Why I Ditched Cursor for Claude Code + Nova.app

The $900/Month Wake-Up Call

Let me be blunt: I was spending between $700-900 extra per month on top of Cursor's $200 Ultra plan. The pricing was a mess, the model selection was confusing, and I was constantly hitting usage limits. Something had to change.

The Breaking Point with Cursor

Don't get me wrong—Cursor is powerful. But the economics didn't make sense:

• Unpredictable Costs: $200 base + $700-900 in overages every single month
• Pricing Chaos: Different models, different costs, no clear way to predict your bill
• Model Selection Puzzle: Which model should I use? When? It felt like gambling
• Limited Context: Despite the cost, it still struggled with full codebase awareness

I was essentially paying $900-1100/month for an AI coding assistant. That's more than most SaaS tools combined.

Enter Claude Code: A Game Changer

Then I discovered Claude Code, and everything changed. Here's why it's not even close:

Predictable, Reasonable Pricing

With Claude Pro at $100-200/month, you get:

• Significantly more usage included in the base plan
• No surprise overage charges
• No model selection headaches—it just works
• Predictable budgeting (finally!)

Real math: I went from $900-1100/month to $100-200/month. That's 80-85% cost reduction for BETTER results.

Unmatched Development Speed

Claude Code is at least twice as fast as Cursor, possibly more. Why?

• True Full-Codebase Awareness: It actually understands your entire project, not just nearby files
• Design Excellence: CSS, UI/UX, responsive design—Claude Code crushes it
• First-Try Accuracy: Less iteration, more working code on the first attempt
• Context Retention: Remembers what you're building across the entire session

Where Cursor (and Windsurf) Fall Short

Both Cursor and Windsurf struggle with:

• Complex CSS and modern design systems
• Multi-file refactoring with confidence
• Understanding architectural patterns across the codebase
• Creating pixel-perfect, responsive designs

Claude Code? It handles all of this effortlessly. Need a dark theme with custom typography? Done. Need to refactor across 20 files? No problem. Need perfect responsive breakpoints? It knows them by heart.

Nova.app: The Perfect Companion

And then there's Nova.app—the best code editor on Mac, hands down.

• Native Mac Experience: Buttery smooth, no Electron bloat
• Neon Theme: Gorgeous, easy on the eyes, perfect for long coding sessions
• Lightning Fast: Opens instantly, no lag, pure performance
• Thoughtful Design: Every detail feels intentional
• Built for macOS: Respects Mac conventions and feels right at home

The neon theme in particular is 🔥—it's like coding in a cyberpunk dream.

The Verdict: It's Not Even Close

The Bottom Line

Claude Code is simply the best AI coding assistant available. Period.

It's faster, smarter, more affordable, and more reliable than anything else I've tried. Combined with Nova.app's incredible Mac-native experience and that gorgeous neon theme, it's the perfect development environment.

If you're still paying $900/month for Cursor and struggling with model selection, do yourself a favor: try Claude Code. Your wallet (and your productivity) will thank you.

My Setup Now

• Editor: Nova.app with neon theme 🌃
• AI Assistant: Claude Code (Pro plan)
• Monthly Cost: $100-200 (down from $900-1100)
• Productivity: 2x+ improvement
• Stress Level: Way down (no more bill anxiety)

There is simply no comparison. Claude Code is the future of AI-assisted development, and Nova.app is the best place to do it on Mac.

Shipped with Claude Code in record time. Obviously. 🚀