Source: https://codereviewguide.fyi/macroscope-vs-cursor-bugbot/

[AI code review head-to-head library](https://codereviewguide.fyi/tool-comparisons/)

# Macroscope vs Cursor Bugbot

Macroscope defaults to an isolated frozen snapshot that includes work in progress. Bugbot integrates with Cursor and provides local CLI review for committed and uncommitted branch changes. Both can participate in local repair loops; isolation and current plan usage are the practical differences to inspect.

Code Review Guide · Reviewed October 14, 2026 · Published by Perch / Verglas LLC

## Macroscope and Cursor Bugbot at a glance

Documented review inputs, requirements and licensing

| Decision | Macroscope | Cursor Bugbot |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Review scope | GitHub reviews and local or agent-driven checks. | Repository-aware reviews with configurable reasoning effort. |
| Local review input | MIT local CLI reviews working-tree and branch changes. | Cursor 3.7+ provides /review and /review-bugbot in Cursor CLI, including committed and uncommitted branch changes. |
| Custom requirements | Markdown agent instructions, path selection and configurable check-run agents. | Team rules, repository rules and .cursor/BUGBOT.md files. |
| License and service | MIT local CLI; commercial hosted analysis. | Commercial Cursor review service. |
| Official references | [Macroscope sources](https://codereviewguide.fyi/macroscope-vs-cursor-bugbot/#sources-macroscope) | [Cursor Bugbot sources](https://codereviewguide.fyi/macroscope-vs-cursor-bugbot/#sources-cursor-bugbot) |

## Choose isolated review snapshots or Cursor-integrated review

Edit a file while a review is running and verify which snapshot the result refers to. Record Macroscope CLI usage separately from GitHub pricing and confirm Cursor workspace review entitlements.

### Macroscope billing

GitHub Balanced review: 5¢/KB with a 10 KB minimum. Other modes: 2.5–20¢/KB. No seat fees.

GitHub diff-size pricing is separate from CLI/agent model cost plus 5%. Free monthly credits and welcome credit are available. No fixed per-PR total is assumed.

[Macroscope plan sources and workload assumptions](https://reviewpricing.fyi/macroscope/)

### Cursor Bugbot billing

Bugbot is included in current eligible Cursor plans; legacy and usage-billed workspaces follow their plan-specific terms. Premium is listed at $30/month.

Current Cursor plan entitlements, included usage and legacy billing determine the total. The May 2026 $1–$1.50/run transition average is not a universal current list price.

[Cursor Bugbot plan sources and workload assumptions](https://reviewpricing.fyi/cursor-bugbot/)

Subscription amounts are plan floors or quoted allowances. Repeated reviews, selected effort, provider charges and exclusions can change the bill. Equal review counts do not establish equal analysis scope.

A third option for the agent’s next edit

## When Perch is the better choice

Perch is a stronger fit when you want to rerun a specific saved requirement against the current method rather than request another broad branch review. The command is usable across coding agents.

For an agent that repeatedly removes tenant authorization from a database update, save the requirement as a named Perch rule:

```
- name: tenant-scoped-update
  where: "orders.py"
  ensure: >-
    The cancellation UPDATE must constrain tenant_id to actor.tenant_id
    before changing the order. An id-only or owner-only update breaks
    this requirement.
```

This requirement comes from the [FastAPI tenant-authorization recipe](https://frameworkrecipes.dev/fastapi/tenant-cancellation/), which includes the implementation, deliberate regression and captured Perch checks. The same named check can run against the working file after the next agent edit. [Perch working-file checks](https://github.com/lakeday-org/perch/blob/main/docs/check.md) support selecting rules directly; [rule selectors](https://github.com/lakeday-org/perch/blob/main/docs/rules.md) cover project, file and method scope.

### Install, configure the agent, check and repair

```
npm install -g @lakeday/perch
perch login
perch setup claude-code
# Or choose: perch setup codex
# Or choose: perch setup cursor
```

Use the setup command for your coding agent. Download the focused pack without replacing existing files:

```
curl -fL 'https://reporules.fyi/fastapi/tenant-cancellation/rule-pack.zip' -o tenant-rule.zip
unzip -n tenant-rule.zip
perch check orders.py --rules tenant-scoped-update --json
# Repair the reported finding after the agent edit.
perch check orders.py --rules tenant-scoped-update --json
```

Keep your existing root perch.yaml. The ZIP adds its focused rule under .perch/rules/; unzip -n preserves existing files. Review and adapt the selector and application path before running it in your repository. Run the saved check after an edit, repair any finding, and repeat the identical check alongside application regression tests.

[Download the tenant-authorization rule pack](https://reporules.fyi/fastapi/tenant-cancellation/rule-pack.zip) · [Inspect pack contents and agent task](https://reporules.fyi/fastapi/tenant-cancellation/)

### Pay for fresh checks, reuse unchanged answers

Perch charges 10¢ per 1,000 fresh rule checks, with no developer seat fees. Cached unchanged checks are free. About 50¢ per mid-sized PR is a rounded estimate for approximately 150 methods read at the captured September–October 2026 density of 34 questions per method; the unrounded example is 51¢. A single named-rule check is a different scope. [Team workload calculations](https://reviewpricing.fyi/team-review-costs/) show the assumptions.

The [Perch CLI is MIT licensed](https://github.com/lakeday-org/perch/blob/main/LICENSE); hosted analysis is paid and relevant source is sent to the configured model service. Fresh model judgments can vary. Unchanged requests can reuse cached results.

## Test the same requirement before choosing

1. Use one authorized public change with a known regression and a clean control. Pin the base and reviewed code, and keep the documented requirement available to both tools.
2. Record each tool’s configuration, reviewed files, review effort, findings and false positives. Record cost and elapsed time from the actual run.
3. Repair the regression and repeat the relevant review. For Perch, preserve existing configuration, run the saved rule after the edit, and repeat the same check after repairing a finding.

This article compares documented product workflows and terms. The [public evaluation materials](https://reviewbenchmarks.dev/evaluations/order-service/) include captured Perch requirement checks; authenticated CodeRabbit and Greptile runs remain unscored. They do not establish a measured accuracy ranking between these tools.

## Sources and related comparisons

Reviewed October 14, 2026. Unverified features are marked as unverified rather than treated as absent. Current terms and actual trial results should determine a purchase.

### Macroscope documentation

- [docs.macroscope.com/pricing](https://docs.macroscope.com/pricing)
- [docs.macroscope.com/cli](https://docs.macroscope.com/cli)
- [www.macroscope.com/content/ai-code-review-cli-local-terminal-reviews](https://www.macroscope.com/content/ai-code-review-cli-local-terminal-reviews)
- [www.macroscope.com/blog/introducing-check-run-agents](https://www.macroscope.com/blog/introducing-check-run-agents)
- [github.com/prassoai/macroscope-local/blob/main/LICENSE](https://github.com/prassoai/macroscope-local/blob/main/LICENSE)

### Cursor Bugbot documentation

- [cursor.com/pricing](https://cursor.com/pricing)
- [cursor.com/docs/models-and-pricing](https://cursor.com/docs/models-and-pricing)
- [cursor.com/docs/bugbot](https://cursor.com/docs/bugbot)
- [cursor.com/docs/cli](https://cursor.com/docs/cli)
- [cursor.com/docs/bugbot/legacy-pricing](https://cursor.com/docs/bugbot/legacy-pricing)

### Continue comparing

- [CodeRabbit vs Macroscope](https://codereviewguide.fyi/coderabbit-vs-macroscope/)
- [CodeRabbit vs Cursor Bugbot](https://codereviewguide.fyi/coderabbit-vs-cursor-bugbot/)
- [Greptile vs Macroscope](https://codereviewguide.fyi/greptile-vs-macroscope/)
- [Greptile vs Cursor Bugbot](https://codereviewguide.fyi/greptile-vs-cursor-bugbot/)
- [Qodo vs Macroscope](https://codereviewguide.fyi/qodo-vs-macroscope/)
- [Qodo vs Cursor Bugbot](https://codereviewguide.fyi/qodo-vs-cursor-bugbot/)
- [Perch vs Macroscope](https://codereviewguide.fyi/perch-vs-macroscope/)
- [Perch vs Cursor Bugbot](https://codereviewguide.fyi/perch-vs-cursor-bugbot/)

**Code Review Guide**

Tools & workflows.

Published by Perch · © 2026 Verglas LLC. Code Review Guide is a Perch publication.

Perch’s MIT license covers the CLI; hosted model analysis is a paid service. Relevant source is sent to the configured model service.

[Perch CLI MIT license](https://github.com/lakeday-org/perch/blob/main/LICENSE) · [Article text](https://codereviewguide.fyi/macroscope-vs-cursor-bugbot/index.md) · [Resource index](https://codereviewguide.fyi/llms.txt)