Antigravity Rises as a Formidable AI Code Editor, Challenging Cursor with Robust Free Tier and Google Backing

Antigravity, an emerging AI-powered code editor, is quickly gaining market share and drawing comparisons to established competitors like Cursor. Its rapid ascent is largely attributed to a highly usable free tier that grants developers access to advanced AI models, including Google’s Gemini and Anthropic’s Claude. Developed by Google, Antigravity benefits from the strategic acquisition of the entire Winsorf AI code editor team, integrating their expertise directly into its development. Built as a multi-platform fork of Visual Studio Code, Antigravity maintains familiarity for many developers, supporting the vast ecosystem of VS Code extensions on Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Key features distinguishing Antigravity include a multi-agent manager that allows for the delegation of distinct tasks to multiple AI agents, facilitating complex project development. The editor boasts robust MCP support, enabling AI models to interact with external services such as Notion for task management or various databases, extending its capabilities beyond local code generation. Antigravity also integrates AI image generation (via its ‘nano banana’ module) and leverages browser automation, using technologies similar to Chrome DevTools Protocol, to allow agents to interact with and verify web page UIs. Customizable rules and workflows, defined through project-specific or global settings, offer granular control over AI behavior, while contextual input via drag-and-drop files or pasted images enhances development efficiency. While the free tier for Claude models may experience saturation-induced slowdowns and project pathing can be unconventional, Antigravity’s seamless Google login and flexible model selection solidify its position as a significant contender in the AI-assisted development landscape.