Cursor vs Visual Studio Code:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, Visual Studio Code had more branded searches than Cursor among code editors worldwide. Visual Studio Code had about 4 million branded searches, while Cursor had 142,000. Visual Studio Code made up 74% of all code editor searches we track, and Cursor accounted for 2.7%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about code editors, both Cursor and Visual Studio Code appeared in all five answers. Visual Studio Code was mentioned before Cursor in every answer.
Who do people search for more?
Visual Studio Code, about 28 searches for every 1 for Cursor
Who does AI mention more?
Both are mentioned in every answer we collected.
Who does AI recommend more?
Visual Studio Code, named ahead of Cursor in every answer
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Top code editors in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, both Cursor and Visual Studio Code showed up in all five answers. Visual Studio Code was listed before Cursor in every answer.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
- Visual Studio Code1st
Cursor2nd
Zed3rd
Sublime Text4th
JetBrains5th
Neovim6th
Notepad++7th
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Visual Studio Code5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Cursor5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Zed5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Sublime Text3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Neovim3 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Notepad++2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- JetBrains2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about code editors
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which code editor should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best code editors?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best code editor for daily programming work?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“code editor”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“programming editor”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 20, 2026.
Is Cursor or Visual Studio Code more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for Cursor and Visual Studio Code by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all seven code editors we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for Visual Studio Code, Cursor. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Visual Studio Code | Notepad++ | JetBrains | Sublime Text | Cursor | Neovim | Zed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 69.6% | 14.5% | 5.3% | 4.3% | 2.9% | 2.4% | 1.1% |
| Nov 2025 | 69.7% | 15.3% | 4.6% | 4.6% | 3% | 2% | 0.75% |
| Dec 2025 | 67.4% | 17.1% | 5.1% | 4.2% | 3% | 2.3% | 0.84% |
| Jan 2026 | 70.2% | 14.6% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 3.2% | 2.4% | 0.88% |
| Feb 2026 | 64.5% | 21% | 4.2% | 4.2% | 3.2% | 1.9% | 0.85% |
| Mar 2026 | 69.1% | 14.4% | 5.3% | 4.3% | 3.7% | 2.4% | 0.86% |
| Apr 2026 | 72.8% | 12.4% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3.5% | 2% | 1.1% |
| May 2026 | 72.6% | 12.3% | 4.5% | 3.7% | 3.5% | 2% | 1.4% |
| Jun 2026 | 74.2% | 12.6% | 3.8% | 3.1% | 3.5% | 1.7% | 1.1% |
| Jul 2026 | 73.7% | 13.3% | 4% | 3.2% | 3.3% | 1.8% | 0.8% |
| Aug 2026 | 73.8% | 13.3% | 4% | 3.3% | 3.1% | 1.8% | 0.8% |
| Sep 2026 | 74% | 12.6% | 4.6% | 3.8% | 2.7% | 1.7% | 0.76% |
How has the Cursor and Visual Studio Code comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- Visual Studio Code was ahead of Cursor in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Cursor’s share of searches among code editors worldwide moved from 2.9% to 2.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 165K to 142K.
- Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Visual Studio Code’s share of searches among code editors worldwide moved from 69.6% to 74%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 4M.
How did search popularity change for code editors worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
Cursor’s share of searches among code editors worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 3.5% to 2.7% in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
17 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using Cursor’s and Visual Studio Code’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading.
Cursor
14 branded search terms
- anysphere cursor
- cursor ai editor
- cursor app
- cursor bugbot
- cursor cli
- cursor code
- cursor code editor
- cursor composer
- cursor editor
- cursor ide
- cursor pro
- cursor sh
- cursor vscode
- cursor.sh
Visual Studio Code
3 branded search terms
- visual studio code
- vs code
- vscode
Other head-to-heads among code editors
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