Cursor vs Windsurf
Cursor and Windsurf are AI coding editors for completions, agents, and repo-aware development. The decision turns on editor fit, quotas, and team pricing.
Choosing between Cursor and Windsurf now means choosing between Anysphere's AI editor and Cognition's Devin Desktop path. Cursor keeps the buying frame simple: editor, agents, Bugbot, and team privacy controls. Windsurf now points buyers toward Devin Cloud, DeepWiki, Ask Devin, and a team plan with a separate base fee.
Quick Verdict
Choose Cursor when the priority is a direct AI IDE purchase with privacy mode, Bugbot, and team administration. Choose Windsurf when the purchase is really a Cognition stack decision: Devin Desktop plus Devin Cloud, DeepWiki, and Ask Devin. The non-obvious fork is team pricing: Cursor Teams starts at $40 per user per month, while Windsurf Teams lists an $80 monthly team fee plus $40 per full developer seat as of June 2026.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Category | Cursor | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | AI IDE for individual developers and teams | Devin Desktop users who want cloud agents |
| Free plan | Hobby with limited Agent requests and Tab completions | Free plan with light agent quota and unlimited Tab completions |
| Paid entry | Individual Pro at $20/month | Pro at $20/month |
| Team pricing | Teams at $40/user/month | $80/month team plan plus $40/month per full developer seat |
| Agent work | Agent, cloud agents, MCPs, skills, hooks | Devin Desktop, Devin Cloud, DeepWiki, Ask Devin |
| Team controls | Billing, marketplace, analytics, privacy mode, SSO | Sharing, billing, admin analytics, priority support |
| Enterprise controls | SCIM, access controls, audit logs, service accounts | SAML/OIDC, enterprise admin, dedicated deployment |
Features and Workflow
Cursor keeps the workflow centered on the editor. Developers use Agent, Tab completions, cloud agents, MCPs, skills, hooks, and Bugbot in a Cursor-first setup. Teams get billing, analytics, privacy mode, and SAML/OIDC SSO.
Windsurf's current pricing page redirects to Devin and labels the product as Devin Desktop. The editor still covers Tab completions and inline edits, but paid plans also bring Devin Cloud, DeepWiki, Ask Devin, and access to OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, SWE 1.6, and open source models.
Pricing Comparison
As of June 2026, Cursor lists Hobby at $0, Individual at $20/month, Teams at $40/user/month, and Enterprise as custom. On-demand usage is billed after included model usage is consumed.
As of June 2026, Windsurf through Devin lists Free at $0, Pro at $20/month, Max at $200/month, Teams at $80/month plus $40/month per full developer seat, and Enterprise as custom. Extra usage can be bought at API pricing.
Pick Cursor If
- You want an AI editor that is still sold and documented as Cursor.
- Your team prefers a simple $40/user/month team entry price.
- You need team-wide privacy mode and usage analytics in the editor plan.
Pick Windsurf If
- You want the Devin Desktop direction rather than a standalone editor brand.
- Devin Cloud and DeepWiki are part of your coding workflow.
- Your team can justify the base team fee plus full developer seats.
Honest Verdict
Cursor is the clearer editor purchase for most teams because the product name, plan, and team controls line up directly. Windsurf belongs on the shortlist when Devin Desktop, Devin Cloud, and DeepWiki are the real requirements. The tradeoff is that Windsurf may offer a broader Cognition agent path, but its team pricing has an extra base fee.
FAQs
Cursor fits teams that want a standalone AI editor, while Windsurf fits buyers who want Devin Desktop and Devin Cloud access.
Individual entry pricing is similar at $20/month, but Windsurf's team plan adds an $80/month team fee plus seats.
Choose Cursor for editor-first coding workflows. Choose Windsurf if Devin Cloud, DeepWiki, and Cognition's agent stack matter more.
Windsurf now routes to Devin Desktop and includes Devin Cloud access on paid plans, which is useful for cloud-agent work.
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