Cursor vs Windsurf | agentconfig.ing

Cursor vs WindsurfComparisonUpdated 2026-03-16

SUMMARY

Cursor (IDE) uses mdc configuration while Windsurf (IDE) uses markdown. They differ on 3 of 11 compared features. Both tools provide AI-assisted development but take different approaches to project configuration.

FEATURE COMPARISON

Feature	Cursor	Windsurf	Notes
Config format	mdc	markdown
Hierarchy support	✓	✓	Whether config files can be placed at multiple directory levels
Global config	✓	✓	User-wide configuration outside any project
Project config	✓	✓
Subdirectory scoping	✓	✓	Config files in subdirectories that apply only to that subtree
File inclusion / imports	✗	✗	Ability to include or reference other files from config
Ignore file	.cursorignore	.codeiumignore
IDE integration	✓	✓
Schema / structure	Hybrid (MDC frontmatter + Markdown)	Free-form (Markdown)	Whether config uses structured schema or free-form content
Git committed	✓	✓	Whether primary config files are intended to be version-controlled
Encoding	UTF-8	UTF-8

FILE MAPPING

Purpose	Cursor	Windsurf
Project rules (primary)	.cursor/rules/*.mdc	.windsurfrules
Project rules (directory)	.cursor/rules/*.mdc	.windsurf/rules/*.md
Ignore patterns	.cursorignore	(not supported)
Project rules	.cursor/rules/*.mdc	.windsurf/rules/*.md
Project rules	AGENTS.md	AGENTS.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

Windsurf

.windsurf/rules/*.md

markdown

---
trigger: glob
globs: "**/*.test.ts"
---

# Testing Conventions

- Use Vitest as the test runner
- Colocate test files next to source files
- Use describe blocks organized by function/component name
- Prefer userEvent over fireEvent in component tests
- Mock external services; never hit real APIs in unit tests

KEY DIFFERENCES

1. Config format

Cursor: mdc. Windsurf: markdown.

2. Ignore file

Cursor: .cursorignore. Windsurf: .codeiumignore.

3. Schema / structure

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

4. MDC vs plain Markdown format

Cursor uses the MDC (Markdown Components) format with structured YAML frontmatter for rule metadata (description, globs, alwaysApply). Windsurf uses plain Markdown files — .windsurfrules at root and .windsurf/rules/*.md with simpler frontmatter for trigger conditions.

5. Rule activation model

Cursor rules can be always-on, glob-matched to specific file patterns, or manually invoked via @-mention. Windsurf rules in .windsurf/rules/ support trigger-based activation but the root .windsurfrules is always active.

6. Ignore file support

Cursor supports .cursorignore for excluding files from AI context. Windsurf does not currently have a dedicated ignore file mechanism.

7. Legacy migration path

Cursor is transitioning from the legacy .cursorrules single-file format to .cursor/rules/*.mdc. Windsurf started with .windsurfrules and added .windsurf/rules/ as a complementary system rather than a replacement.

WHICH SHOULD I USE?

Decision Tree

Do you need fine-grained glob-based rule scoping?

├── YES → Cursor — its .mdc rules support glob patterns for targeting specific file types.

└── NO

Do you prefer a simpler, single-file configuration?

├── YES → Windsurf — .windsurfrules is a single Markdown file with no special format requirements.

└── NO

Either tool works — both support multiple rule files in a dedicated directory.

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