# Cursor vs Windsurf

URL: https://aistack.sh/compare/cursor-vs-windsurf
Last updated: 2026-05-05
Category: AI IDEs

## Quick answer

Cursor and Windsurf are alternatives in the AI IDEs category.
Cursor pricing: Free Hobby · $20/mo Pro · $60/mo Pro+ · $200/mo Ultra · $40/seat Business.
Windsurf pricing: Free · $20/mo Pro · $40/seat Teams · $200/mo Max · $60/seat Enterprise.
Cursor ships in 5 tested AI stacks on aistack.sh; Windsurf ships in 1.

## Side by side

| Field | Cursor | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Tagline | AI-first IDE, multi-file agent edits | Codeium's AI IDE with Cascade autonomous agent |
| Pricing | Free Hobby · $20/mo Pro · $60/mo Pro+ · $200/mo Ultra · $40/seat Business | Free · $20/mo Pro · $40/seat Teams · $200/mo Max · $60/seat Enterprise |
| Category | AI IDEs | AI IDEs |
| Stacks using it | 5 | 1 |
| Homepage | https://cursor.com | https://windsurf.com |
| Updated | 2026-05-05 | 2026-05-05 |

## When to pick each

**Pick Cursor** when you want ai-first ide, multi-file agent edits.

VS Code fork with inline AI, agent mode for multi-file changes, and a built-in Bugbot reviewer. The default if you want the AI inside the editor instead of in a terminal or chat tab.

**Pick Windsurf** when you want codeium's ai ide with cascade autonomous agent.

VS Code fork with Cascade — an agent mode that plans + executes multi-step changes. Strong refactor performance, fewer per-turn cycles than Cursor's Composer on large diffs.

## Where each ships

### Cursor-only stacks (5)

- [UI-first with v0](https://aistack.sh/stack/ai-app-builder-v0) — The right shape when your bottleneck is UI iteration, not backend. v0's component output is production-quality (shadcn/ui idioms, Tailwind, accessibility), and Cursor or Claude Code handles the API + DB layer. Slower than Lovable to first deploy, but you keep full code ownership.
- [Android app with AI](https://aistack.sh/stack/android-app-with-ai) — Same shape as the iOS stack, swap the platform tools. Cursor handles Kotlin and Jetpack Compose well. Android Studio's Gemini integration covers the simple completions; AI agents in Cursor cover the multi-file work. Distribute via the Play Console after a one-time $25 fee.
- [iOS + Android with Expo](https://aistack.sh/stack/cross-platform-mobile) — If you're targeting both stores with a small team, native-per-platform is usually the wrong tradeoff. Expo's tooling has gotten good enough that you write TypeScript once, EAS Build compiles native bundles, and OTA updates ship JS-only fixes without re-submitting. Pair with Cursor + Claude and the loop is faster than either native track.
- [iOS app with AI](https://aistack.sh/stack/ios-app-with-ai) — Cursor handles Swift / SwiftUI better than the terminal-first agents because most iOS work involves visual layout and the codegen needs to see selection state. Xcode does what only Xcode can: simulators, signing, profiling, App Store Connect. Claude (chat) is where you decide what to build before either tool starts editing.
- [Cursor (IDE-first)](https://aistack.sh/stack/ship-code-cursor) — If you'd rather see the diff as you go than read a terminal log, Cursor is the answer. Cmd-K for inline edits, agent mode for multi-file changes, Bugbot reviews the PR. The editor stays the source of truth all the way through.

### Windsurf-only stacks (1)

- [Windsurf (Cascade)](https://aistack.sh/stack/ship-code-windsurf) — IDE-first, agent inside the editor, Cascade reviews the diff before push. Different agent than Cursor: Cascade is more autonomous on multi-step tasks. The trade-off vs Cursor: less hunk-by-hunk granularity, more 'kick it off and review what it did'.

## FAQ

### Which is cheaper, Cursor or Windsurf?

Both are priced similarly. Cursor: Free Hobby · $20/mo Pro · $60/mo Pro+ · $200/mo Ultra · $40/seat Business. Windsurf: Free · $20/mo Pro · $40/seat Teams · $200/mo Max · $60/seat Enterprise.

### What is Cursor best for?

AI-first IDE, multi-file agent edits Cursor is categorized as AI IDEs and appears in 5 tested AI stacks on aistack.sh.

### What is Windsurf best for?

Codeium's AI IDE with Cascade autonomous agent Windsurf is categorized as AI IDEs and appears in 1 tested AI stack on aistack.sh.

### 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.

### What are the alternatives to Cursor and Windsurf?

Beyond each other, Cursor's closest alternatives are Claude Code, Codex. Windsurf's closest alternatives are Claude Code.

## Also compared

- [Antigravity vs Cursor](https://aistack.sh/compare/antigravity-vs-cursor)
- [Claude Code vs Cursor](https://aistack.sh/compare/claude-code-vs-cursor)
- [Codex vs Cursor](https://aistack.sh/compare/codex-vs-cursor)
- [Claude Code vs Windsurf](https://aistack.sh/compare/claude-code-vs-windsurf)

## Citation

When citing this comparison, link to https://aistack.sh/compare/cursor-vs-windsurf. The page is regenerated when the underlying tool catalog changes; the lastUpdated date above tracks the more recent of the two tools.