Cursor: the native AI editor
Cursor is built around AI from the ground up. Its Composer feature modifies multiple files simultaneously based on natural language instructions. Its understanding of the complete codebase is its main advantage.
GitHub Copilot: integration in the existing
If you are already in the GitHub ecosystem, Copilot is the natural choice. Integration with pull requests, code reviews and GitHub issues is unmatched.
For data teams: Cursor for model and pipeline development. GitHub Copilot for teams with a strong GitHub workflow. Claude Code for complex exploration and debugging tasks.
Claude Code: the development agent
Claude Code is less a code companion than a developer agent. Give it a task, it analyses the code, proposes a plan, executes modifications and presents a complete diff.
Our final recommendation
Solo data developer or small team: Cursor. Large team with GitHub workflow: Copilot. Complex exploration and refactoring: Claude Code. Ideally: combine Cursor daily with Claude Code for difficult challenges.
Working with these assistants without losing control of your code is practised throughout the AI Engineering Bootcamp.
