Cursor vs Google AntiGravity: Best IDE for Vibe Coders in 2026

The AI code editor space just got interesting. For over a year, Cursor dominated the conversation. It became the default choice for developers who wanted AI assistance that actually understood their codebase. Then Google dropped AntiGravity in November 2025, and suddenly we have a real competition.

Both tools promise to transform how you write code. Both deliver on that promise in very different ways. If you're trying to decide which one deserves a spot in your workflow, this breakdown will help you choose.

The Quick Take

Cursor is the refined, battle-tested option. It does AI-assisted coding extremely well and rarely surprises you in bad ways. AntiGravity is the ambitious newcomer with agent capabilities that feel like a glimpse of the future, but comes with the rough edges you'd expect from something this new.

Neither is objectively better. The right choice depends on how you work and how much risk you're comfortable with.

What Each Tool Does Best

 

  

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Feature Comparison

Let's break down what matters for daily coding work.

AI Code Editing

Cursor excels at inline assistance. Highlight code, describe what you want changed, and watch it happen. The tab completion predicts your intent with eerie accuracy. Codebase indexing means it understands your project structure, naming conventions, and patterns.

AntiGravity approaches editing through agents. You describe a task, an agent plans the approach, then executes across files. It's more powerful for large changes but less precise for quick edits. The mental model is different: you're delegating, not collaborating.

Winner: Cursor for everyday editing. AntiGravity for sweeping refactors.

Agent Capabilities

Cursor's Composer and Agent modes can handle multi-file changes and even run terminal commands. But the orchestration is relatively simple. One agent, one task, sequential execution.

AntiGravity's Agent Manager is the headline feature. Multiple agents running in parallel. Agents that spawn other agents. Asynchronous workflows where one agent writes code while another researches documentation while a third runs tests. It feels like having a small team instead of a single assistant.

Winner: AntiGravity by a significant margin. This is where Google went all in.

Model Flexibility

Cursor lets you choose between Claude, GPT-4, and other models. You can switch based on the task or your preferences. Privacy mode keeps code local when needed. The flexibility is appreciated.

AntiGravity runs primarily on Gemini 3 Pro with deep Google integration. You get access to other models, but Gemini is clearly the first-class citizen. The tradeoff is tighter integration versus less choice.

Winner: Cursor for flexibility. AntiGravity if you're already in the Google ecosystem.

Stability and Polish

Cursor has had time to mature. The experience is smooth. Bugs exist but rarely block your work. The team ships frequent updates without breaking existing workflows. Community complaints focus on edge cases, not core functionality.

AntiGravity is newer and it shows. Users report occasional UI freezes, unexpected behavior from agents, and the infamous stories of agents making destructive changes without confirmation. Google is iterating fast, but early adopters are essentially beta testers.

Winner: Cursor decisively. AntiGravity needs another six months of polish.

Safety and Guardrails

This deserves its own section because it matters.

Cursor operates with a collaborative model. AI suggests, you approve. Destructive operations require confirmation. The worst case scenario is usually wasted time, not lost work.

AntiGravity's autonomous agents can run terminal commands, modify files, and interact with external services. The power is real, but so are the risks. There are documented cases of agents deleting files or directories without explicit approval. One widely shared incident involved an agent wiping a user's secondary drive.

Google has added guardrails since launch, but the architecture inherently carries more risk. If you use AntiGravity, sandbox aggressively and commit often.

Winner: Cursor for peace of mind. AntiGravity demands more vigilance.

Pricing Reality Check

Cursor Pro runs $20/month with generous usage limits. Most individual developers find this sufficient. Teams get volume pricing.

AntiGravity offers a free tier (limited agent runtime) and a Pro tier at $25/month. The agent compute costs mean heavy users might hit limits faster than expected.

Both are affordable for the productivity gains they deliver. Price probably shouldn't be your deciding factor.

Which Vibe Coder Are You?

Here's the honest recommendation based on how you work:

Choose Cursor If You:

• Value stability over cutting-edge features
• Work on production codebases where mistakes are costly
• Prefer AI as a collaborator, not a replacement
• Want a polished experience that just works
• Are new to AI-assisted development

Choose AntiGravity If You:

• Love experimenting with bleeding-edge tools
• Work on greenfield projects where you can move fast
• Want to automate complex multi-step workflows
• Have strong version control discipline
• Don't mind occasionally wrestling with bugs

The Hybrid Approach

Some developers are using both. Cursor for daily work where reliability matters. AntiGravity for exploration, prototyping, and learning what autonomous agents can do. This might be the smartest play while AntiGravity matures.

Real Talk: What I Actually Use

For shipping production code, Cursor remains my daily driver. The consistency matters when you're on a deadline and can't afford to debug your tools.

For weekend projects and experiments, AntiGravity is genuinely exciting. Watching multiple agents coordinate to build a feature is unlike anything else. When it works, it feels like the future arrived early.

The trajectory matters too. Cursor is incrementally improving something that already works. AntiGravity is attempting something more ambitious that doesn't fully work yet. In a year, this comparison might look very different.

The Bottom Line

Cursor is the safe choice that won't let you down. If you've never tried an AI code editor, start here. You'll ship faster with minimal friction.

AntiGravity is the bold choice for developers who want to push boundaries. The agent capabilities are genuinely impressive when they work. The risks are real but manageable with proper precautions.

Both tools represent where software development is heading. The question isn't whether AI will change how you code. It's whether you want the polished present or the messy future.

For most developers reading this, Cursor is the recommendation. It delivers on the vibe coding promise without the sharp edges.

For the experimenters, the tinkerers, the ones who'd rather be early than comfortable: AntiGravity is worth your attention. Just keep your backups current.

The best IDE is the one that matches how you actually work. Try both. See which one makes you more productive. The tools are good enough now that the real bottleneck is your imagination, not your editor.

Choose accordingly.