Amazon Q Developer vs Cursor
Complete comparison guide to help you choose the right coding tool for your needs.
The Winner
Too Close to Call
Both Amazon Q Developer and Cursor are excellent choices. Your decision should be based on specific feature needs and use case.
Quick Comparison
| Criteria |  Amazon Q Developer |  Cursor |
|---|---|---|
| Starting Price | Free tier | Free tier |
| User Rating | 4.5 | 4.4 |
| Review Count | 144 | 310 Best |
| Free Trial | No | No |
| Annual Discount | N/A | N/A |
| Best For | AWS-native development teams | Multi-file code generation and refactoring |
Feature Breakdown
Feature Comparison
Amazon Q Developer Cursor Amazon Q Developer
- State-of-the-Art Agentic Coding
- Deep AWS Integration
- Java Transformation
- Multi-Language Support
- Higher Cost Than Copilot
- Limited Outside AWS
- Some Features in Preview
Cursor
- Composer Is 4x Faster Than GPT-5
- 8 Parallel Agents Change The Game
- Tab Completion That Actually Helps
- Zero Switching Cost From VS Code
- Ultra Tier Is Expensive For Individuals
- High Memory Consumption
- Buggy After Updates
Amazon Q Developer Overview
Amazon Q Developer brings Claude Sonnet 3.7 to AWS development with 50 free agentic requests/month or unlimited at $19/mo. Key strengths: AWS-native integration (CloudFormation, Lambda, IAM), Java 8/11/17→17/21 transformation, multi-language support (9+ languages), and MCP tool integration. Best for AWS teams; GitHub Copilot better for non-AWS projects.
Best For:
- AWS-native development teams
- Cloud infrastructure automation (CloudFormation, Terraform)
- Lambda function development and optimization
- Security scanning and IAM policy generation
- Java application modernization and upgrades
- Teams requiring IP indemnity protection
Cursor Overview
If you're serious about AI-assisted development, Cursor is worth every penny. The Pro tier ($20/month) pays for itself if you code more than 5 hours weekly. The Ultra tier ($200/month) is for heavy users who max out API credits. The free Hobby tier gives you a genuine one-week Pro trial to test the full power.
Best For:
- Multi-file code generation and refactoring
- Complex full-stack application development
- Teams wanting cutting-edge AI capabilities
- Developers familiar with VS Code interface
- Projects requiring deep codebase understanding
- Rapid prototyping and fast iteration
- Parallel agent workflows for complex tasks
Our Verdict
Both Amazon Q Developer and Cursor are excellent choices for their respective strengths. Amazon Q Developer is ideal for AWS-native development teams, while Cursor shines at Multi-file code generation and refactoring. Your final choice should depend on your specific requirements and budget.