Cursor
Windsurf
| Feature | Cursor | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $20/mo | Free / from $15/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.7 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | developers, engineering-teams, startups, full-stack-developers | developers, startups, freelancers, budget-conscious-developers |
| Founded | 2023 | 2024 |
| Ai Autocomplete | ✓ | ✓ |
| Multi File Editing | ✓ | ✓ |
| Codebase Chat | ✓ | ✗ |
| Composer | ✓ | ✗ |
| Terminal Commands | ✓ | ✓ |
| Custom Models | ✓ | ✗ |
| Privacy Mode | ✓ | ✗ |
| Cascade Agent | ✗ | ✓ |
| Codebase Indexing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Flows | ✗ | ✓ |
| Supercomplete | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Cursor Pros
- Understands entire codebase context
- Multi-file editing with Composer
- Tab autocomplete is fast and accurate
- Built on familiar VS Code interface
✗ Cursor Cons
- Expensive for individual developers
- Can produce incorrect code in complex repos
- Heavy resource usage on large projects
✓ Windsurf Pros
- Cascade agent handles complex multi-step tasks
- Generous free tier with AI completions
- Deep codebase indexing
- Lightweight and fast compared to Cursor
✗ Windsurf Cons
- Newer product with smaller community
- Agent can sometimes go off-track
- Fewer extensions than VS Code ecosystem
The Verdict
Cursor is built for developers and engineering teams, with a focus on ai-autocomplete and multi-file-editing. Windsurf targets developers and startups and leads with ai-autocomplete and cascade-agent.
On pricing, Windsurf is the clear winner for budget-conscious users — starting at $15/mo compared to $20/mo for Cursor. That $5/mo difference adds up quickly for growing teams.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Both tools are a solid fit for developers, startups — in those cases, the decision often comes down to workflow style and how your team prefers to organize work.
This is a genuinely close comparison. If you can, sign up for both free trials (where available) and run a one-week test with your actual team tasks before deciding.