Cursor

Cursor is what an IDE should have been. For infrastructure engineers maintaining Helm charts, Terraform modules, Ansible roles, or in-house operators, the multi-file context is a quiet superpower.

Where it shines

• Repo-wide refactors. Rename a variable across an entire Terraform module and let Cursor walk every file. The diff is reviewable, not magic.
• Multi-file context. Ask “why is this Kubernetes Deployment failing to bind to the Service?” and it can read both manifests at once.
• Helm chart authoring. The model has good intuition about values.yaml ↔ template wiring.
• Drop-in VS Code experience. Your extensions, keymaps, and themes mostly come along.

Where to be careful

• Agent mode wants narrow scope. Give it a clear task; don’t let it loose on “make the repo better.”
• Always review diffs in source control before committing. AI-generated changes can be subtle.
• Set up .cursorignore to keep large generated files, lock files, and secret directories out of context.

How to get the most out of it

• Use the cmd+K composer for targeted edits scoped to a selection or file.
• Use chat for “explain why this isn’t working” — it can read your whole repo to answer.
• Combine with Claude or ChatGPT in a browser tab for deep diagnostic sessions, then bring the resolution back to Cursor.

A note on privacy

Cursor offers a “privacy mode” that prevents your code from being used for training. For work on proprietary infrastructure, enable it before opening anything sensitive.

Pricing notes

Free tier is good for evaluation but won’t sustain daily use. Pro at $20/mo is the realistic floor for active use. Business adds admin controls and centralized billing.