🟦 Cursor vs 🌊 Windsurf
Head to head — the trade-offs that actually matter.
| Cursor | Windsurf | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | $20/mo | $20/mo |
| Category | IDE | IDE |
| Pricing model | Freemium | Freemium |
| Open source | No | No |
| Rating | ★ 4.7 | ★ 4.5 |
| Launched | 2023 | 2024 |
| Best for | Daily driver for IDE-first engineers | Teams who want an opinionated agent-first editor |
🟦 Cursor
Strengths
- + Keeps every VS Code extension and keybind
- + Tab completion and Composer feel instant
- + Model picker — bring your own API key
Weaknesses
- − Privacy mode limits some model routing
- − Pro plan quotas run out fast on large projects
🌊 Windsurf
Strengths
- + Cascade keeps project context across sessions
- + Flows autonomously between files mid-task
- + Under Cognition (Devin) — steady agent roadmap
Weaknesses
- − Smaller ecosystem than VS Code forks
- − SWE-1.5 still trails top frontier models