Cursor vs Windsurf
The two leading AI-first code editors. Cursor excels at multi-file editing with Composer, while Windsurf's Cascade agent can autonomously execute complex tasks.
Feature Comparison
Cursor
48/60
80%
3W-0T-3L
Windsurf
48/60
80%
Code Completion
9:8
Agent Capabilities
8:9
Speed & Performance
7:8
Pricing
6:8
Extension Ecosystem
9:8
Community & Maturity
9:7
Click any criterion to see details
Verdict
It depends on your use case.
Cursor is the safer bet with better code completion and a larger community. Windsurf is the better value and its Cascade agent is arguably more autonomous. Try both — they both have free tiers.
Quick Specs
| Feature | Cursor | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | $0 — $40/mo/user | $0 — Custom |
| Free Tier | Yes | Yes |
| Open Source | No | No |
| Platforms | desktop | desktop |
| IDE Support | Cursor | Windsurf |
| LLMs | Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4o, Claude 3 Opus, cursor-small | Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4o, Codeium proprietary |
| Rating | 4.8/5 | 4.5/5 |
FAQ
Is Windsurf cheaper than Cursor?
Yes. Windsurf Pro is $15/mo vs Cursor Pro at $20/mo, with similar feature sets.
Can I switch between Cursor and Windsurf easily?
Yes. Both are VS Code forks, so your settings, extensions, and keybindings transfer easily. Your code and projects work identically in both.