Cursor Review: Fast but Expensive AI That Crashes A Lot

Here's what actually happens when you use Cursor daily, not the marketing bullshit.

Yes, It's Faster Than Copilot (When It Works)

Cursor feels noticeably snappier than GitHub Copilot. Where Copilot takes a second or two to think, Cursor usually responds in under 500ms. The Medium benchmark showing Cursor being 30% faster matches my experience - when I'm refactoring a component or writing tests, Cursor just flows better. Multiple 2025 comparisons confirm Cursor's speed advantage, with some showing response times of 320ms vs Copilot's 890ms. Community discussions from active developers confirm Cursor's speed benefits, though power rankings show mixed SWE-bench results.

But here's the thing nobody tells you: it crashes. A lot. I've lost count of how many times I've been in the zone, writing code, and BAM - memory error, everything freezes, and I'm force-quitting the app. Happened to me twice just this week during a React refactor.

Memory Usage is Fucking Ridiculous

Let me be blunt: if you have 16GB of RAM or less, don't even bother. I'm running a MacBook Pro with 32GB RAM, and Cursor regularly consumes 6-8GB just sitting there. When I'm working on a large codebase (like a 50k+ line React app), it balloons to 12GB+ and brings my whole system to a crawl.

The forum is full of complaints about memory leaks. People with 16GB machines report restarting Cursor every 3-4 hours just to keep working. The GitHub issues tracker has multiple reports of excessive memory usage and system crashes. Recent performance issue reports show users experiencing serious CPU spikes and system freezes with 16GB RAM. That's not a feature, that's broken.

I ended up buying more RAM specifically for Cursor. That's an extra $400 cost that nobody mentions in the pricing comparisons.

Codebase Intelligence: The One Thing It Does Really Well

Here's where Cursor actually shines and why I keep paying for it despite the frustrations. When it understands your entire codebase, it's magical. I can ask it to refactor a component and it knows about my custom hooks, my utility functions, even my naming conventions.

GitHub Copilot only sees the current file. Cursor sees everything. When I'm building a new feature that touches 5-6 files, Cursor can maintain context across all of them. It's the difference between having a junior dev who needs constant guidance and a senior dev who gets the architecture. Detailed codebase analysis comparisons show how context awareness gives Cursor a significant advantage over traditional code completion tools. Enterprise teams report that full-project understanding enables more sophisticated refactoring operations than competing tools.

The indexing takes forever though - usually 5-10 minutes for bigger projects, and sometimes it just fails and you have to restart the whole thing. The official troubleshooting guides provide indexing optimization tips, but community forums reveal that indexing reliability issues remain a persistent problem for many users.

Server Issues and Downtime

When Cursor's servers go down (which happens more than I'd like), you're basically stuck with a fancy version of VS Code. All the AI features disappear. This happened during a critical deadline last month and I had to switch back to Copilot mid-sprint. You can check their status page to see the regular outages.

The performance gets slower during US business hours when everyone's using it. What takes 2 seconds at 6am might take 10 seconds at 2pm. If you're on the west coast working during peak hours, good luck.

Hardware Requirements Nobody Talks About

Here's what you actually need to run Cursor without wanting to throw your laptop out the window:

• 32GB RAM minimum (not the 8GB they claim)
• SSD storage (HDD is unusable for indexing)
• Solid internet connection (25+ Mbps or you'll be waiting forever)
• Modern CPU (2020+ recommended for large projects)

Budget an extra $500-1000 for hardware upgrades if you're on an older machine. This should be included in every "cost comparison" but never is.

Let's talk money. Cursor costs $20/month for the Pro plan, but that's bullshit pricing because you'll blow through those limits in two weeks if you actually use it. Most developers end up paying $60-120/month once they hit the usage caps. Check their official pricing page for the full breakdown of hidden costs. The June 2025 pricing changes sparked a massive user backlash with detailed cost analyses showing real usage costs. Forum users report that $20 equals just 6 hours of usage, making the advertised price essentially meaningless.

When It Actually Pays for Itself

If you're billing $75+/hour, the speed boost probably justifies the cost. I've timed myself building features - stuff that took me 4 hours with Copilot takes about 3 hours with Cursor. That's 25% faster, which more than covers the extra cost.

Here's a real example: Last month I had to add JWT authentication to a Node.js app. With Copilot, I'd bounce between files, manually connecting the middleware, routes, database models, and frontend components. With Cursor, I described what I wanted and it touched all the right files. What usually takes me a full afternoon was done in 90 minutes.

But here's the catch: this only works on projects where I've been working for a while and Cursor has indexed everything. On new projects or legacy codebases with weird patterns, it's not much better than Copilot.

The Real Cost Breakdown Everyone Ignores

Let's be honest about what Cursor actually costs:

• Pro plan: $20/month (lasts about 2 weeks of real use)
• Actual monthly cost: $60-120 depending on usage
• RAM upgrade: $400-600 (32GB minimum for comfort)
• SSD upgrade: $200-400 (if you're still on a spinner)
• Lost productivity from crashes: ~30 minutes/week restarting and re-opening projects

For a team of 5 developers, you're looking at $6,000+ in the first year including hardware upgrades. That's not the $1,200 they advertise. Detailed cost analysis shows enterprise teams can expect $100k+ annually for larger deployments when you factor in total cost of ownership.

Where It Makes Sense (Spoiler: Not for Most People)

Good fit for Cursor:

• Senior developers making $100k+ who bill clients directly
• Established codebases over 50k lines where context matters
• Teams already comfortable with expensive dev tools
• Projects with tight deadlines where speed matters more than cost

Bad fit for Cursor:

• Junior developers learning fundamentals
• Personal projects and side hustles
• Small startups watching every dollar
• Legacy systems with weird architectures
• Anyone with 16GB RAM or less

My Personal ROI Calculation

I make about $90/hour as a freelancer. Cursor saves me roughly 5-6 hours per month compared to Copilot. At my rate, that's $450-540 in value. My actual Cursor bill is usually $80-100/month.

Net benefit: ~$400/month. Worth it for me, barely.

But I also had to buy 64GB RAM ($800) and deal with the frustration of crashes during client calls. If I was making $50/hour or working on smaller projects, I'd stick with Copilot and save the money.

The Uncomfortable Truth About AI Tool Pricing

Cursor represents where AI coding tools are headed: more powerful but way more expensive. We're creating a two-tier system where developers with budget access get significant advantages over those using free/cheaper tools. Comprehensive comparisons and ROI analysis frameworks confirm this trend toward premium AI tooling.

I know junior developers who want to use Cursor but can't justify the cost. Meanwhile, developers at funded startups expense it without thinking. This creates a productivity gap that feels unfair.

Bottom Line: Do the Math for Your Situation

Before you buy Cursor:

1. Calculate your effective hourly rate (salary ÷ working hours)
2. Estimate time savings (realistically 15-25% on complex projects)
3. Add hardware upgrade costs if you need them
4. Factor in frustration costs from crashes and memory issues

If the math works out to positive value after year one, go for it. If not, stick with Copilot and invest the savings in learning or hardware that benefits all your tools.

After 8 months of daily use, crashes, memory upgrades, and overage charges, here's my brutal honest take on whether you should buy Cursor. For detailed comparisons with alternatives, check out this comprehensive analysis and complete feature comparisons. Recent power rankings and enterprise comparisons provide additional context for decision-making.

Just Buy It If...

You make $100k+ as a senior developer: The productivity gains are real. I save 5-8 hours per month, which at my rate pays for itself easily. If you're billing clients or working on complex features where speed matters, Cursor is worth the cost and hassle.

You work on large, established codebases: This is where Cursor shines. If your React app has 50k+ lines and you're constantly jumping between components, hooks, and utils, Cursor's codebase understanding is magical. GitHub Copilot feels primitive in comparison.

You already have 32GB+ RAM: If you're not dealing with memory issues, Cursor is fantastic. The crashes and slowdowns are mostly memory-related. With enough RAM, it's stable enough for daily work.

Your company pays for it: Obviously. If someone else is covering the $100+/month bill and hardware upgrades, use it. Just have Copilot as backup for when it breaks.

Don't Buy It If...

You're on a tight budget: Cursor costs 5-10x more than alternatives when you factor in usage overages and hardware requirements. If money matters, stick with GitHub Copilot or Codeium. The productivity gain isn't worth going broke over.

You have 16GB RAM or less: Don't even bother. You'll spend more time managing memory and restarting the app than coding. It's genuinely unusable on lower-spec machines.

You're learning to code: Use free alternatives and invest in learning fundamentals. Cursor makes you lazy about understanding how code works. I've seen junior devs become completely dependent on AI and struggle when it's not available.

You work on small projects: If your typical project is under 20k lines, Cursor's advantages are minimal. The codebase understanding that makes it special only kicks in on larger, more complex applications.

The Uncomfortable Reality Check

Here's what nobody wants to admit: AI coding tools are becoming luxury items. Cursor represents the future of development assistance, but it's pricing out a huge chunk of developers.

I know talented developers who can't justify Cursor's cost, while developers at funded startups expense it without thinking. This creates a productivity gap that feels fundamentally unfair. The rich get richer (and more productive), while everyone else makes do with cheaper tools.

My Personal Decision Framework

I keep paying for Cursor because:

1. I make enough hourly that the time savings justify the cost
2. I can expense it as a business cost
3. I have the hardware to run it properly
4. I work on complex projects where context matters

But if any of those changed - if I was a junior dev, working on personal projects, or had budget constraints - I'd switch to Copilot immediately.

What I Tell People Who Ask

For senior developers: Try it for 2 months, including hardware upgrades if needed. Track your actual productivity and costs. If the math works, keep it. If not, switch back.

For everyone else: GitHub Copilot is 80% as good for 20% of the cost. Unless you have specific needs that only Cursor addresses, save the money. Many developers are switching back to VS Code with Copilot, citing better stability and value.

The Bottom Line

Cursor is impressive technology that genuinely makes me more productive. It's also expensive, unstable, and resource-hungry. Whether it's worth it depends entirely on your situation, budget, and hardware.

The best AI coding tool is the one you can afford to run reliably. For many developers, that's not Cursor, and that's okay. Don't let tool FOMO make you spend money you don't have on productivity gains you might not need. Comprehensive comparisons and developer surveys consistently show mixed results on whether the premium is worth it.

My rating: 7/10 for senior devs with budget and good hardware, 3/10 for everyone else.

The uncomfortable truth is that the future of AI development tools looks expensive, and not everyone will be able to afford the best ones. Plan accordingly.