Cursor vs VS Code vs Antigravity – Which AI Code Editor Should You Choose?

If you are trying to choose an AI code editor right now, it is honestly confusing.

There are too many options. Everyone on X is saying one tool is the best. Someone else says that tool is overrated. So I decided to actually spend time using them properly and see where they really stand.

In this blog, I am sharing my honest experience with Visual Studio Code, Cursor, and Antigravity.

I am not talking theory. I actually used them and faced their limits, errors, rate limits, and real workflow issues. So if you are confused about which AI code editor to pick in 2026, this will help.

Antigravity – Google’s AI Code Editor

Let’s start with Antigravity.

Antigravity is a new AI code editor launched by Google. It is basically a fork of VS Code, so the UI feels familiar from day one. You get extensions, themes, terminal, everything you expect from a proper code editor.

Now coming to AI features.

It has:

1. Agent mode
2. Planning mode
3. Code completion
4. Multiple model support

The biggest advantage here is access to Google’s latest models like Gemini 3 Pro and 3 Flash. In my experience, these models are very strong for reasoning and structured code generation.

Another good thing is rate limits.

Unlike some other tools where you get monthly limits, Antigravity gives daily rate limits for certain models and it resets the next day. That feels psychologically better because you don’t feel stuck for a whole month.

It also supports models from OpenAI and Anthropic like GPT models and Claude Opus or Sonnet. You can even plug in external models.

But let me be real.

I faced some issues.

1. Agent failing in the middle of tasks
2. Agent panel crashing
3. AI sometimes not responding
4. Random errors

Some updates fixed issues, but stability is still something to consider before buying any plan.

If you exceed rate limits for Google models, you can upgrade using Google One, which costs around $20 per month. Google related models usually get higher limits compared to non Google ones.

So my take on Antigravity:

If you want strong Google AI models in a budget and you are okay testing a newer tool, it is worth trying.

But do not expect 100 percent stable experience yet.

Visual Studio Code with AI

Now let’s talk about VS Code itself.

Visual Studio Code is developed by Microsoft and it is one of the most mature code editors ever built. Most AI code editors today are just forks of it.

For AI features, you mainly use GitHub Copilot.

Copilot gives:

1. Agent mode
2. Code completion
3. Chat based editing
4. Planning workflows

The experience is solid because VS Code itself is very stable.

But here’s the catch.

The free models are not that impressive. Some older lightweight models struggle with complex coding tasks. Compared to latest Gemini 3 or Claude Opus level models, they feel weaker.

If you want better models and higher limits, you need the Copilot Pro subscription which costs around $10 per month.

Now one interesting thing.

If you already have API keys from OpenAI or Google, you can configure them in some setups instead of paying for subscription. I tested this.

Gemini 2.5 models worked fine.

But Gemini 3 gave errors repeatedly in my case.

Also, sometimes Copilot errors out in the middle of tasks. Not very often, but it does happen.

Still, VS Code is the safest choice.

It is stable.

Extensions ecosystem is unmatched.

You are not locked in.

So if you want a solid code editor first and AI as a support feature, VS Code is the best balanced option.

Cursor – AI Integrated Properly

Now coming to Cursor.

Cursor is also built on top of VS Code, but they have deeply integrated AI into the workflow. It does not feel like an add on. It feels native.

In my testing, Cursor’s agent experience was smoother compared to Antigravity and even Copilot in some cases.

Less random crashes.

Fewer mid task failures.

Better UI around AI context.

They also provide:

1. Latest major AI models
2. Their own coding model called Composer
3. Strong agent workflows
4. Smart code edits

Now the problem.

Free tier limits are very low.

Agent requests finish quickly.

Tab completions hit limits fast.

Their Pro plan costs around $20 per month. That feels expensive compared to VS Code.

Also, for some premium models, you need the Pro plan even if you want to use external APIs.

So Cursor is clearly targeting users who want premium AI experience and are okay paying for it.

If your priority is smooth AI assisted development and you code daily for long hours, Cursor is impressive.

But it is not the cheapest option.

So Which One Should You Pick?

Here’s my simple summary.

If you want:

A stable code editor with some AI help → Go with VS Code.

If you want:

Access to powerful Google models in a budget and can tolerate minor instability → Try Antigravity.

If you want:

A premium, deeply integrated AI experience and you are serious about AI first development → Cursor is strong.

There is no perfect editor.

All of them have:

1. Rate limits
2. Model restrictions
3. Occasional errors
4. Subscription upsells

At the end of the day, your workflow matters more than brand names.

What About Other AI Coding Tools?

You can also try CLI based or external agent tools like:

1. Codex style tools
2. Gemini CLI
3. Claude Code

These can work alongside any editor.

Sometimes combining a simple editor with a powerful external agent gives better results than relying completely on an AI integrated IDE.

My Honest Opinion After Using Them

No tool is magical.

AI code editors are powerful, yes.

But they are still tools.

You still need to:

1. Understand your code
2. Review AI output
3. Think about architecture
4. Debug properly

If you blindly trust the agent, you will face problems.

But if you use these tools smartly, your productivity can easily double.

For me, I switch depending on my goal.

Sometimes I just want clean stable coding environment.

Sometimes I want aggressive AI help for rapid building.

Sometimes I want latest Google models.

That’s why testing matters more than hype.

I have created a full YouTube video on this.

Link: https://youtu.be/4PsbeUmFjf8?si=th00ky_sNrUD6rpF

You can check it out from here and see everything in action.

Let me know in comments which AI code editor you are using right now and whether you are satisfied with it.