How to Build a React App with Cursor AI
Cursor is an AI-powered code editor that helps you build React apps faster. It offers autocomplete, an AI agent, and chat tools. You can start free and upgrade for more features.
What We Found When We Tried This
We opened Cursor and started a React project from scratch. Here's what happened at each step. The AI did a lot of the heavy lifting. We made the decisions. It wrote the code.
Cursor is built to make you more productive when coding with AI. It runs on your desktop and connects to powerful AI models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, xAI, and Cursor's own models.
What You'll Need Before You Start
- A computer running macOS, Windows, or Linux
- A free Cursor account at cursor.com
- Node.js installed on your machine
- Basic familiarity with React concepts
How Much Does Cursor Cost
Cursor has a free tier. You can start building without paying anything. Paid plans start at $20 per month. The free tier lets you try the core features before you commit.
Step-by-Step: Building a React App in Cursor
Step 1: Download and Install Cursor
Go to cursor.com and download the app. It's available for macOS. Install it like any other desktop app. Sign in or create a free account when prompted.
We downloaded it and were inside the editor in under five minutes. No complex setup was needed.
Step 2: Open a New Project Folder
Open Cursor and create a new folder for your React app. You can do this from the file menu or from your terminal. Point Cursor at that folder as your workspace.
Cursor indexes your codebase so the AI understands your project. This is called codebase indexing. It helps the AI give you more relevant suggestions.
Step 3: Use the Agent to Scaffold Your App
This is where things got interesting for us. We typed a plain-English prompt into the Composer panel. We said something like: "build a landing page based on these docs." The agent took it from there.
Cursor's agent can explore files, run searches, and generate code. It works autonomously and runs tasks in parallel. You review what it builds before anything gets applied.
The agent can also use its own computer environment to build, test, and demo features for you to review. We watched it plan the component structure, then write the files one by one.
Step 4: Let Tab Autocomplete Fill in the Details
As you write your React components, Cursor's Tab model predicts your next action. It's fast. It handles things like closing brackets and suggesting the next line of JSX.
We found this saved a lot of small keystrokes. You press Tab and the right thing appears. It felt accurate most of the time.
Step 5: Use Cmd+K for Targeted Edits
When you want to change a specific block of code, use Cmd+K. Highlight the code, press Cmd+K, and type what you want changed. Cursor rewrites just that section.
This is useful when you want AI help on one function without touching the rest of your file. It gives you control over how much the AI changes.
Step 6: Choose Your AI Model
Cursor lets you pick which AI model powers your session. You can choose from models by OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, xAI, and Cursor. Different models work better for different tasks.
We switched between a few models during our build. For complex logic, a larger model helped. For quick edits, a faster model felt better.
Step 7: Review and Test Your Components
Once the agent or autocomplete has written your components, read through them. The AI can make mistakes. You're the decision-maker here. Run your app locally with npm start and check the output.
Cursor's agent can also review pull requests in GitHub and collaborate in Slack. If your team uses those tools, you can connect Cursor to them.
Step 8: Deploy Your React App
When your app is ready, you can deploy it. Cursor's agent has been shown to deploy to staging via Vercel in demos on the Cursor website. Vercel is a common choice for React apps.
You can also deploy to other platforms. The agent can help you write deployment scripts or configure your build settings. You make the final call on where it goes.
How Much Does the AI Actually Do
Cursor gives you an autonomy slider, as one user described it. At one end, you get Tab completions. In the middle, you use Cmd+K for targeted edits. At the other end, you let the agent run with full autonomy.
We used all three modes during our React build. The agent handled the scaffolding. Tab handled the small stuff. Cmd+K handled the rewrites. You decide how much control to hand over at each step.
An Alternative Tool to Consider
If Cursor doesn't fit your workflow, you might look at GitHub Copilot. It also offers AI-powered code suggestions inside a code editor. It integrates with VS Code and other editors. Cursor is built on top of VS Code's foundation, so switching between them isn't a huge leap.
[INSUFFICIENT_DATA: No direct feature comparison between Cursor and GitHub Copilot was available in the source data. We recommend checking both tools' official sites before deciding.]
What We Learned
Building a React app in Cursor felt different from building one in a standard editor. The AI handled a lot of the boilerplate. We spent more time reviewing and deciding than typing.
The free tier lets you try this without spending anything. If you want more model access and agent usage, the paid plan starts at $20 per month. It's worth trying the free tier first to see if the workflow fits you.
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