How is Claude Code different from Cursor, GitHub Copilot, or Aider?

Three key differences:

• Vs. Copilot: Copilot is autocomplete-in-IDE. Claude Code is a CLI agent that plans, edits multiple files, runs tests, and commits PRs — not just inline suggestions.
• Vs. Cursor: Cursor is an IDE (VS Code fork) with chat. Claude Code is editor-agnostic — works in your existing VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, or terminal. Same agent, no IDE lock-in.
• Vs. Aider: Aider is similar in shape (CLI pair-programmer) but provider-neutral. Claude Code is Anthropic-native, so you get first-party access to Claude features (extended thinking, prompt caching, computer use, MCP) without a translation layer. Sub-agents and hooks are also first-party.

For Magento & Hyvä work specifically, Claude Code wins on: real codebase reads, MCP-database access, hook-gated safety, and the slash-command library.