Coming from Cursor
If you’re using Cursor (or Windsurf, Copilot, or another AI-integrated IDE), you’re already doing AI-assisted development. GSD adds the structural layer that IDE integrations don’t provide: multi-session context, structured planning, verification gates, and reproducible execution.
What each tool gives you
Section titled “What each tool gives you”| Cursor / AI IDE | GSD + Claude Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Integration | Embedded in your editor | CLI, runs alongside your editor |
| AI scope | File- and selection-level | Session- and project-level |
| Context | Current file, open tabs | Full project state, decisions, history |
| Planning | None — you direct inline | Milestone → Slice → Task hierarchy |
| Verification | Manual review | Built-in gates at every stage |
| Multi-session continuity | You manage context | GSD manages context |
| Commit history | You handle git | GSD produces structured commits |
The key differences
Section titled “The key differences”Inline suggestions vs structured planning. Cursor excels at inline code completion and quick edits to files you have open. GSD works at a higher level: you define what needs to be built, review a plan, and the AI executes full tasks — writing files, running tests, verifying output — with no need to manage the context yourself.
IDE integration vs CLI. Cursor lives inside your editor. GSD runs in a terminal alongside your editor. For most workflows, you’d use both: your IDE for active editing and navigation, GSD for session-level execution and planning.
Reactive vs proactive. With an AI IDE, you initiate each prompt and the AI responds. With GSD in auto mode, you approve a plan and the AI executes it end-to-end — writing code, verifying it, and logging decisions — without requiring your input at every step.
What GSD adds to your workflow
Section titled “What GSD adds to your workflow”The biggest gap in IDE-based AI development is multi-session continuity. Every new session starts from scratch — you re-explain the architecture, re-describe what you’re building, and re-establish context. GSD eliminates that by persisting context, decisions, and progress in the .gsd/ directory.
The second gap is verification. IDE AI tools generate code; they don’t verify it against requirements. GSD’s gate system checks each task against defined success criteria before marking it complete.
Your recommended path
Section titled “Your recommended path”You’re an experienced developer getting started with AI-assisted workflows. That maps to Path 2 or Path 3 in Choose Your Path, depending on how much AI development experience you already have.
→ Choose Your Path → Path 2: Developer New to AI Coding
→ Choose Your Path → Path 3: Experienced AI Developer
If you’ve been shipping real projects with Cursor and want to understand how GSD’s execution model differs, start with Architecture — it’s the fastest orientation to what GSD is doing under the hood.