Compare
Cursor vs Ret
Cursor is an AI-powered code editor; Ret focuses on orchestrating external agents rather than editing code directly.
CursorThe AI code editor
RetRun lots of Codex and Claude Code agents at once, across every project, without losing track of…Which to pick
Pick Cursor if you want…
- AI-driven coding assistants
- AI code editor
- Integrations with Slack, GitHub or Linear (on Cursor's list, not Ret's)
Pick Ret if you want…
- Multi-agent desktop workbench
- A free tool
- Integrations with Codex, Claude Code or VS Code extensions (on Ret's list, not Cursor's)
Side by side
- What it is
- Cursor:Cursor is an AI-powered code editor that lets agents turn ideas into code across desktop, CLI, and integrations.
- Ret:Ret is a desktop workbench that lets you run and manage multiple Codex and Claude Code agents across projects.
- Best for
- Cursor:AI-driven coding assistants
- Ret:Multi-agent desktop workbench
- Who it’s for
- Cursor:Developers and teams who want AI assistance for coding, debugging and automation.
- Ret:Developers who use Codex or Claude Code and need a unified UI to monitor many agent threads.
- Pricing
- Cursor:Freemium
- Ret:Free
- Plans
- Cursor:Hobby Free · Individual $20 / mo. per month · Teams $40 / user / mo. per month
- Ret:—
- Works with
- Cursor:Slack, GitHub, Linear, JetBrains IDEs, Vercel
- Ret:Codex, Claude Code, VS Code extensions, Windows, macOS
Cursor features
- Agentic coding. AI agents can generate, edit, and test code based on high-level prompts.
- Multi-surface support. Works in a desktop IDE, terminal CLI, Slack, GitHub, Linear and more.
- Cloud agents. Launch fleets of autonomous agents that run in parallel on cloud resources.
- Mission Control UI. Grid view of open windows for quick navigation and window management.
- Team rules & privacy. Define team conventions, enable privacy mode to prevent data training.
- Model selection. Choose from OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, SpaceXAI and Cursor models per task.
Ret features
- Four synchronized views. Focus, Canvas, Code, and Inbox panels show the same live thread for easy triage.
- Thread forking. Fork any turn or selection into separate git worktrees for parallel experiments.
- Approval & question handling. Agents request commands or access and you can approve, deny or skip directly in the UI.
- Plan mode. Agents propose a plan before execution, which you can accept with one click.
- Live sync with CLIs. Threads from Codex/Claude Code CLIs, VS Code extensions and other apps appear live in Ret.
- Self-updating engine. Ret checks, verifies and installs new releases automatically without interrupting running threads.
- Keyboard-first navigation. Full command palette and shortcuts for creating threads, forking, steering and inbox actions.
- Cross-platform desktop app. Native installers for Windows (x64) and macOS (Apple Silicon & Intel).
Cursor vs Ret FAQ
Is Cursor or Ret free?+
Cursor has a free plan (Hobby); paid plans start at $20/month (Individual). Ret is free.
Which is cheaper, Cursor or Ret?+
Ret is free, so it costs less. Cursor starts at $20/month (Individual).
Do Cursor and Ret integrate with the same tools?+
Their integration lists don't overlap: Cursor lists Slack, GitHub, Linear, JetBrains IDEs and 1 more; Ret lists Codex, Claude Code, VS Code extensions, Windows and 1 more.
On DevHunt
Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.