How to Use Cursor and GitHub Copilot for Faster Code Reviews in 2026

As a solo founder or indie hacker, you know that code reviews can be a bottleneck in your development process. You might find yourself spending hours sifting through lines of code, which eats into time that could be spent on building your product. What if I told you that using tools like Cursor and GitHub Copilot can significantly speed up this process? In this guide, I’ll walk you through how to leverage these AI tools for efficient code reviews in just 2 hours.

Prerequisites: Tools You Need

Before diving in, make sure you have the following:

1. Cursor: A collaborative coding tool that allows you to share your coding sessions with others seamlessly.
   • Pricing: Free tier available, with Pro at $15/month.
2. GitHub Copilot: An AI-powered code completion tool that suggests code snippets based on the context.
   • Pricing: $10/month per user.

Step 1: Setting Up Your Environment (30 minutes)

1. Install Cursor:

   • Go to the Cursor website and create an account.
   • Download and install the Cursor app on your machine.

2. Install GitHub Copilot:

   • Go to your GitHub account settings and enable GitHub Copilot.
   • Make sure you have the proper permissions set for your repositories.

3. Create a Sample Repository:

   • Set up a GitHub repository with a few sample code files that need reviewing.

Expected Output:

At this stage, you should have both tools installed and a sample repository ready for testing.

Step 2: Using Cursor for Collaborative Code Reviews (30 minutes)

1. Start a Session:

   • Open Cursor and create a new session. Invite your team members or collaborators to join.

2. Navigate the Code Together:

   • Use Cursor’s real-time collaboration features to navigate through the code files. This allows you to discuss changes and improvements on the fly.

3. Leave Comments:

   • As you review the code, leave comments directly in the Cursor interface. This helps keep feedback organized and easy to access later.

Expected Output:

By the end of this step, you should have a collaborative environment set up where feedback is flowing in real-time.

Step 3: Enhancing Reviews with GitHub Copilot (30 minutes)

1. Enable GitHub Copilot:

   • Make sure GitHub Copilot is active in your coding environment.

2. Use Copilot for Suggestions:

   • As you review code, use Copilot to generate suggestions for improvements. For example, if you find a function that could be optimized, start typing a comment and let Copilot suggest the code.

3. Accept or Modify Suggestions:

   • Review the suggestions made by Copilot. Accept the ones that fit or modify them as necessary.

Expected Output:

You should have a set of improved code snippets ready to be merged back into the main branch.

Step 4: Troubleshooting Common Issues (15 minutes)

• Cursor Lag: If you experience lag during collaborative sessions, check your internet connection or restart the Cursor app.
• Copilot Not Suggesting: Ensure that the context is clear. Copilot works best when it has enough surrounding code to understand what you are trying to accomplish.

Conclusion: What’s Next?

By following these steps, you should be able to conduct faster code reviews using Cursor and GitHub Copilot in about 2 hours. The key takeaway is the combination of real-time collaboration and intelligent code suggestions.

Start Here:

If you’re looking to speed up your code reviews and improve your workflow, I recommend starting by setting up both Cursor and GitHub Copilot, as outlined above.

Comparison Table: Tool Features

| Tool | Pricing | Best For | Limitations | Our Take | |--------------------|-----------------------------|-------------------------|-------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------| | Cursor | Free tier + $15/mo Pro | Real-time collaboration | Limited integrations with some IDEs | We love using it for collaborative reviews. | | GitHub Copilot | $10/mo per user | Code suggestions | Can suggest incorrect or insecure code | We use it for speeding up our coding process. |

What We Actually Use

In our experience, we rely heavily on GitHub Copilot for daily coding tasks and use Cursor when we need to collaborate with team members or conduct code reviews.