TaskRank / Compare / Coding assistants
Comparison · Coding assistantsGitHub Copilot 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.
GitHub Copilot 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
| GitHub Copilot | Windsurf | |
|---|---|---|
| Our rating | 9.0/10 | 8.0/10 |
| Why it ranks | Ubiquitous IDE integration | Capable agentic IDE |
| Pricing | Free $0; Pro $10/month; Pro+ $39/month; Max $100/month. Usage is measured in GitHub AI Credits, with flex allotments on top of the base. | 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 chat and agent usage; the page says it supports the CLI and agent mode. | Free plan with a light agent quota, limited models, unlimited inline edits and Tab completions. |
| Best for | Developers who want AI inside the editor and GitHub workflow they already use. | 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 | GitHub Copilot | 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
Copilot (9.0) plugs into existing editors; Windsurf (8.0) is an agentic IDE, now priced under the Devin brand. Copilot Pro is $10/month; Windsurf Pro is $20/month. Windsurf's free plan keeps unlimited Tab completions.
GitHub Copilot in brief
GitHub Copilot's strength is reach: it plugs into the editors and the GitHub workflow most developers already use, so there's little to switch. Pricing is now credit-based, with Free, Pro ($10), Pro+ ($39) and Max ($100) tiers. We rate it 9.0/10 for its ubiquitous IDE integration.
- Works in VS Code and other editors, plus a desktop app
- Agents on GitHub and a cloud agent
- Copilot CLI and code review
- Chat, agent mode and code review draw on GitHub AI Credits
- Option to purchase additional credits on paid plans
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 GitHub Copilot if you want to stay in your editor and pay less. Pick Windsurf if you want a dedicated agentic IDE with unlimited free completions.
How that maps to our criteria:
- Output quality (40%): until testing is done, our editorial ratings are the best guide: GitHub Copilot 9.0/10, Windsurf 8.0/10. GitHub Copilot is rated higher.
- Value (15%): compare the free tiers in the table. GitHub Copilot: Free plan with limited chat and agent usage; the page says it supports the CLI and agent mode. Windsurf: Free plan with a light agent quota, limited models, unlimited inline edits and Tab completions.
- Ease of use (15%): GitHub Copilot is best for developers who want AI inside the editor and GitHub workflow they already use. 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 free plan has unlimited completions?
- Windsurf's free plan lists unlimited Tab completions and inline edits.
- Which is rated higher, GitHub Copilot or Windsurf?
- GitHub Copilot 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 GitHub Copilot cost?
- Free $0; Pro $10/month; Pro+ $39/month; Max $100/month. Usage is measured in GitHub AI Credits, with flex allotments on top of the base.
- 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.
Related comparisons
Best AI for coding assistants: full ranking · All comparisons · TaskRank home