ChatGPT vs Cursor: which is safer for work?
On the facts we could verify, ChatGPT carries lower data-exposure risk for default at-work use. Both should still be used on an approved tier for anything sensitive.
| Fact | ChatGPT Low risk · 14 OpenAI · AI assistants | Cursor Low risk · 17 Anysphere · Coding |
|---|---|---|
| Trains on consumer-tier data | Opt-out | Opt-out |
| SOC 2 Type II | Yes | Yes |
| ISO 27001 | Yes | Yes |
| GDPR DPA | Yes | Yes |
| HIPAA BAA | Yes | Unverified |
| EU data residency | Yes | Unverified |
| SSO / SAML | Yes | Yes |
| Data retention | Consumer chats retained until deleted (~30 days after deletion); ChatGPT Enterprise/Team customer-configurable retention; API logs default ~30 days and Zero Data Retention available for eligible API endpoints/in-region projects. | With Privacy Mode enabled, Cursor maintains Zero Data Retention (ZDR) agreements with inference subprocessors so prompts/completions are not retained; without Privacy Mode, code data may be stored to improve and train models (specific retention windows not published). |
Full profiles: ChatGPT · Cursor. Facts are sourced from each vendor's own policies; confirm the tier before relying on them.