For years, Github has been the leading choice for code hosting among developers. Recently, however, the platform has faced numerous reports of outages and performance issues, opening the door for Cursor to step in.
Cursor, an AI startup now part of SpaceXAI, unveiled its new code hosting service called Origin this week. This platform aims to fulfill the same functions developers rely on Github for, such as collaborative code editing, repository management, and handling pull requests.
This move seems like a natural progression for Cursor, which has primarily focused on offering automated web development solutions via its AI Code Editor. The company hinted that “agent native” features would soon be integrated into Origin, although specifics remain scarce. Additionally, Cursor is working on developing a broader app ecosystem to further enhance the coding experience within Origin.
Notably, using Origin does not necessitate abandoning Github. The platform is designed for developers to operate simultaneously with Github, facilitating the exchange of code between the two.
According to Cursor’s blog, “Your GitHub repositories can coexist with those hosted by Cursor. Simply connect Github to Cursor, select your organization, and you’ll see the repos available for syncing. Choose one, and Cursor will import it.”
The timing of Origin’s launch is significant, as frustration over Github’s service quality continues to grow. Coinciding with the debut of Origin, Github experienced a major global outage lasting over six hours, during which its functionalities were notably impaired, resulting in a nearly 20 percent error rate worldwide.
This incident is just one of many in a series of outages that Github has struggled with this year. Following several interruptions, Github announced measures aimed at addressing developer concerns, as its reliability issues increasingly became apparent. A recent report by LeadDev revealed that the platform has faced 257 outages in the past year, contributing to a noticeable decline in its high-profile user base, as noted by journalist Charles Humble.
Nonetheless, competing with Github won’t be easy for Cursor. As of last October, Github reported having around 180 million active developers on its platform. Founded in 2007 and acquired by Microsoft in 2012, Github remains the largest code host globally.
