Head to head
Cursor vs Windsurf
Our verdict
Cursor leads on autocomplete quality and ecosystem maturity. Windsurf wins on price and agent UX, especially if you want a generous free tier.
Full comparison
Cursor and Windsurf are the two leading AI-native IDEs forked from VS Code. Cursor's Tab model is widely considered the best autocomplete on the market. Windsurf's Cascade agent feels more fluid for long-running tasks and the free tier is unusually generous. Solo developers on a budget should start with Windsurf; teams already paying for Cursor have little reason to switch.
Feature matrix
| Feature | Cursor | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free to start, advanced features require subscription | Free, $20/mo Pro, $200/mo Max |
| Rating | 4.5 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Top features | Autonomous coding agents, Real-time collaboration, Cross-platform integration, Codebase understanding, Intelligent completions | Full IDE capabilities with syntax highlighting and debugging tools, Agent Command Center for managing multiple agents, Fast Context for quick file access, Spaces for collaboration and context sharing |