BYOB vs Cursor - Which AI Coding Tool is Right for You?

Two Tools, Different Jobs

Both Cursor and BYOB use AI to help you build software. But they solve fundamentally different problems, and choosing the wrong one means frustration instead of productivity.

Cursor is an AI-enhanced code editor. It makes you faster at writing code. BYOB is an AI application builder. It writes the code for you while you focus on what you want to create.

The choice depends entirely on what you're trying to do.

---

How Each Tool Thinks About Development

Cursor: A Better Code Editor

Cursor started as a fork of VS Code, and that heritage shows. The core experience is still writing code—opening files, typing syntax, debugging in terminals. What Cursor adds is intelligence: you can generate functions with Cmd+K, get context-aware autocomplete, and ask questions about your codebase in a sidebar chat.

It's like having a very smart colleague who can explain code, suggest implementations, and catch bugs. But you're still the one making decisions about architecture, writing the logic, and managing your project structure.

To use Cursor effectively, you need to know what useEffect does, when to use a database index, how to structure a React component. The AI helps you move faster, but it doesn't replace the knowledge.

BYOB: Skip the Code Entirely

BYOB takes a different approach. Instead of making you faster at coding, it abstracts the coding away. You describe what you want—"Build a landing page for a coffee shop with a hero section, menu, and contact form"—and the system builds it.

The interaction model is conversational. You don't open files or debug syntax errors. You say "make the logo bigger" or "add a testimonials section" and watch the changes appear in real-time.

To use BYOB effectively, you need to know what a landing page is. You don't need to know HTML, CSS, or JavaScript.

---

The Workflow Difference

This distinction matters most in the day-to-day experience of using each tool.

Working with Cursor

With Cursor, you're still coding. You open a file, position your cursor, and start typing. The AI helps—it autocompletes entire functions, suggests refactors, explains confusing code—but the fundamental unit of work is text in files.

If you want a new API endpoint, you create the file, import your dependencies, write the route handler, and connect it to your router. Cursor accelerates each step, but you're still doing each step.

When something breaks, you debug it. You read stack traces, add console logs, understand what went wrong. Cursor can help explain errors, but you're the one fixing them.

Working with BYOB

With BYOB, you're describing outcomes. You say "add a user authentication system" and the AI generates the login forms, the validation logic, the session management. You see each piece appear in the preview.

If something isn't right, you describe what's wrong: "the login button should be at the bottom, not the top." You don't find the CSS file and adjust margin-top. You just say what you want.

When something breaks—which happens less often because you're not manually editing code—you describe the problem: "the form submits but nothing happens." The AI investigates and fixes it.

---

Deployment

Here's where the differences become most stark.

Cursor's Deployment Story

With Cursor, you end up with code on your local machine. Getting that code onto the internet is a separate problem.

The standard path: push to GitHub, connect your repo to Vercel or Netlify, configure environment variables, handle build errors, wait for deploys. It's not hard if you've done it before, but it's a process with multiple steps and multiple opportunities for things to go wrong.

BYOB's Deployment Story

With BYOB, you click Deploy. Thirty seconds later, you have a live URL.

Behind the scenes, BYOB handles the build process, the hosting infrastructure, the SSL certificates, the CDN distribution. You don't configure anything. You don't wait for GitHub Actions. You just have a website.

---

Who Each Tool Is For

Cursor Fits Best For:

Developers working on complex codebases. If you're navigating a large Python backend, optimizing Rust performance code, or jumping between dozens of files in a React app, Cursor's code intelligence is invaluable. Teams with established workflows. Cursor slots into existing development practices—Git, code review, CI/CD pipelines. It doesn't change how your team works; it makes everyone faster. People who want to learn programming. Because you're still writing code, you build real understanding. The AI teaches as it assists.

BYOB Fits Best For:

Founders who need to ship now. If you're validating an idea and need a landing page by Friday, the last thing you want is dependency debugging. Freelancers managing multiple projects. When you're juggling five client sites, the ability to describe changes instead of implementing them is a multiplier. Anyone who wants a website but doesn't want to code. Marketing teams, small business owners, creators who need web presence without learning HTML.

---

Feature Comparison

---

Using Both

You don't have to choose exclusively. Some builders use both tools for different stages of a project.

Prototype and launch with BYOB when speed matters. Export the code when you need custom functionality that BYOB can't handle. Open that code in Cursor for deeper customization.

BYOB generates standard SvelteKit projects. The code is clean, well-organized, and opens just fine in any editor—including Cursor.

---

The Bottom Line

Cursor makes you a better coder. BYOB skips the coding.

If you want to build programming skills, work on complex systems, or join a development team, Cursor is the right choice. If you want a working web application and don't care about the implementation details, BYOB gets you there faster.

Neither tool is universally better. They're built for different jobs.

Try BYOB and start building