Best AI Model Combos for Cursor AI | Supercharge Your Code

8/11/2025

Unlocking Your Coding Potential: The Best AI Model Combos in Cursor AI

Hey everyone! If you're a developer who's been curious about how to SUPERCHARGE your coding workflow, you've probably heard of Cursor AI. It's an AI-native code editor that's been making some serious waves, & for good reason. It's built on top of VS Code, so it feels familiar, but it's packed with AI features that can honestly change the way you write code.

But here's the thing: Cursor gives you a TON of different AI models to choose from. We're talking about the latest & greatest from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, & more. So, the big question is: which ones should you be using? & more importantly, what's the best combination of AI models to get the most out of Cursor?

I've been diving deep into this, experimenting with different setups & seeing what works best for different tasks. Turns out, the answer isn't just to pick one "best" model & stick with it. The real magic happens when you start combining them. So, let's get into it.

First Off, Why Even Bother With Multiple Models?

You might be thinking, "Can't I just use the default setting & be done with it?" & you totally can. Cursor's "Auto" mode is pretty smart & will pick a good model for you based on what you're doing. But if you want to take your coding to the next level, you need to be a bit more intentional.

Here's why combining models is a game-changer:

Different Models, Different Strengths: Some AI models are incredibly creative & great for brainstorming new features. Others are meticulous & follow instructions to the letter, which is perfect for debugging or writing very specific code.
"Thinking" vs. "Doing" Models: We're seeing a new breed of "thinking" models, like OpenAI's "o" series, that are amazing at reasoning & planning out complex tasks. You can use one of these to create a high-level plan, & then switch to a faster, "doing" model to execute it.
Cost & Speed: Let's be real, some of these models can be expensive to run, especially in "Max Mode" where you're using a massive context window. By using a more expensive model for the hard stuff & a cheaper one for simpler tasks, you can save a lot of money without sacrificing quality.

The A-Team: Your Go-To AI Models in Cursor

Alright, let's break down the main players you'll find in Cursor. These are the models that you'll be mixing & matching to create your perfect workflow.

The All-Rounders: Your Daily Drivers

These are the models that are great for a wide range of tasks. They're fast, reliable, & smart enough to handle most of what you throw at them.

Claude 3.5 Sonnet: This is a fan favorite for a reason. It's fast, affordable, & produces high-quality code. A lot of developers find it to be the best for general coding tasks. It's particularly good at following instructions & providing well-structured code.
Gemini 2.5 Pro: Google's latest model is another excellent all-rounder. It's known for being a bit more "assertive" than Sonnet, meaning it's good at taking initiative & making smart decisions on its own. It also has a massive context window, which is great for understanding large codebases.
GPT-4.1: This is a solid choice from OpenAI. It's a bit more predictable than Gemini or the "o" models, which can be a good thing when you need precise control over the output.

The "Thinking" Models: For When You Need a Genius on Your Team

These are the models you bring in for the really tough problems. They're not as fast as the all-rounders, but they're incredibly good at reasoning, planning, & solving complex architectural challenges.

OpenAI's "o" Models (o1, o3, o3-mini): These are the "thinking" models that everyone's been talking about. They're designed to break down problems, create a plan, & then execute it.
- o3: This is the most powerful of the bunch & is best for your most complex problems. Think of it as your senior architect. It's slower & more expensive, so you'll want to use it sparingly.
- o1: A slightly older but still very capable "thinking" model. If you're getting stuck with Sonnet or another all-rounder, switching to o1 can often get you unstuck.
- o3-mini: A faster, more cost-effective version of o3. It's great for everyday tasks that could benefit from a bit of extra reasoning power.
Claude 3.7 Thinking: This is Anthropic's answer to the "thinking" model trend. It's a step up from Sonnet & is excellent for tasks that require a deep understanding of your codebase. It's also known for producing VERY clean & well-organized code.

The Specialists: For Niche Tasks

Cursor also gives you access to some more specialized models that can be useful in certain situations.

DeepSeek: This is an open-source model that's been getting a lot of attention for its coding abilities. It's now fully integrated into Cursor & can be a great, low-cost alternative to the big proprietary models.
Grok: From xAI, Grok is another powerful model that's available in Cursor. It's still a bit newer, but it's worth keeping an eye on.

The Ultimate Workflow: Combining Models for Maximum Impact

Okay, so now that you know the players, how do you actually use them together? Here's a workflow that a lot of developers are finding success with:

Step 1: The "Planner" - High-Level Architecture & Feature Planning

When you're starting a new project or a complex feature, you don't want to just start coding. You need a plan. This is where the "thinking" models shine.

Your Go-To Model: o3 or Claude 3.7 Thinking
How to Use It: Open up a chat window & have a conversation with the AI. Describe what you want to build, the tech stack you're using, & any constraints you have. Ask it to create a detailed plan, including file structure, function signatures, & data models.
Pro Tip: Don't ask it to write any code yet! The goal here is to get a solid plan that you can then execute.

Step 2: The "Executor" - Writing the Code

Once you have a solid plan, it's time to start writing code. For this, you want a model that's fast, reliable, & good at following instructions.

Your Go-To Model: Claude 3.5 Sonnet or Gemini 2.5 Pro
How to Use It: Go through your plan step-by-step & use the AI to generate the code for each part. You can use inline edits (Ctrl+K) for smaller changes or the chat interface for larger chunks of code.
Pro Tip: Because you've already done the planning, you can give the AI very specific instructions, which will lead to better results.

Step 3: The "Refactorer" - Cleaning Up & Optimizing

After you've got the basic code written, you'll probably want to clean it up, refactor it, & make sure it's as efficient as possible.

Your Go-To Model: Claude 3.7 Thinking or GPT-4.1
How to Use It: Select a chunk of code & ask the AI to refactor it. You can ask it to improve readability, optimize for performance, or add comments.
Pro Tip: Claude 3.7 Thinking is particularly good at this, as it's known for producing very clean & well-organized code.

Step 4: The "Debugger" - Squashing Bugs

No matter how good you are, you're going to have bugs. This is another area where a "thinking" model can be a lifesaver.

Your Go-To Model: o1 or o3-mini
How to Use It: When you have a bug you can't figure out, paste the error message & the relevant code into the chat. The AI will often be able to spot the problem & suggest a fix.
Pro Tip: If you're really stuck, don't be afraid to give the AI access to your entire codebase. It can often find bugs that are caused by interactions between different files.

Taking it to the Next Level with Custom Modes

This is where things get REALLY interesting. Cursor allows you to create "Custom Modes," which are basically specialized AI personas that you can create for different tasks.

For example, you could create a "React Expert" mode that's pre-configured with instructions about your company's React coding standards. Or you could create a "Security Auditor" mode that's designed to find security vulnerabilities in your code.

Here's how to set one up:

Go to
1Settings > Features > Chat > Custom modes
& enable the feature.
Click "Add custom mode."
Give it a name, an icon, & a keyboard shortcut.
Choose which tools it should have access to (like codebase search or the terminal).
Write custom instructions that tell the AI how to behave in this mode.

This is an incredibly powerful feature that lets you tailor your AI assistant to your exact needs.

What About the Cost?

It's important to be aware of the costs associated with using these different models. Cursor has a few different plans, but the Pro plan is the most popular for individual developers. It gives you a certain number of "fast" requests per month, & then unlimited "slow" requests.

Fast Requests: These use the top-tier models (like GPT-4.1 & Claude 3.7 Thinking) & are very quick. You get a limited number of these, so you'll want to use them for tasks where speed & quality are critical.
Slow Requests: After you use up your fast requests, you can still use the AI as much as you want, but the responses will be a bit slower. This is fine for many tasks, but you might not want to use it when you're in the middle of a complex debugging session.

You can also use "Max Mode" to give the AI a much larger context window, but this will use up your requests much faster. So, it's a good idea to only use Max Mode when you really need it.

A Quick Word on Arsturn

While we're on the topic of AI assistants, it's worth mentioning how this same technology is being used in other areas of business. For example, here at Arsturn, we help businesses build custom AI chatbots that can provide instant customer support, answer questions, & engage with website visitors 24/7. It's all about using AI to create more personalized & efficient experiences, whether you're a developer writing code or a customer looking for help.

Wrapping It Up

So, there you have it. The best way to use AI in Cursor isn't to just pick one model & stick with it. It's about understanding the strengths & weaknesses of each model & combining them to create a workflow that's tailored to your needs.

By using a "thinking" model for planning, a fast "doing" model for execution, & specialized models for tasks like refactoring & debugging, you can dramatically increase your productivity & write better code.

I hope this was helpful! Let me know what you think. What are your favorite model combinations in Cursor? I'd love to hear about your experiences.