Cursor vs TabnineComparisonUpdated 2026-03-16
SUMMARY
Cursor (IDE) uses mdc configuration while Tabnine (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 | Tabnine |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
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
Tabnine
.tabnine/guidelines/*.md
markdown
# Application Guidelines
## Architecture
- This is a monorepo managed with Turborepo
- Apps: web (Next.js), api (Express), mobile (React Native)
- Shared packages: ui, config, types
## Code Standards
- TypeScript strict mode in all packages
- Use barrel exports (index.ts) for public APIs
- No default exports; use named exports everywhere
- Prefer async/await over raw Promises
## API Design
- RESTful endpoints follow /api/v1/{resource} pattern
- All responses use { data, error, meta } envelope
- Validate request bodies with Zod schemas
- Return 4xx for client errors, 5xx for server errors
## Database
- Use Prisma ORM for all database operations
- Migrations checked into source control
- Soft-delete pattern: use deletedAt timestamp, never hard delete
- All timestamps stored as UTC
## Testing
- Jest for unit tests, Playwright for E2E
- Test files colocated: foo.ts -> foo.test.ts
- Mock external services, never call real APIs in tests
KEY DIFFERENCES
Cursor: mdc. Tabnine: markdown.
Cursor: Supported. Tabnine: Not supported.
Cursor: Supported. Tabnine: Not supported.
Cursor: Supported. Tabnine: Not supported.
Cursor: .cursorignore. Tabnine: Not supported.
Cursor: Hybrid (MDC frontmatter + Markdown). Tabnine: Free-form (Markdown).
WHICH SHOULD I USE?
Choose based on your IDE/CLI preference. If you use Cursor, configure .cursorrules. If you use Tabnine, configure .tabnine/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)