Cursor vs AWS CodeWhisperer
I tested AWS CodeWhisperer and Cursor to see which AI tool helps coders best. CodeWhisperer is a smart helper from Amazon. It works right inside your favorite coding program. Cursor is a whole new coding program itself. It looks a lot like VS Code, which many people use.
I checked how fast they gave code suggestions. I also looked at the quality of the code they wrote. Can they fix bugs easily? Do they understand my whole project? CodeWhisperer is great if you build things with AWS. It even helps with security checks. Cursor can understand many files at once. It helps you change big parts of your code quickly.
Cursor felt familiar because it's like VS Code. But CodeWhisperer was very helpful for cloud projects. Both tools try to make coding easier. This review will help you pick the best one for your work. You'll learn which tool fits your coding style.
Cursor Overview
Cursor is an AI-powered code editor built as a fork of Visual Studio Code, designed to enhance developer productivity by integrating advanced artificial intelligence directly into the coding workflow...
Cursor allows users to write, edit, and refactor code using natural language instructions, making it accessible to both experienced developers and beginners.
The tool deeply understands the context of entire codebases, enabling sophisticated code analysis and multi-file edits.
Key features include AI-driven autocomplete, smart code improvement, plain language commands, in-context help, and debugging assistance. Cursor also integrates with Git, supports remote development via SSH, and is compatible with most VS Code extensions, themes, and keybindings.
Its agent mode can execute end-to-end coding tasks, and it offers privacy controls such as SOC 2 certification and a Privacy Mode that prevents remote code storage without user consent. Cursor is used by engineers at major tech companies and is positioned as a direct competitor to GitHub Copilot, differentiating itself with its multi-model support, deep codebase understanding, and seamless integration into existing developer workflows..
AWS CodeWhisperer Overview
AWS CodeWhisperer is an AI-powered code generation tool developed by Amazon, designed to assist developers by providing context-aware code suggestions directly within popular integrated development environments (IDEs)...
CodeWhisperer is deeply integrated with the AWS ecosystem, offering specialized support for AWS APIs and services such as S3, Lambda, and DynamoDB, and can proactively suggest code snippets, IAM policies, and optimizations tailored to AWS best practices.
The tool supports over 30 programming languages and a wide range of frameworks, including those for frontend, backend, mobile, and infrastructure-as-code development.
Security is a core feature, with real-time vulnerability detection (including OWASP Top 10 risks), dependency analysis for known CVEs, and permission boundary checks. CodeWhisperer also provides code optimization and refactoring suggestions, analyzing code for performance bottlenecks and recommending improvements.
It integrates with leading IDEs and offers built-in security scanning, making it suitable for individual developers, teams, and enterprises—especially those building cloud-native applications on AWS.
Unique differentiators include its deep AWS integration, real-time security scanning, and the ability to generate AWS-specific code with best practices.
The primary users are developers working within the AWS ecosystem, DevOps engineers, and teams in regulated industries requiring compliance and security oversight.
Video Tutorials & Demos
Cursor
Cursor Overview
AWS CodeWhisperer
AWS CodeWhisperer Overview
Live Pricing Pages
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Feature Comparison
Most decisive differences first—expand to explore every scored metric.
Strengths & Weaknesses Analysis
Cursor
Strengths
- Excellent code generation capabilities
- Excellent language support capabilities
- Excellent performance speed capabilities
- Excellent customization capabilities
Areas for Improvement
- No free tier available
AWS CodeWhisperer
Strengths
- Excellent code generation capabilities
- Excellent performance speed capabilities
- Excellent learning curve capabilities
- Excellent team collaboration capabilities
Areas for Improvement
- No free tier available
Final Verdict
Cursor Takes the Lead
Our Recommendation
Cursor is the better choice with a score of 8.2/10. Cursor is much better at customization - it beats AWS CodeWhisperer by 1.3 points. Cursor got some big improvements in 2025. These updates make it even better. Cursor can do coding work automatically, which saves you time on big projects. AWS CodeWhisperer has good points too - it's easy to use and works well for some tasks. But Cursor is the better choice for most teams.
Choose Cursor if:
- You frequently need to generate code from scratch
- Data privacy and security are top priorities
- You need a reliable and well-supported tool
Choose AWS CodeWhisperer if:
- You frequently need to generate code from scratch
- You want a tool that's easy to learn and use
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