Claude Code vs Cursor for MCP servers
Claude Code and Cursor differ in 4 of 10 facts: publisher, kind, price, server config.
| Fact | Claude Code | Cursor |
|---|---|---|
| Publisher | Anthropic | Anysphere |
| Kind | Terminal, Editor extension, Desktop app, Web app | Code editor, Terminal, Web app |
| Runs on | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web |
| Price | Paid | Free plan |
| Licence | Not stated | Not stated |
| Connects to | Local (stdio), Remote (HTTP), Remote (SSE) | Local (stdio), Remote (HTTP), Remote (SSE) |
| Headers for remote servers | Yes | Yes |
| Server config | Set up in the app | ~/.cursor/mcp.json |
| Servers that work in it | 123,045 | 123,045 |
| What we checked | Matches the official docs | Matches the official docs |
| Add a server | In Claude Code | In Cursor |
From each client's own documentation and site, as linked on its page. The server counts are today's install configs that work in each.