Cursor is an AI-first code editor; o8 is the orchestration and governance layer above your repo. One is where you write code; the other runs a fleet of agents that do.
Cursoris an AI-native code editor — a VS Code fork with inline completion, an in-editor chat, and an agent mode that can edit across files. It puts a capable model right next to the code you’re writing, and you stay in the editor driving it.
o8 is a local-first macOS control room for autonomous engineering. One orchestrator dispatches a fleet of coding agents — each in its own isolated git worktree — and a governance layer reviews every diff. Nothing merges unreviewed, and nothing risky merges without your sign-off. It runs on your own machine, against your own model keys, and works with Claude, Codex, Gemini, and opencode through one adapter.
The difference is altitude. Cursor makes one developer plus one model faster inside the editor. o8 coordinates many agents at onceand adds the part an editor leaves out: a review gate, conflict detection across parallel lanes, an audit trail, and organizational memory. You’re not editing a file — you’re running a room.
They’re complementary. Keep writing in Cursor when you want hands-on control; point o8’s fleet at the same repo when you want several changes built and reviewed in parallel. See what o8 is for the full picture.