Cursor vs Kilo CodeUpdated 2026-03-18

SUMMARY

Cursor (IDE) uses mdc configuration while Kilo Code (IDE) uses markdown. They differ on 6 of 11 compared features. Both tools provide AI-assisted development but take different approaches to project configuration.

FEATURE COMPARISON

FeatureCursorKilo Code
Config formatmdcmarkdown
Hierarchy support
Global config
Project config
Subdirectory scoping
File inclusion / imports
Ignore file.cursorignore
IDE integration
Schema / structureHybrid (MDC frontmatter + Markdown)Free-form (Markdown)
Git committed
EncodingUTF-8UTF-8

FILE MAPPING

PurposeCursorKilo Code
Project rules.cursor/rules/*.mdc.kilorules
Project rulesAGENTS.md.kilo/rules-{mode-name}/*.md

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
Kilo Code
.kilorules
markdown
# Project Rules

## Stack
- TypeScript 5.x with strict mode
- React 19 + Next.js 15 (App Router)
- Tailwind CSS v4 for styling
- Drizzle ORM for database access

## Code Standards
- Named exports only (no default exports)
- Prefer `const` assertions and satisfies operator
- Use Result<T, E> pattern for error handling
- Maximum 30 lines per function

## File Organization
- Colocate tests: `foo.ts` → `foo.test.ts`
- One component per file
- Barrel exports (index.ts) for public module APIs

## Git
- Conventional commits: feat|fix|chore|docs|test
- Squash merge feature branches
- Branch naming: type/description

KEY DIFFERENCES

1. Config format

Cursor: mdc. Kilo Code: markdown.

2. Hierarchy support

Cursor: Supported. Kilo Code: Not supported.

3. Global config

Cursor: Supported. Kilo Code: Not supported.

4. Subdirectory scoping

Cursor: Supported. Kilo Code: Not supported.

5. Ignore file

Cursor: .cursorignore. Kilo Code: Not supported.

6. Schema / structure

Cursor: Hybrid (MDC frontmatter + Markdown). Kilo Code: Free-form (Markdown).

WHICH SHOULD I USE?

Recommendation

Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use Cursor, configure .cursorrules. If you use Kilo Code, configure .kilocodemodes. 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

agentconfig.ing2026-03-18COMPARE(1)