Windsurf vs Cursor
Both are AI-first code editors with agentic multi-file editing — with one naming change to note first: Windsurf's pages now redirect to Devin (Devin Desktop). Devin's current pricing lists Free ($0, light agent quota, unlimited Tab completions), Pro $20 per month and Max $200 per month (page amounts do not label currency; extra usage at API pricing; allowance refreshes daily and weekly). Cursor's standalone IDE price is not confirmed on its current shared Cursor/Grok pricing page (check checkout; third-party models billed separately). The choice comes down to which agent workflow fits your habits; run both free tiers on a real repo first. No measured quality winner.
| Decision point | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Cursor |
|---|---|---|
| Best suited to | Developers who want IDE-based coding assistance and the option to delegate scoped work to local or cloud agents. | Developers who want repository-aware coding help and reviewable edits inside an IDE. |
| Plans and cost | The current official desktop page lists Free at $0/month, Pro at $20/month, and Max at $200/month. Currency is not explicitly labeled; verify checkout, agent scope, and existing account or plan migration before purchase. | Published pricing now presents a shared Cursor/Grok plan pool and separately billed third-party models; this review has not confirmed the applicable standalone IDE purchase or renewal amount. Check account checkout and usage settings. |
| Limitations | The official desktop page now uses the Devin Desktop name; confirm existing Windsurf account and plan compatibility before switching. Agent output and cloud actions require diff review, tests, and access checks. | Agent edits and terminal actions need human diff review and testing. The current public pricing page mixes Cursor and Grok plan benefits with separately billed third-party models, so this review could not map a standalone IDE amount. |
Use the same input
Open the same small repo in both editors, ask the agent to add a validated contact form across three files, and see how much hand-holding each needs before the project compiles.
What a successful result must preserve
The agent must edit multiple files, keep the project compiling, and stay within the free tier's quota for a day of real work.
Evidence and test status
Pricing and feature comparison based on the vendors' official pages (Devin pricing; Cursor pricing), observed October 2026. Older third-party roundups were not used as a current-price basis. We did not run a scored hands-on test; no quality ranking is claimed.
- Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) — Devin Desktop, the current Windsurf-branded product page ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-15), Official Windsurf plugin changelog ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-15), Windsurf master services agreement ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-15)
- Cursor — Cursor Agent overview ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-25), Cursor code review documentation ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-15), Cursor Privacy Mode documentation ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-25), Cursor pricing ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-25), Cursor security, Privacy Mode and subprocessors ↗ (reviewed 2026-10-25)