large codebase and constantly asking questions like:

Where is this functionality implemented?

What files depend on this component?

Can you refactor this feature?

Why is this failing?

Can you implement this feature following the existing project patterns?

Cursor becomes very compelling.

The less time I spend explaining my codebase to the AI, the more useful the AI becomes.

My choice

If I had to choose only one editor for modern software development, I'd currently choose Cursor.

Not because VS Code is bad — quite the opposite.

Cursor gets a lot of its strengths from the VS Code ecosystem.

The deciding factor for me is the integration of AI into the development workflow.

I don't want AI to write every line of code for me.

I want it to help me understand systems faster, explore unfamiliar code, identify problems, automate repetitive tasks, and experiment with ideas.

That is where Cursor currently has an advantage.

But if you don't want AI deeply integrated into your workflow, VS Code is still the safer overall recommendation.

And if you simply want an incredibly fast editor without a huge development environment, Sublime Text remains a great option.

Final comparison

If I had to summarize the three:

Choose Sublime Text if you want simplicity and speed.

Choose VS Code if you want flexibility and a huge ecosystem.

Choose Cursor if you want VS Code's ecosystem combined with an AI-first workflow.

There isn't one editor that is objectively best for every developer.

The best editor is the one that gets out of your way and helps you build.

For me, that's currently Cursor.

But tools change quickly.

The editor that feels revolutionary today might feel completely ordinary a few years from now.

And that's probably the most interesting part of being a developer — the tools keep changing, and we keep learning how to use them.