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Comparison · Coding assistantsClaude Code vs Windsurf
Initial editorial ratings, testing in progress. Scores are editorial judgments, not benchmark results, and will be replaced by hands-on test scores. Sponsors never affect scores.
Claude Code and Windsurf both appear in our coding assistants ranking. This page puts them side by side: our current ratings, what each costs and includes according to its own pricing page (checked 2026-10-15), and which one to pick for which job. Where we could not verify something on the official site, we say so instead of guessing.
At a glance
| Claude Code | Windsurf | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 8.5/10 | 8.0/10 |
| Why it ranks | Strong terminal agent | Capable agentic IDE |
| Pricing | Included with Claude Pro: $17/month with annual billing ($200 up front) or $20 billed monthly; Max from $100/month with 5x or 20x Pro usage. Usage limits apply. | windsurf.com/pricing now shows Devin-branded plans: Free $0, Pro $20/month, Max $200/month, Teams $80/month plus $40/month per full developer seat (up to 200 users), Enterprise via sales. |
| Free tier | Not included in the free Claude plan according to the pricing page, which lists Claude Code under Pro. | Free plan with a light agent quota, limited models, unlimited inline edits and Tab completions. |
| Best for | Developers who live in the terminal and already pay for Claude. | Developers comparing agentic IDEs who want unlimited completions on a free plan. |
| Source | Checked 2026-10-15 on the official site | Checked 2026-10-15 on the official site |
Scores by criterion
Our methodology weights five criteria. Per-criterion scores come from hands-on testing, which hasn't been done yet for this category, so we show the weights and leave the scores blank instead of making numbers up. The overall ratings above are editorial.
| Criterion | Weight | Claude Code | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|---|
| Output quality | 40% | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| Speed & reliability | 20% | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| Ease of use | 15% | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| Value | 15% | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
| Privacy & trust | 10% | Not yet tested | Not yet tested |
Key differences
Claude Code (8.5) is a terminal agent included with Claude Pro; Windsurf (8.0) is an IDE with a free plan and a $20 Pro plan. Windsurf Pro includes models from several providers including Claude.
Claude Code in brief
Claude Code is Anthropic's terminal agent. There's no separate price: it's part of a Claude Pro or Max subscription, so if you already use Claude for writing, you get it in the same plan. We rate it 8.5/10 as a strong terminal agent.
- Terminal-based coding agent
- Comes with a Claude subscription rather than a separate product price
- Max adds higher usage and output limits and priority access
- Max includes $100–$200/month in API credits for the Claude Platform
- Enterprise option listed separately
Windsurf in brief
Windsurf is an agentic IDE. Its pricing page now sits under the Devin brand, with a free plan that keeps unlimited inline edits and Tab completions and a $20 Pro plan for frontier models and cloud agents. We rate it 8.0/10 as a capable agentic IDE.
- Agentic IDE with unlimited Tab completions on every plan
- Pro: frontier models from several providers and open-source models
- Access to cloud agents (Devin Cloud) on Pro
- Extra usage at API pricing
- Team admin dashboard and SSO on higher plans
Which should you pick?
Verdict: Pick Claude Code for terminal-first work if you already pay for Claude. Pick Windsurf for an IDE with a free tier and model choice.
How that maps to our criteria:
- Output quality (40%): until testing is done, our editorial ratings are the best guide: Claude Code 8.5/10, Windsurf 8.0/10. Claude Code is rated higher.
- Value (15%): compare the free tiers in the table. Claude Code: Not included in the free Claude plan according to the pricing page, which lists Claude Code under Pro. Windsurf: Free plan with a light agent quota, limited models, unlimited inline edits and Tab completions.
- Ease of use (15%): Claude Code is best for developers who live in the terminal and already pay for Claude. Windsurf is best for developers comparing agentic IDEs who want unlimited completions on a free plan.
- Speed & reliability (20%) and Privacy & trust (10%): not yet tested. Before you commit, read each vendor's data-retention and training settings on its own site.
Frequently asked questions
- Does Windsurf offer Claude models?
- Its pricing page lists frontier models from OpenAI, Claude, Gemini and others on Pro.
- Which is rated higher, Claude Code or Windsurf?
- Claude Code is rated higher in our initial editorial ratings (8.5 vs 8.0). These are not benchmark results; testing is in progress.
- How much does Claude Code cost?
- Included with Claude Pro: $17/month with annual billing ($200 up front) or $20 billed monthly; Max from $100/month with 5x or 20x Pro usage. Usage limits apply.
- How much does Windsurf cost?
- windsurf.com/pricing now shows Devin-branded plans: Free $0, Pro $20/month, Max $200/month, Teams $80/month plus $40/month per full developer seat (up to 200 users), Enterprise via sales.
- When was pricing checked?
- On 2026-10-15, on each tool's official pricing page. Prices change often, so confirm on the vendor's site before you buy.
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