Poe
Windsurf
| Feature | Poe | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free / from $19.99/mo | Free / from $15/mo |
| Free Plan | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| Rating | 4.2 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Best For | ai-enthusiasts, researchers, content-creators, students | developers, startups, freelancers, budget-conscious-developers |
| Founded | 2022 | 2024 |
| Multi Model Chat | ✓ | ✗ |
| Custom Bots | ✓ | ✗ |
| Bot Marketplace | ✓ | ✗ |
| File Upload | ✓ | ✗ |
| Image Generation | ✓ | ✗ |
| Web Search | ✓ | ✗ |
| Code Execution | ✓ | ✗ |
| Ai Autocomplete | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cascade Agent | ✗ | ✓ |
| Multi File Editing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Codebase Indexing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Terminal Commands | ✗ | ✓ |
| Flows | ✗ | ✓ |
| Supercomplete | ✗ | ✓ |
✓ Poe Pros
- Access multiple AI models in one place
- Create and share custom bots
- Compare outputs across different models
- Free tier includes limited access to premium models
✗ Poe Cons
- Paid tier expensive for single-model heavy users
- Message limits on free tier are strict
- No API access for custom integrations
✓ 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
Poe is built for ai enthusiasts and researchers, with a focus on multi-model-chat and custom-bots. Windsurf targets developers and startups and leads with ai-autocomplete and cascade-agent.
Pricing is close: Windsurf starts at $15/mo versus $19.99/mo for Poe — not a deciding factor on its own.
Both offer free plans, so you can test each with your real workflow before committing to a subscription.
Bottom line: Windsurf has a slight overall edge — but if access multiple ai models in one place matters most to you, Poe may still be the right call.