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Comparison · Coding assistantsCursor 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.
Cursor 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
| Cursor | Windsurf | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 9.0/10 | 8.0/10 |
| Why it ranks | AI-first editor, agentic edits | Capable agentic IDE |
| Pricing | As shown on cursor.com/pricing on our check date: Free $0, Plus $8/month, Premium $30/month, Super $100/month, Ultra $200/month. The page bundles Grok and X features into these plans and says third-party models in Cursor are billed separately by usage. Prices exclude taxes. | 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 | Free plan with limited AI usage, limited agent and chat requests. | Free plan with a light agent quota, limited models, unlimited inline edits and Tab completions. |
| Best for | Developers willing to switch editors for an AI-first workflow. | 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 | Cursor | 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
Both are agentic IDEs. Cursor rates 9.0 and Windsurf 8.0 in our initial ratings. Windsurf Pro is $20/month with frontier models from several providers; Cursor Premium is $30/month on its current page, with cheaper Plus at $8. Both have free plans.
Cursor in brief
Cursor is an editor designed around AI from the start, with agentic edits across files. Its pricing page changed substantially in 2026 and now lists five tiers from free to $200 a month that also include Grok and X features; check the page yourself before you buy. We rate it 9.0/10 for its AI-first editor and agentic edits.
- AI-first code editor built around agentic, multi-file edits
- Cloud agents and automations (Premium and above)
- Code hosting and AI code reviews (Premium and above)
- Third-party models available at API list price, billed by usage
- Higher plans multiply usage (4x, 15x, 50x versus Plus)
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 Cursor for the higher-rated agentic editing experience. Pick Windsurf if unlimited free completions and multi-provider models on a $20 plan suit you.
How that maps to our criteria:
- Output quality (40%): until testing is done, our editorial ratings are the best guide: Cursor 9.0/10, Windsurf 8.0/10. Cursor is rated higher.
- Value (15%): compare the free tiers in the table. Cursor: Free plan with limited AI usage, limited agent and chat requests. Windsurf: Free plan with a light agent quota, limited models, unlimited inline edits and Tab completions.
- Ease of use (15%): Cursor is best for developers willing to switch editors for an AI-first workflow. 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
- Which is better for teams?
- Windsurf lists Teams at $80/month plus $40 per developer seat. Check Cursor's Teams tab on its pricing page for its current team plan.
- Which is rated higher, Cursor or Windsurf?
- Cursor is rated higher in our initial editorial ratings (9.0 vs 8.0). These are not benchmark results; testing is in progress.
- How much does Cursor cost?
- As shown on cursor.com/pricing on our check date: Free $0, Plus $8/month, Premium $30/month, Super $100/month, Ultra $200/month. The page bundles Grok and X features into these plans and says third-party models in Cursor are billed separately by usage. Prices exclude taxes.
- 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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