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New to AI coding tools? This page explains the words you'll see all over PluginStack in plain English, then walks you through your first setup in about 15 minutes. No experience needed.

The five words to know

Cursor: A code editor (an app for writing code) with AI built in. It looks like VS Code, and you can chat with an AI that reads and edits your project for you. It has a free plan. Adding tools to Cursor.
Claude Code: Anthropic's AI coding helper. You type what you want in plain words and it reads your files, makes changes and runs commands. It started in the terminal and now also works inside VS Code and JetBrains, as a desktop app and on the web. It needs a paid Claude plan or an Anthropic Console account. Claude Code setup.
Codex: OpenAI's coding agent, which works a lot like Claude Code. It runs in your terminal, in editors like VS Code and Cursor, as a desktop app and in the cloud. You sign in with a paid ChatGPT plan or use an OpenAI API key. Codex setup.
AI agent: An AI that doesn't just answer questions but takes steps to finish a task: it reads files, runs commands, checks the result and tries again. Cursor, Claude Code and Codex all have agents. You stay in charge: by default they ask permission before things like running commands, and you can change how much they ask.
MCP server: MCP (Model Context Protocol) is a standard way to plug extra tools into an AI app. An MCP server is one of those plugins. One might let the AI read up-to-date docs, another open web pages, another talk to GitHub or your database. Some run on your computer and some are hosted online. The same server works in Cursor, Claude Code, Codex, VS Code and more. Browse MCP servers.

Which one should you pick? If you've never coded, start with Cursor: it's a normal-looking app with a free plan. If you're comfortable typing commands and already pay for Claude, try Claude Code.

Your first setup, step by step

We'll install one AI coding tool, then add one simple, safe MCP server: Context7. It gives the AI up-to-date docs for popular code libraries, so it stops guessing at old answers. It's hosted by its maker, it only looks up public documentation, and you don't need an account or key to try it.

Step 1: install Cursor or Claude Code

Cursor: download it from cursor.com/download, install it like any app, sign in or create a free account, and open a folder (File → Open Folder). An empty new folder is fine for practice.

Claude Code: open a terminal and run the installer from Anthropic (Mac, Linux or WSL):

bash

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

On Windows, see the Claude Code listing for the PowerShell command. Then go into a project folder and type claude. It asks you to log in the first time.

Step 2: add your first MCP server (Context7)

In Cursor: open the Context7 listing and click Add to Cursor. Cursor opens and asks you to confirm. Check the address is https://mcp.context7.com/mcp, then approve. Prefer to do it by hand? Create a file called .cursor/mcp.json in your project with this:

json

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "context7": {
      "url": "https://mcp.context7.com/mcp"
    }
  }
}

In Claude Code: run this in your terminal:

bash

claude mcp add --transport http context7 https://mcp.context7.com/mcp

Step 3: check it worked, then try it

Cursor: open Customize in the sidebar, then MCPs, and check Context7 is listed and switched on. Claude Code: type /mcp to see if it connected.

Now ask the AI something like this:

prompt

Using context7, show me how to make a simple page in the latest version of Next.js.

Stuck? See fixing MCP error -32000 or the full Cursor MCP guide.

Another easy one: Fetch

The Fetch MCP server lets the AI read a web page you give it. It runs on your computer and needs the free tool uv installed first. Its listing has the setup for every app.

Three safety habits

Only add MCP servers from makers you trust. Every server can run actions for the AI, so treat it like installing an app.
Read the settings before you approve a one-click install, and never paste API keys into files you share or upload.
Start with read-only tools (like docs and web pages) before giving an AI access to your email, database or GitHub.

Want to see what each server needs before you install it? Check the MCP server requirements table.

Where to go next

The best MCP servers for Claude Code (most work in Cursor too).
Cursor rules vs AGENTS.md: give the AI standing instructions for your project.
The best free AI courses, if you'd like to learn the basics properly.
All guides and the full directory.

Want ready-made rules and prompts? We also sell a few optional packs. Everything on this page works without them.