Cursor vs Windsurf: Side-by-Side Comparison 2026

Cursor vs Windsurf comparison 2026. Side-by-side features, pricing & capabilities.

Feature Cursor Windsurf
Category AI IDEAI IDE
Starting Price Free Free
Model Family Multi-modelMulti-model
Code Completion
Chat
Agentic Mode
Multi-File Editing
Terminal Commands
Browser Use
App Generation
Git Integration
Supported IDEs Cursor (standalone VS Code fork)Windsurf (VS Code fork), JetBrains plugins
Open Source NoNo

Pricing verified 2026-02-06. Cursor pricing | Windsurf pricing

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Overview

Cursor is an AI IDE from Cursor (Anysphere). Windsurf is an AI IDE from Cognition. Both tools are actively maintained as of 2026.

Cursor: What You Get

AI-powered code editor built on VS Code with deep AI integration for code generation, editing, and chat.

  • AI autocomplete
  • Chat with codebase
  • Multi-file editing
  • Terminal commands
  • Code explanation
  • Bug detection

Pricing: Free / $20/mo. 6 plans available.

Windsurf: What You Get

AI-first IDE with Cascade — an agentic assistant that understands your codebase and makes multi-file changes. Now owned by Cognition (makers of Devin). Also available as Windsurf Plugin for VS Code and JetBrains.

  • Cascade agentic AI
  • Code completions
  • Multi-file editing
  • Terminal integration
  • Codebase search
  • Windsurf Plugin for other editors

Pricing: Free / $15/mo. 4 plans available.

Key Differences

  • Category: Cursor is an AI IDE, Windsurf is an AI IDE.
  • Model family: Cursor uses Multi-model; Windsurf uses Multi-model.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Cursor if you want Full-featured AI IDE for professional development. Choose Windsurf if you want Cascade agent makes autonomous multi-step changes. Both tools are strong options — the right choice depends on your workflow and priorities.

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