Feature Comparison
| Feature | Cursor Extension | CLI |
|---|---|---|
| Best For | Interactive development | Automation & CI/CD |
| Interface | Graphical UI in editor | Terminal commands |
| Code Intelligence | SourceKit LSP integration | Not included |
| Debugging | LLDB with breakpoints | Not included |
| Build & Run | ✓ | ✓ |
| Testing | Test Explorer | JSON output for pipelines |
| Simulators | Visual management | Full CLI control |
| Physical Devices | ✓ | ✓ |
| Log Streaming | Integrated panel | Terminal streaming |
| Interactive Mode | — | Terminal-based IDE |
| AI Agents | — | Designed for Claude Code |
When to Use the Cursor Extension
Visual IDE Experience
You prefer a graphical interface with panels, buttons, and visual feedback
Debugging
You need breakpoints, variable inspection, and step-through debugging
Code Intelligence
You want autocomplete, go-to-definition, and inline error highlighting
Test Explorer
You want to run and manage tests from a visual test tree
When to Use the CLI
Terminal Workflow
You prefer working in the terminal and want keyboard-driven development
CI/CD Pipelines
You need to automate builds and tests in GitHub Actions, Jenkins, etc.
AI Assistants
You’re using Claude Code or other AI coding assistants
Scripting
You need scriptable, automatable build commands
Using Both Together
Many developers use both tools:- Cursor Extension for day-to-day development with debugging and code intelligence
- CLI for running builds in CI/CD or when working with AI assistants
The Cursor Extension and CLI maintain separate configurations. They do not share state files, so you’ll need to configure your workspace, scheme, and simulator selections independently in each tool.