Antigravity vs Cursor vs Claude Code: Which to Use?

In 2024, the tech world asked, “Which AI autocomplete is better?” In 2025, the conversation shifted to, “Which AI editor writes better functions?” Now, in 2026, the question has changed entirely.

Developers and managers are asking: “Which AI workforce should I manage?”

The era of the “Copilot” is effectively over. We have entered the era of the Autonomous Agent. The release of Google Antigravity in late 2025 fundamentally altered the landscape. It challenges the dominance of Cursor and the deep-reasoning capabilities of Claude Code.

For CTOs and Engineering Managers, the choice is no longer about syntax highlighting. It is a choice between three distinct philosophies of automation:

The Speedster: Cursor
The Architect: Claude Code
The Manager: Google Antigravity

This guide provides a comprehensive comparison of these three titans. We will dissect their architectures and workflows. Our goal is to help you decide which digital workforce belongs in your engineering pipeline.

The Landscape in 2026: From “Typing” to “Orchestrating”

Before diving into the tools, it is critical to understand the shift in the developer’s role. We are seeing a clear split in the industry.

First, there is the Hands-On Craftsman. This developer uses AI to accelerate their own keystrokes, typically using tools like Cursor. Second, there is the Technical Product Manager. They use AI to implement entire features asynchronously using Antigravity or Claude Code.

This mirrors the revolution we see in business operations. Developers are moving away from writing boilerplate code. Similarly, businesses are moving away from manual administrative workflows.

Thinkpeak.ai is an AI-first automation company. We apply this exact “agentic” philosophy to business processes. While the tools below automate your codebase, Thinkpeak.ai automates your company. We eliminate repetitive tasks by turning everyday processes into smart, fast, and efficient automated workflows.

1. Google Antigravity: The “Mission Control” for Code

Released: November 2025
Core Model: Gemini 3 Pro (Native), Claude 3.5/3.7 Support
Philosophy: “Don’t write code; manage agents.”

Google Antigravity is not just a VS Code fork. It is a fundamental reimagining of the IDE. It retains the familiar editor interface, but its heart is the Agent Manager. This dashboard turns the developer into a “Mission Controller.”

The “Agent-First” Interface

Unlike Cursor, where the AI lives in a sidebar, Antigravity splits your screen. On the left, you have your code. On the right, you have a Multi-Agent Orchestration layer.

You can spawn three distinct agents simultaneously. One might refactor a legacy Python module. Another could write Jest tests for the frontend. A third agent might update documentation. These Asynchronous Workers operate in parallel without blocking your UI.

Antigravity also includes a browser-based verification system. Agents don’t just write the code; they spin up local servers. They click buttons, take screenshots, and present you with proof that the code works.

The “Artifact” Workflow

Instead of streaming raw text, Antigravity agents generate Verifiable Artifacts. This includes implementation plans generated before a single line of code is written.

You also get Diff Previews, which offer a staged view of changes across more than 50 files. Perhaps most impressively, agents provide visual proof through screen recordings of UI testing.

The Verdict on Antigravity

Antigravity is the heaviest hitter for greenfield projects and massive refactors. It allows a single senior engineer to output the work of a small squad. However, it requires a mindset shift. You must learn to write “specs” rather than “prompts.”

Antigravity’s “set it and forget it” approach is how modern businesses should treat operations. You trust an agent to refactor a module. Similarly, you can trust Thinkpeak’s Custom AI Automation to handle invoice processing or customer onboarding. This frees up teams to focus on strategy rather than data entry.

2. Cursor: The “Flow State” Accelerator

Released: 2023 (Continuous Updates)
Core Model: Model Agnostic (Claude 3.7 Sonnet, GPT-5, Custom “Composer” models)
Philosophy: “Code at the speed of thought.”

Despite Google’s splashy entrance, Cursor remains the daily driver for millions of developers. This is because latency matters.

The “Composer” Advantage

Cursor’s Composer feature has matured into a fluid interaction model. It doesn’t ask you to “manage” an agent. Instead, it simply predicts your intent.

In 2026, Cursor introduced the Shadow Workspace. Here, the AI runs a linter and compiler in the background as you type. It fixes errors before you even see the red squiggly line.

It also features Tab-Prediction. Cursor predicts the next logical cursor position, not just the next word. This allows you to “tab” through entire logic blocks seamlessly.

The “Human-in-the-Loop” Superiority

Cursor excels when the problem is ill-defined. If you don’t know exactly what you want, you can’t write a spec for an Antigravity agent. Cursor allows you to explore the solution iteratively. It is the superior tool for debugging, tweaking, and polishing.

The Verdict on Cursor

Cursor is for the developer who loves coding. It removes friction but keeps the steering wheel in your hands. It is the sports car to Antigravity’s semi-truck.

3. Claude Code: The Headless Architect

Released: Early 2025
Core Model: Claude 3.7 / Opus
Philosophy: “Deep reasoning in the terminal.”

Claude Code is the outlier. It is not an IDE. It is a Command Line Interface (CLI) tool that lives in your terminal. It is “headless,” meaning it doesn’t need a user interface to function.

The “Deep Dive” Capability

Claude Code excels at Architectural Reasoning. It operates independently of visual constraints. This allows it to consume massive context windows to understand the entire repository structure.

When you run the map command, it generates a mental model of your project’s dependencies. This often outperforms Google’s or OpenAI’s embeddings. It is also famous for its conservative coding style. It will often refuse to implement a “hacky” fix, suggesting a proper architectural pattern instead.

Best Use Case: DevOps and CI/CD

Because it is a CLI tool, Claude Code integrates easily into CI/CD pipelines. You can create a GitHub Action that triggers Claude to review a Pull Request. It can also automatically fix linting errors on a nightly build.

Comparative Analysis: The Data

To help you choose, we’ve broken down the three tools across key dimensions relevant to 2026 workflows.

Feature	Google Antigravity	Cursor	Claude Code
Primary Interface	Split-Screen	IDE Overlay	Terminal / CLI
Best For	Multi-file tasks	Speed, Flow State	Architecture, DevOps
Autonomy Level	High	Medium	High
Context Awareness	Visual + Code	Local + Vector	Global Repo
Learning Curve	High	Low	Medium

The “Vibe Coding” Trap

A phenomenon emerged in late 2025 called Vibe Coding. This is where developers generate code based on rough prompts without understanding the output.

Antigravity encourages Vibe Coding, which is dangerous without good testing. Claude Code resists it by asking clarifying questions. Cursor bridges the gap effectively.

The “Automation Mindset”: Beyond the Code Editor

If you are evaluating these tools, you want to remove manual toil from your day. You want to stop writing boilerplate code so you can focus on system design. This logic shouldn’t stop at your IDE.

Most engineering teams are efficient at code, but inefficient at business. They waste hours writing proposals, moving data between CRMs, and manually curating social content.

This is where Thinkpeak.ai enters the conversation. We offer ready-to-use products and custom-built solutions to solve these problems.

1. Ready-Made Automation Packages

Just as Cursor gives you a “Composer” for code, Thinkpeak provides pre-built templates for business logic:

AI Proposal Generator System: Automates the creation of personalized client proposals. Stop formatting PDFs and focus on the pitch.
AI Content Generator: Eliminates writer’s block by creating blog posts and social media updates automatically.
Meta Creative Co-pilot: Acts as “Cursor for your Ad Spend,” analyzing performance daily.
LinkedIn AI Parasite System: Finds high-performing content, rewrites it in your tone, and schedules it.
Google Sheets Bulk Uploader: Essential for massive data migration tasks.

2. Custom AI Automation & Integration

For complex workflows—the “Antigravity” of business operations—Thinkpeak offers “done-for-you” services:

Business Process Automation (BPA): We analyze your workflow and build custom systems to automate it end-to-end.
AI Agent Development: We design custom “digital workers” that perform complex tasks 24/7.
CRM & AI Integrations: We connect your existing tools and layer AI on top for intelligent interoperability.

Deep Dive: Security and Enterprise Readiness

In 2026, security is the primary blocker for AI adoption. Here is how these tools stack up.

Antigravity runs agents in a sandboxed environment. However, because agents have browser access, there is a risk of them hallucinating actions on live sites. It is best practice to only grant access to localhost.

Cursor remains a favorite for privacy-conscious enterprises. Their “Local Privacy” mode ensures code never leaves your machine. Their Enterprise Cloud mode ensures your data is not trained upon.

When Thinkpeak builds Custom AI Integrations, security is baked in. Whether building content automations or CRM integrations, we design systems to respect data sovereignty. Your customer data is never leaked to public model training sets.

Conclusion: Which Tool Should You Choose?

The debate between Antigravity, Cursor, and Claude Code is not a zero-sum game. The most effective 10x developers in 2026 use a hybrid stack:

Use Google Antigravity to scaffold new projects or run massive migrations. Be the Manager.
Use Cursor for your daily “in-the-trenches” work. Be the Craftsman.
Use Claude Code for architectural review and complex debugging.

Automation is the lever that moves the world. If you use Antigravity to automate coding, you have accepted that manual work is the enemy of scale. Don’t let that efficiency stop at your commit history. Extend it to your entire business.

Whether you need a proposal generator to close deals faster, or a custom agent to manage operations, Thinkpeak.ai is your partner.

Explore Thinkpeak.ai’s Automation Products & Services Today

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What is the difference between Google Antigravity and Cursor?

Cursor is an AI-augmented code editor designed to speed up the human typing process. Google Antigravity is an “Agent-First” IDE. It allows you to manage autonomous agents that write, test, and verify code in the background. Cursor is for “doing,” while Antigravity is for “delegating.”

Is Claude Code better than Cursor?

Claude Code is not an IDE; it is a CLI tool. It is generally slower but capable of deeper reasoning and larger context retention than Cursor. Many developers use both tools together.

Can I use these tools for non-coding business tasks?

These specific tools are optimized for software engineering. For non-coding tasks like content creation or data entry, you should use specialized platforms. Thinkpeak.ai offers tools like the AI Content Generator specifically for these business needs.

Is Google Antigravity free?

As of early 2026, Google offers a free tier powered by Gemini 3 Pro. However, heavy usage of the Agent Manager and cloud-based verification environments typically requires a subscription.

Cart items

Cart items

Antigravity vs Cursor vs Claude Code: Which to Use?