Cursor

AI-first code editor built for pair programming with large language models

Continue

Open-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains that works with any LLM

Cursor

Moderate

15/25

Continue

Strong

17/25

Score Breakdown

DimensionCursorContinue

Data Residency

Where is your data stored and processed?

Cursor: Privacy Mode prevents code storage on servers; no geographic data residency selection

Continue: Fully self-hosted with local model inference. Source code never leaves the developer's machine when using local models. Maximum data sovereignty achievable.

3/5

Privacy Mode prevents code storage on servers; no geographic data residency selection

5/5

Fully self-hosted with local model inference. Source code never leaves the developer's machine when using local models. Maximum data sovereignty achievable.

Legal Jurisdiction

Which laws govern the company and your data?

Cursor: US Delaware corporation subject to CLOUD Act; Privacy Mode mitigates some risks

Continue: Delaware incorporation. However, the open-source licence and self-hosting capability mean the product can be used with zero dependency on the company's cloud infrastructure.

2/5

US Delaware corporation subject to CLOUD Act; Privacy Mode mitigates some risks

2/5

Delaware incorporation. However, the open-source licence and self-hosting capability mean the product can be used with zero dependency on the company's cloud infrastructure.

Data Retention & Training

Is your data used for model training?

Cursor: Privacy Mode guarantees no code stored in plaintext and no use for AI training

Continue: Open-source, self-hosted, no telemetry when configured for local use. Complete data lifecycle control. Code is auditable.

4/5

Privacy Mode guarantees no code stored in plaintext and no use for AI training

5/5

Open-source, self-hosted, no telemetry when configured for local use. Complete data lifecycle control. Code is auditable.

Certifications

ISO 27001, SOC 2, Cyber Essentials, etc.

Cursor: SOC 2 Type II certified; enterprise plan includes security audit access

Continue: No formal certifications. Early-stage open-source project. Self-hosted model means organisations apply their own security controls.

3/5

SOC 2 Type II certified; enterprise plan includes security audit access

1/5

No formal certifications. Early-stage open-source project. Self-hosted model means organisations apply their own security controls.

Regulatory Fit

Suitability for regulated industries and professional services

Cursor: Privacy Mode and SOC 2 make it suitable for most engineering teams; strict residency requirements need enterprise discussion

Continue: Self-hosted with local models is the gold standard for code sovereignty. Used by defence, government, and financial services teams. Lack of certifications offset by self-hosting and open-source auditability.

3/5

Privacy Mode and SOC 2 make it suitable for most engineering teams; strict residency requirements need enterprise discussion

4/5

Self-hosted with local models is the gold standard for code sovereignty. Used by defence, government, and financial services teams. Lack of certifications offset by self-hosting and open-source auditability.

Total Score

15/25

17/25

Best For

Cursor

Best for privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; organisations that need self-hosted or on-premise deployment; teams on a tight budget.

Continue

Best for privacy-conscious teams who need strong data retention controls; teams on a tight budget; enterprises requiring SSO integration.

Detailed Comparison

Continue vs Cursor: Trust & Compliance Comparison

Continue (Continue, US) scores 17/25 overall with a Silver (Strong) trust badge. Open-source AI code assistant for VS Code and JetBrains that works with any LLM. Cursor (Anysphere, Inc., US) scores 15/25 with a Bronze (Moderate) trust badge. AI-first code editor built for pair programming with large language models.

Dimension-by-Dimension Breakdown

#### Data Residency

Continue leads with 5/5 vs 3/5.

●Continue (5/5): Fully self-hosted with local model inference. Source code never leaves the developer's machine when using local models. Maximum data sovereignty achievable.

●Cursor (3/5): Privacy Mode prevents code storage on servers; no geographic data residency selection

#### Legal Jurisdiction

Both score equally at 2/5.

●Continue (2/5): Delaware incorporation. However, the open-source licence and self-hosting capability mean the product can be used with zero dependency on the company's cloud infrastructure.

●Cursor (2/5): US Delaware corporation subject to CLOUD Act; Privacy Mode mitigates some risks

#### Data Retention & Training

Continue leads with 5/5 vs 4/5.

●Continue (5/5): Open-source, self-hosted, no telemetry when configured for local use. Complete data lifecycle control. Code is auditable.

●Cursor (4/5): Privacy Mode guarantees no code stored in plaintext and no use for AI training

#### Certifications

Cursor leads with 3/5 vs 1/5.

●Continue (1/5): No formal certifications. Early-stage open-source project. Self-hosted model means organisations apply their own security controls.

●Cursor (3/5): SOC 2 Type II certified; enterprise plan includes security audit access

#### Regulatory Fit

Continue leads with 4/5 vs 3/5.

●Continue (4/5): Self-hosted with local models is the gold standard for code sovereignty. Used by defence, government, and financial services teams. Lack of certifications offset by self-hosting and open-source auditability.

●Cursor (3/5): Privacy Mode and SOC 2 make it suitable for most engineering teams; strict residency requirements need enterprise discussion

Certifications at a Glance

Certification	Continue	Cursor
SOC 2 Type II	No	Yes

Overall Verdict

Continue has a clear trust advantage, scoring 17/25 compared to Cursor's 15/25. Continue particularly excels in data residency, data retention & training, regulatory fit.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better for EU compliance, Cursor or Continue?

Cursor has a TrustKit score of 15/25 while Continue scores 17/25. Continue currently rates higher across data residency, legal jurisdiction, data retention, certifications, and regulatory fit.

How do Cursor and Continue compare on data residency?

Cursor scores 3/5 for data residency (Privacy Mode prevents code storage on servers; no geographic data residency selection), while Continue scores 5/5 (Fully self-hosted with local model inference. Source code never leaves the developer's machine when using local models. Maximum data sovereignty achievable.).

Are Cursor and Continue GDPR compliant?

Both tools are assessed across five compliance dimensions. Cursor has a regulatory fit score of 3/5 and Continue scores 4/5. Check the full comparison above for a detailed breakdown.

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