Cursor Launches Origin, an Interoperable Alternative to GitHub

Cursor unveils Origin, a code hosting platform designed for collaboration, pull request management, and repository storage, while remaining compatible with GitHub. The announcement comes as GitHub experienced over six hours of downtime with an error rate close to 20%, amid repeated outages.

Series of Outages at GitHub and a Dark Day with Over 20% Errors

On the day of Origin's launch, GitHub suffered a prolonged global outage. For more than six hours, some functions of the platform were degraded with a global error rate nearing 20%. Earlier this year, following a series of interruptions, GitHub announced measures to address dissatisfied developers, as availability issues appeared to worsen. Over the past year, the platform has recorded 257 outages, according to an analysis by LeadDev. These incidents have led to a "visible exodus of high-profile users," writes journalist Charles Humble.

Claimed Interoperability: Origin Works Alongside GitHub

Origin is designed to coexist with existing repositories on GitHub. According to Cursor, it is possible to connect a GitHub account, select an organization, and synchronize repositories that will be imported by the new platform. Beyond this gateway, Origin covers the classic uses of code hosting: collaborative work, consultation and modification of codebases, pull request management, and storage in repositories.

Cursor Advances Its Roadmap Around Origin

Cursor launched Origin this week, presented as a new foundation for code hosting. The company plans to soon add "native agent" features to the platform, while indicating it is building an ecosystem of applications aimed at supporting broader development efforts within Origin.

GitHub's Stature: 180 Million Users and an Industrial Legacy

GitHub claims approximately 180 million users since last October. The company, founded in 2007 and acquired by Microsoft in 2012, remains described as the largest source of code hosting in the world and the de facto platform for the majority of developers. This position has recently been coupled with outages and performance degradation. In this landscape, Cursor, an AI startup now integrated with SpaceX, is attempting to position itself with Origin.