Cursor vs Windsurf is one of the most searched questions among developers choosing an AI code editor. Both are built on VS Code, both embed an AI agent that can edit many files at once, and both have a free tier. But 2026 has changed both products a lot. This guide covers what is different today, what each costs, and which one fits your workflow.
Quick Verdict
Choose Cursor if you code daily, work in large codebases, and want a mature, widely used editor with strong multi-file editing and a big community.
Choose Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) if you want to manage several local and cloud agents from one place, like a flat-priced Pro plan, or want to plug in third-party agents such as Codex or Claude.
Not sure? Both have free plans. Run the same real task in each for a week.
Important Update: Windsurf Is Now Devin Desktop
If you are searching for Windsurf in late 2026, you need to know the name has changed. Cognition, which acquired Windsurf in July 2025, rebranded it as Devin Desktop on June 2, 2026. It arrived as an automatic update, and existing plans, settings, and extensions carried over. The windsurf.com site now points to the Devin pages.
A few changes matter for this comparison:
Cascade is gone. Windsurf's local agent, Cascade, reached end of life on July 1, 2026. Its replacement is Devin Local, rewritten in Rust. Cognition says it uses up to 30% fewer tokens and adds subagent support.
The Agent Command Center is now the default screen. Instead of opening to a plain editor, the app opens to a dashboard for managing local and cloud agent sessions in parallel.
It supports third-party agents. Through the open Agent Client Protocol (ACP), Devin Desktop can run agents such as Codex, Claude Agent, and OpenCode alongside Cognition's own.
It connects to the wider Devin family, including Devin Cloud (agents that run on remote machines and return pull requests), Devin CLI, and Devin Review.
Cognition still ships its own SWE models, and the app also supports frontier models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google.
Throughout this article we write "Windsurf (Devin Desktop)" because most people still search for the old name.
Cursor vs Windsurf at a Glance
Feature Cursor Windsurf (Devin Desktop) Maker AnySphere Cognition Base VS Code fork VS Code-based IDE Main agent Cursor Agent, with its own Composer model Devin Local (replaced Cascade), plus Devin Cloud Parallel agents Supported Core focus via the Agent Command Center Third-party agents Mainly its own agent and chosen models Open to ACP agents like Codex and Claude Agent Free plan Yes Yes Individual entry price Reported $20 (older plans) or $8 (reported October 2026 restructure) Pro at $20/month Heavy-use tier Ultra at $200/month Max at $200/month Team price Reported $30 to $40 per user/month $40 per user/month (reported cap of 200 users) JetBrains support Not a plugin-based product Plugin with limited features
Pricing Comparison
Pricing is where the two products have moved the most, and where articles go out of date fastest.
Windsurf (Devin Desktop) pricing
As of spring 2026 reporting, the plans were Free, Pro at $20/month, Max at $200/month, Teams at $40 per user/month, and custom Enterprise pricing. In March 2026, Windsurf also replaced its credit system with daily and weekly usage quotas, and the June rebrand left prices unchanged. Older reviews that list Pro at $15 are outdated. A price-tracking site also reported in late September that Windsurf capped its Teams plan at 200 users.
Cursor pricing
Through most of 2026, Cursor offered Hobby (free), Pro at $20, Pro+ at $60, Ultra at $200, Teams at $40 per user, and Enterprise. Paid plans included a monthly usage pool for third-party models, with extra usage billed at API prices.
Price-tracking sites then reported a major change in October 2026: Cursor is now sold as part of "The X Subscription," bundling Grok and X Premium perks, with plans reported as Free, Plus at $8, Premium at $30, Super at $100, and Ultra at $200, and Teams seats starting at $30 per user. Because this is a recent change reported by trackers rather than confirmed here, check Cursor's own pricing page before quoting any number.
Which is cheaper?
At the entry level the two have been close, with $20 a month as the common starting point for years. If the October change holds, Cursor's cheapest paid plan is now lower, but it comes in a different package. For heavy agent users, both top out around $200 a month. The real cost depends on how much agent usage you burn each month, so test with your own workload.
AI Agents: Cursor Agent vs Devin Local
This is where the products differ most in philosophy.
Cursor keeps you close to the code. Its agent handles multi-file edits and refactors inside the editor, and it is widely praised for precise control in large codebases.
Windsurf (Devin Desktop) treats the editor as one part of a larger agent cockpit. You can start tasks locally, hand longer ones to a cloud agent, and watch everything in a single board. This suits people who like to delegate and review, more than people who like to steer every edit.
Models
Both tools let you work with frontier models from the major labs, and both have their own in-house models (Composer for Cursor, SWE models for Cognition). Model lists and limits change often, so check each product's current model page. Cursor has also tied itself to Grok models in its latest plan structure, according to price trackers.
Editor Experience and IDE Support
Since both are VS Code-based, your extensions, themes, and keybindings mostly carry over. Windsurf also offers a plugin for JetBrains IDEs, but it is limited to autocomplete, and the agent features stay in the standalone app. If you live in IntelliJ or PyCharm, neither option is a perfect fit.
Pros and Cons
Cursor
Pros
Mature product with a large community and many tutorials
Strong multi-file editing and codebase handling
Clear free tier to try before paying
Cons
Pricing and plans have changed often, including a major restructure in late 2026
Usage-based billing can surprise heavy users
Mostly centered on its own agent
Windsurf (Devin Desktop)
Pros
Agent Command Center for running many agents in parallel
Works with third-party agents through ACP
Local and cloud agents in one tool
Same $20 Pro price as before the rebrand
Cons
The rebrand and the end of Cascade confuse some users and older tutorials
Quota-based usage is harder to predict than a fixed number of credits
More complex than needed for a solo developer who just wants autocomplete and chat
Who Should Choose Which?
If you are... Pick A developer who wants precise, hands-on control in a big codebase Cursor Someone who wants to delegate tasks to several agents and review results Windsurf (Devin Desktop) A team that wants to mix agents from different vendors Windsurf (Devin Desktop) A beginner exploring AI coding for free Either, starting with the free plans A budget-conscious solo developer Compare Cursor's newest entry plan against Windsurf's $20 Pro
Can You Use Both?
Yes. Many developers keep one as their daily editor and open the other for specific tasks, such as long-running agent work. Because both import VS Code settings, switching costs are low.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Windsurf the same as Devin Desktop? Yes. Windsurf was renamed Devin Desktop on June 2, 2026, and existing users were upgraded automatically.
Is Windsurf still available?
The editor still exists, but under the Devin Desktop name. Searching for Windsurf now leads to Devin pages.
What happened to Cascade?
Cascade reached end of life on July 1, 2026 and was replaced by Devin Local.
Is Cursor better than Windsurf?
Neither wins on every measure. Cursor is more established and code-focused; Windsurf (Devin Desktop) leans toward managing multiple agents. Your best choice depends on your workflow.
Which is cheaper, Cursor or Windsurf?
Both have free plans and similar entry prices, but plans for both changed during 2026. Check each pricing page for today's numbers.
Do Cursor and Windsurf work with Claude and GPT models?
Both support frontier models from major providers, though availability and limits vary by plan.
Can I switch from Cursor to Windsurf easily?
Yes. Both are VS Code-based, and both can import settings and keybindings.
Final Verdict
In 2026, the choice between Cursor and Windsurf is less about price and more about how you want to work. Pick Cursor for a polished, code-centered experience with a large community. Pick Windsurf (Devin Desktop) if you want to run and supervise multiple agents, local and cloud, from one dashboard. Since both have free plans, test them side by side on a real project before you pay.
