Claude Code vs Cursor: How They Differ and What to Pick

Claude Code and Cursor solve the same problem — writing and changing code with a language model — but approach it from different directions. The first works in the terminal as an agent; the second is built into a VS Code-based editor. That interface difference shapes the scenarios where each fits.

Where each is stronger

Claude Code runs in the terminal and works with the whole project: it reads files, applies edits, runs commands, and shows a diff. It suits tasks that are described in words rather than clicks: a refactor across several files, understanding an unfamiliar repository, applying a series of edits from a description.

Cursor is an editor. The model sits inside a familiar loop: autocomplete, editing a selected fragment, chat with the context of open files. It fits those who want to see the code and step in at every point.

How tokens are counted

Both tools pay for model tokens: input is the context you pass (prompt, files, history), output is the generated response. The difference lies in how much context goes into a request.

An agent like Claude Code often pulls in more files and takes several steps in a row, so usage grows on longer tasks. Cursor usually passes a narrower context, but frequent calls add up too.

Through Zukko both programs reach the same catalog of models priced per million tokens. For example:

The model set changes; the current list is GET https://api.zukko.pro/v1/models.

For comparison: Anthropic's official price for Claude Opus 5.5 is $4 for input and $20 for output per 1M. A caveat for agent workloads with a large context: vendors charge ~10% of the input price for prompt-cache reads, while Zukko bills cached tokens at the regular price, so the real gap is smaller than a straight comparison suggests.

Can you use both

Yes, and it is a common pairing: Cursor for everyday editing, Claude Code when a task goes beyond one or two files. Both connect to the same key and the same gateway; only the configuration format differs.

Claude Code reads environment variables:

export ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL=https://api.zukko.pro
export ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN=fetch_...

Note: use ANTHROPIC_AUTH_TOKEN specifically. With ANTHROPIC_API_KEY, Claude Code will require signing into an Anthropic account. The base URL is set without the /v1 suffix — the client adds the path itself.

Cursor and any OpenAI SDK clients are configured with a base URL that includes the suffix:

What to choose

If the work centers on the terminal and often needs to traverse the whole project, start with Claude Code. If staying in the editor with autocomplete and targeted edits matters more, start with Cursor. The choice is not final: both tools can share one key, and you can switch by task.

Connection questions go to Zukko support: https://t.me/zukkopro?direct↗