Cursor vs Roo CodeComparisonUpdated 2026-03-16
SUMMARY
Cursor (IDE) uses mdc configuration while Roo 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
| Feature | Cursor | Roo Code |
|---|---|---|
| Config format | mdc | markdown |
| Hierarchy support | ✓ | ✗ |
| Global config | ✓ | ✗ |
| Project config | ✓ | ✓ |
| Subdirectory scoping | ✓ | ✗ |
| File inclusion / imports | ✗ | ✗ |
| Ignore file | .cursorignore | ✗ |
| IDE integration | ✓ | ✓ |
| Schema / structure | Hybrid (MDC frontmatter + Markdown) | Free-form (Markdown) |
| Git committed | ✓ | ✓ |
| Encoding | UTF-8 | UTF-8 |
FILE MAPPING
| Purpose | Cursor | Roo Code |
|---|---|---|
| Project rules | .cursor/rules/*.mdc | .roo/rules/*.md |
| Project rules | AGENTS.md | .roo/rules-{modeSlug}/*.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
Roo Code
.roo/rules/*.md
markdown
# Code Standards
## TypeScript
- Enable strict mode in all tsconfig files
- No `any` types — use `unknown` and narrow
- Prefer interfaces over type aliases for object shapes
## React
- Functional components only
- Use custom hooks for shared stateful logic
- Colocate component, styles, and tests
## Git
- Conventional commits (feat:, fix:, chore:, etc.)
- Keep commits atomic and focused
- Squash merge feature branches
KEY DIFFERENCES
Cursor: mdc. Roo Code: markdown.
Cursor: Supported. Roo Code: Not supported.
Cursor: Supported. Roo Code: Not supported.
Cursor: Supported. Roo Code: Not supported.
Cursor: .cursorignore. Roo Code: Not supported.
Cursor: Hybrid (MDC frontmatter + Markdown). Roo Code: Free-form (Markdown).
WHICH SHOULD I USE?
Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use Cursor, configure .cursorrules. If you use Roo Code, configure .roo/rules/*.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)