Cursor vs JunieComparisonUpdated 2026-03-16
SUMMARY
Cursor (IDE) uses mdc configuration while Junie (Agent) uses markdown. They differ on 7 of 11 compared features. Both tools provide AI-assisted development but take different approaches to project configuration.
FEATURE COMPARISON
| Feature | Cursor | Junie |
|---|---|---|
| Config format | mdc | markdown |
| Hierarchy support | ✓ | ✗ |
| Global config | ✓ | ✗ |
| Project config | ✓ | ✓ |
| Subdirectory scoping | ✓ | ✗ |
| File inclusion / imports | ✗ | ✗ |
| Ignore file | .cursorignore | ✗ |
| IDE integration | ✓ | Agent |
| Schema / structure | Hybrid (MDC frontmatter + Markdown) | Free-form (Markdown) |
| Git committed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Encoding | UTF-8 | UTF-8 |
SIDE-BY-SIDE CODE SAMPLES
Cursor
.cursor/rules/*.mdc
mdc
---
description: React component conventions and patterns
globs: "*.tsx"
alwaysApply: false
---
# React Component Rules
- Use functional components with explicit return types
- Define props interface directly above the component
- Export components as named exports, never default
- Use Tailwind CSS utility classes exclusively
Junie
.junie/guidelines.md
markdown
# Project Guidelines
## Language & Framework
- Kotlin with Spring Boot 3.x
- Gradle with Kotlin DSL
- JDK 21 with virtual threads
## Architecture
- Hexagonal architecture (ports & adapters)
- Domain events for cross-module communication
- CQRS for read-heavy endpoints
## Code Standards
- Follow Kotlin coding conventions
- Use data classes for DTOs
- Prefer sealed classes for domain errors
- Extension functions over utility classes
## Testing
- JUnit 5 with Kotest assertions
- Testcontainers for integration tests
- MockK for mocking (not Mockito)
## Build & Run
- Build: ./gradlew build
- Test: ./gradlew test
- Run: ./gradlew bootRun
KEY DIFFERENCES
Cursor: mdc. Junie: markdown.
Cursor: Supported. Junie: Not supported.
Cursor: Supported. Junie: Not supported.
Cursor: Supported. Junie: Not supported.
Cursor: .cursorignore. Junie: Not supported.
Cursor: Supported. Junie: Agent.
Cursor: Hybrid (MDC frontmatter + Markdown). Junie: Free-form (Markdown).
WHICH SHOULD I USE?
Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use Cursor, configure .cursorrules. If you use Junie, configure .junie/guidelines.md. Many projects include config files for multiple tools so each team member can use their preferred editor.
PORTABILITY TIP
sync-instructions.sh
bash
# Maintain a single source of truth:
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md CLAUDE.md
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md .cursorrules
cp AI-INSTRUCTIONS.md AGENTS.md
SEE ALSO
File references:
agentconfig.ing2026-03-16COMPARE(1)