Head-to-head comparison

Cursor vs Windsurf

Both cost $20/mo. The difference is what they do.

Updated 2026-09-13· yesterday

Cursor vs Windsurf pricing

Cursor

AI IDEs

$20/mo

Free Hobby · $20/mo Pro · $60/mo Pro+ · $200/mo Ultra · $40/seat Teams · $120/seat Teams Premium

AI-first IDE, multi-file agent edits

Windsurf

AI IDEs

$20/mo

Free · $20/mo Pro · $200/mo Max · Teams from $80/mo with $40/seat · Enterprise custom

Cognition's AI IDE with the Devin Local agent

Quick answer

Cursor is the mature default — broader model support, larger MCP ecosystem, and a bigger community of plugin authors. Windsurf is the cheaper, more agent-forward alternative if you want Cascade's tighter flow and don't need every model under the sun.

When to pick which

Pick Cursor when

You want the most established AI IDE with the largest community and plugin set.
You need to switch between Claude, GPT, Gemini, and local models inside the same editor.
You rely on MCP servers — Cursor has the most mature MCP integration today.
You're paying out of pocket and value the ecosystem over a 30-40% price difference.

Pick Windsurf when

You want a tighter, more opinionated agentic flow (Cascade) instead of multiple modes.
You're cost-sensitive and want a meaningfully cheaper paid tier.
You're already on Codeium and the migration cost is zero.
You prefer Windsurf's UX for inline edit acceptance and diff review.

Hard differences

Attribute	Cursor	Windsurf
Editor base	VS Code fork	VS Code fork
Primary agent	Composer / Agent mode	Cascade
MCP support	Mature, many servers	Yes, smaller server set
Inline edit (Cmd+K)	Yes	Yes
Model flexibility	All major frontier + local	Frontier + Codeium models

Where each ships

Cursor-only stacks (6)

Windsurf-only stacks (1)

Windsurf (Devin Local)$0/mo

Cursor vs Windsurf FAQ

Should you pick Cursor or Windsurf?

Which is cheaper, Cursor or Windsurf?

Neither. Both start at $20/mo.

What is Cursor best for?

AI-first IDE, multi-file agent edits. It sits in the ai ides category, and ships in 6 tested stacks here.

What is Windsurf best for?

Cognition's AI IDE with the Devin Local agent. It sits in the ai ides category, and ships in 1 tested stack here.

Can I use Cursor and Windsurf together?

They are alternatives at the same step, so most stacks pick one or the other. No aistack.sh stack uses both today, though nothing prevents a custom workflow.