Cursor vs Windsurf: which one to choose in 2026?

Community ratings, features, pricing and free plans: the complete head-to-head between Cursor and Windsurf to find the right tool for your needs.

Screenshot of Cursor
Verified

Cursor

4.7 (493)

Cursor reinvents the code editor by putting AI at the heart of the development experience. Built on top of VS Code, it lets you edit multiple files at once using natural language, chat with your entire project, and hand off complete tasks to autonomous agents. Since version 2.0, its in-house Composer model and multi-agent interface make it possible to run several tasks in parallel.

Code AssistantDeveloper Tools
View detailsOfficial site
Screenshot of Windsurf
Verified

Windsurf

4.4 (167)

Windsurf is an agentic IDE created by Codeium and now owned by Cognition (the maker of Devin), which rebranded it as Devin Desktop in June 2026. Its local agent, Cascade — now Devin Local — analyzes your entire project, plans changes, edits multiple files and runs commands to carry out development tasks end to end. It stands out for its deep understanding of large codebases (Fast Context, Codemaps) and free access to its in-house SWE-1.6 model.

Code AssistantDeveloper Tools
View detailsOfficial site

Comparison table

CriterionCursorWindsurf
Average rating4.74.4
Number of reviews493167
Free planNoYes
PlansHobby, Pro, TeamsFree, Pro, Max
CategoriesCode Assistant, Developer ToolsCode Assistant, Developer Tools
Last updatedJuly 8, 2026July 8, 2026

See all tools in these categories: Code Assistant, Developer Tools

Our verdict

Cursor or Windsurf?

With an average rating of 4.7/5 (493 reviews), Cursor comes out ahead of Windsurf (4.4/5, 167 reviews) with our community.

Budget-wise, Windsurf offers a free plan to get started, while Cursor does not appear to offer one.

Both tools play on the same field (Code Assistant and Developer Tools): compare their features and pricing above to make the call.

Features head to head

Cursor

  • Full-featured editor based on VS Code, compatible with your extensions
  • Agent mode that carries out multi-file tasks end to end
  • Composer, an in-house coding model built for speed and agentic tasks
  • Multi-agent interface: up to eight agents running in parallel in isolated workspaces
  • Predictive completion that anticipates your next edits
  • Chat with full project indexing
  • Support for all the leading models on the market

Windsurf

  • Devin Local agent (formerly Cascade): whole-project understanding, multi-file edits and command execution
  • Plan mode and parallel agent sessions to tackle several tasks at once
  • Supercomplete and Tab completions included even on the free tier
  • Codemaps and Fast Context to map and navigate large codebases
  • Memories and custom rules to remember your project conventions and preferences

Pricing compared

Cursor

Hobby

  • Free
  • Limited quota of AI requests
  • Basic completions and chat

Pro

  • $20 per month
  • Extended agent mode usage
  • Access to the most capable models
  • Unlimited completions
  • Pro+ ($60) and Ultra ($200) tiers for heavy usage

Teams

  • $40 per user per month
  • Privacy mode enforced across the whole team
  • Centralized admin and billing

Windsurf

Free

  • Light agent usage quota
  • Tab and Supercomplete completions
  • Unlimited access to the in-house SWE-1.6 model

Pro

  • $20 per month
  • Larger quotas and frontier models (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google)
  • Access to the accelerated version of SWE-1.6

Max

  • $200 per month
  • Substantially higher quotas than the Pro plan
  • All Pro plan features included

Prices are indicative and may change — check the official sites for up-to-date pricing.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Cursor and Windsurf?

Cursor and Windsurf belong to the same categories (Code Assistant and Developer Tools): the difference comes down to the features, pricing and user experience detailed in this comparison.

Cursor or Windsurf: which one is rated higher?

Cursor earns the better average rating: 4.7/5 (493 reviews), versus 4.4/5 (167 reviews) for Windsurf.

Can you use Cursor or Windsurf for free?

Cursor does not offer a free plan as far as we know, and Windsurf offers a free plan.

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