Macaron vs Cursor
Cursor is an editor with agents built in, plus cloud agents and pull request review. Macaron has no editor: it runs Claude Code and Codex on machines of their own and checks each turn.
Updated October 1, 2026 · Other products described as of October 1, 2026
Short answer. If you want the agent inside the editor you write code in, with cloud agents that open pull requests and Bugbot reviewing them, Cursor is the more complete product. If you work in the terminal or with Claude Code and Codex directly, and want each turn isolated, checked and undoable, Macaron is built for that, and runs fine alongside Cursor.
At a glance
- What it is
- CursorA code editor with agents, also a CLI
- MacaronA workspace that runs Claude Code, Codex or its own agent
- Where you use it
- CursorThe editor, the terminal, the web, an iOS app, Slack, Linear and GitHub comments
- MacaronA desktop app, the macaron CLI, and a web app at macaron.sh/app
- Cloud agents
- CursorIsolated cloud VMs that build, test and demo, then push a branch
- MacaronComputers: a Linux machine per agent, in Docker on your Mac or in the cloud
- Models
- CursorOpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Cursor's own and others
- MacaronWhatever Claude Code, Codex or your keys give you
- Code review
- CursorBugbot reviews pull requests
- MacaronAn optional second-model reviewer on each turn's diff
- Review
- CursorIn the editor; cloud agents hand off a branch with screenshots, videos and logs
- MacaronAn "Edited N files" card per turn with undo, Review for the diff, your checks before and after, and an optional second-model reviewer
- Team features
- CursorTeams and Enterprise plans, SSO, privacy mode
- MacaronSingle user
| Cursor | Macaron | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A code editor with agents, also a CLI | A workspace that runs Claude Code, Codex or its own agent |
| Where you use it | The editor, the terminal, the web, an iOS app, Slack, Linear and GitHub comments | A desktop app, the macaron CLI, and a web app at macaron.sh/app |
| Cloud agents | Isolated cloud VMs that build, test and demo, then push a branch | Computers: a Linux machine per agent, in Docker on your Mac or in the cloud |
| Models | OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Cursor's own and others | Whatever Claude Code, Codex or your keys give you |
| Code review | Bugbot reviews pull requests | An optional second-model reviewer on each turn's diff |
| Review | In the editor; cloud agents hand off a branch with screenshots, videos and logs | An "Edited N files" card per turn with undo, Review for the diff, your checks before and after, and an optional second-model reviewer |
| Team features | Teams and Enterprise plans, SSO, privacy mode | Single user |
How each works day to day
In Cursor you write code with the agent next to you, anywhere from a targeted edit to letting the agent run. For longer work you hand a task to a cloud agent from the editor, the web, Slack, Linear or a GitHub comment; it works on a separate branch and returns a pull request with screenshots, videos and logs.
In Macaron you don't edit code yourself in the app. You chat with Claude Code, Codex or Macaron's own agent, read each turn's diff in Review, undo turns you don't want, and let your checks tell you what broke. When you want to edit by hand, you open the folder in your editor, Cursor included.
Where code runs and what it can touch
Cursor's local agent works in your editor on your machine. Its cloud agents run in isolated VMs with your cloned repository, dependencies, secrets and network access; you can restrict outbound domains. Cursor lists SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, ISO 42001 and AIUC-1, and a privacy mode under which it says it won't train on your data.
Macaron's Computers run in Docker on your own Mac or on a cloud server you connect over SSH, so you choose where the machine is. They have no access to your Mac; a sandbox copy plus Apply to Mac brings changes back only when they apply cleanly.
Pricing
Cursor's plans as published on cursor.com/pricing on October 1, 2026.
- Hobby
- PriceFree
- IncludesLimited agent requests
- Individual
- Price$20 a month
- IncludesExtended agent limits, frontier models, cloud agents, Bugbot on usage-based billing
- Teams
- Price$40 per user a month
- IncludesCentral billing, SSO, cloud agents and automations, Bugbot, team privacy mode
- Enterprise
- PriceCustom
- IncludesPooled usage, SCIM, invoice billing
| Cursor plan | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Hobby | Free | Limited agent requests |
| Individual | $20 a month | Extended agent limits, frontier models, cloud agents, Bugbot on usage-based billing |
| Teams | $40 per user a month | Central billing, SSO, cloud agents and automations, Bugbot, team privacy mode |
| Enterprise | Custom | Pooled usage, SCIM, invoice billing |
Cursor's docs say cloud agents are charged at API pricing for the model chosen, with spend limits. One Macaron plan; models on your own keys at your provider's price; cloud machines billed by the hour.
Who should pick which
- You want AI in the editor while you type: Cursor.
- Your team wants cloud agents started from Slack or Linear, and review on every pull request: Cursor Teams.
- You already use Claude Code or Codex and want them on an isolated machine with checks and undo: Macaron.
- You want to choose where the agent's machine lives, including your own server: Macaron.
Using both
This is the common setup. Write and read code in Cursor; hand longer tasks to Claude Code or Codex in Macaron; open the result in Cursor to finish by hand. Both work on ordinary git repositories, so there's nothing to sync.
What Macaron doesn't do
No Slack integration, no mobile app, no hosted SLA, no multiplayer, and no visual browser testing of its own beyond the AI end-to-end tests. It has no editor, no tab completion, and no review bot on GitHub pull requests.
Questions
Can I use Macaron alongside Cursor?+
Yes. Open the same folder in both. The macaron CLI also runs in Cursor's terminal.
Is Macaron an editor?+
No. It's where agents run and where you review what they did. You edit code by hand in your own editor.
How is Bugbot different from Macaron's reviewer?+
Bugbot reviews pull requests on GitHub. Macaron's optional reviewer is a second model reading each turn's diff in the app, before anything becomes a pull request.
Do Cursor's cloud agents and Macaron's Computers do the same thing?+
Both give the agent a machine of its own. Cursor runs and manages those VMs for you; Macaron's run in Docker on your Mac or on a server you connect, and can work on a copy of a Mac folder.
Can Macaron use my Cursor subscription?+
No. Macaron uses Anthropic, OpenAI, Bedrock or Vertex accounts and keys.
Does Macaron do autocomplete?+
No.
Sources and dates
- cursor.comcursor.com, read October 1, 2026
- Cursor pricingcursor.com, read October 1, 2026
- Cursor docs: cloud agentscursor.com, read October 1, 2026
- Cursor securitycursor.com, read October 1, 2026
Facts about other products come only from these pages, on the dates shown; prices are as published that day. Macaron's own details are as shipped on October 1, 2026. Products change, so check their sites for the latest.