Does Pane replace Cursor?

No. Cursor is an editor with AI built in; Pane runs CLI agents like Claude Code, Codex and Cursor's own agent CLI in parallel. Keep Cursor for editing and inline completions, and use Pane for the larger tasks you hand to agents.

Can I use Pane and Cursor together?

Yes, and that's the recommended setup. Open the same repo in both. Pane's agents work in separate worktrees, so they never touch the folder you have open in Cursor, and any pane's folder opens in Cursor with one click.

What about .cursorignore?

Pane doesn't need one. Agents see the worktree's files, and Claude Code respects your .gitignore. To keep an agent out of certain folders, say so in CLAUDE.md or in your prompt.

How do I migrate my Cursor rules?

Copy the content of your .cursorrules file, or your .cursor/rules files, into CLAUDE.md at the repo root. Both are plain text or markdown that give the AI project context. Claude Code reads CLAUDE.md automatically in every session.

Guide

Migrate from Cursor

TL;DR

Cursor stays your editor, and Pane becomes the place where you run terminal agents like Claude Code in parallel. Most Cursor ideas map straight across: your rules become CLAUDE.md, the Agent tab becomes a pane running an agent, and @-mentions become @filename plus MCP servers. The real change is the model: each pane is its own git worktree on its own branch, not a tab in one shared folder. That isolation is what makes running several agents at once safe.

This guide is for Cursor users moving toward agent workflows: handing larger, longer tasks to Claude Code or other terminal agents. Cursor stays a great editor. This is about the work that suits agents running in parallel, and a place to run them.

Concept mapping

Rules, agents and context all carry over. Tabs become worktrees.

Cursor	Pane	Note
.cursorrules or .cursor/rules	CLAUDE.mdAt the repo root; Claude Code reads it automatically every session.	At the repo root; Claude Code reads it automatically every session.
Composer / Agent	A pane running an agentEach pane is a terminal with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor's agent CLI or any other agent, on its own worktree.	Each pane is a terminal with Claude Code, Codex, Cursor's agent CLI or any other agent, on its own worktree.
Tabs in one workspace	Panes, each its own checkoutCursor tabs share one folder; each pane is a separate git worktree. See below.	Cursor tabs share one folder; each pane is a separate git worktree. See below.
@-mentions	@filename and MCPClaude Code supports @filename; MCP servers bring in outside context.	Claude Code supports @filename; MCP servers bring in outside context.
Codebase index	Files read on demandClaude Code reads and searches files as it needs them.	Claude Code reads and searches files as it needs them.
AI chat panel	The agent's terminal, or a SessionThe terminal is the chat. A Session is one chat that runs all your agents.	The terminal is the chat. A Session is one chat that runs all your agents.
Command palette	Pane's command paletteRuns Pane actions, each with its shortcut; the agent lives in the terminal.	Runs Pane actions, each with its shortcut; the agent lives in the terminal.

The tab-versus-worktree difference matters most. Cursor's tabs show files from one working folder. Each pane is a separate git checkout. That isolation is what makes parallel agents safe, and it means you don't edit files “in Pane” the way you do in Cursor: Pane runs agents, your editor stays your editor.

Step-by-step migration

Move your rules, then turn each long Composer task into a pane.

1Copy your Cursor rules into CLAUDE.md at the repo root. Claude Code reads it in every session without being asked.
2List the long-running tasks you'd give Composer. Each one becomes a pane with its own agent.
3Install Pane and add your repo. Create a pane with Ctrl+N; it gets a worktree on a new branch. Start Claude Code with Ctrl+Alt+3 and give it the task. On macOS, Linux and WSL you can also start Cursor's agent CLI with Ctrl+Alt+5.
4Learn the few shortcuts you'll use daily: Ctrl+Shift+B for Changes, Ctrl+Shift+K to commit, Ctrl+Shift+U to push. The command palette lists every action with its shortcut.

Pane's Create Pane dialog with repository, base branch, pane name and the Use worktree toggle — Creating a panePick the repo, base branch and name, and Pane makes a worktree for the task.
1.Base branch: The branch the new pane starts from.
2.Name: Becomes the branch name. Name it after the task.
3.Use worktree: On by default, so every pane gets its own branch and folder.
4.Create: Or press Ctrl+Enter (⌘↩ on a Mac).
Pane 2.4.155 on Windows 11, repo inside WSL2

What stays in your editor

Inline completions, refactor tools and the debugger stay in Cursor.

Keep Cursor, or VS Code or Zed, for the work you do by hand: inline completions, symbol search, refactor commands and debugging. Pane has a file tree, a simple editor tab and a diff view for checking an agent's work, and opens any pane's folder in your editor with one click.

What you gain

Parallel agents, keyboard git, any editor, any agent.

→ Parallel agents. Three agents on three features at once, each on its own worktree, without conflicts.
→ Keyboard-first git. Diff, commit, push, rebase and merge, each with a shortcut.
→ Any editor. Pane works beside VS Code, Cursor, Zed, Neovim or Helix.
→ Any agent. Claude Code, Codex, Cursor's agent CLI, Aider, Goose or anything else that runs in a terminal. See agent-agnostic.

Pane showing Claude Code running in a terminal, parallel panes in the sidebar and the Details panel with git actions — Agents running in parallelEach pane runs the agent's real terminal UI, with several panes going at once.
1.Parallel panes: Each pane is its own worktree. The dots show which are working, finished or waiting on you.
2.The real agent: It's the actual Claude Code terminal UI, so every feature and shortcut works.
3.Git at hand: Fetch, commit, push, pull, rebase and merge, each with a shortcut.
Pane 2.4.155 on Windows 11, repo inside WSL2

Sources

Corrections

If anything here is wrong or out of date, tell us and we'll fix it and update the date at the top. Open an issue on GitHub

Sources

frequently asked questions

Download*

Windows SmartScreen warningDirect downloads can show a SmartScreen warning while Pane is unsigned. Pane is fully open source, so you can audit the code and build from source yourself.1. Click More info2. Click Run anyway3. Continue the installerThe PowerShell install downloads the official release directly and avoids most browser download friction.npm global install

Paste that in PowerShell.Linux

By Parsa Khazaeepoul, co-founder of Pane. Last reviewed October 2026.