Windsurf vs Cursor: Complete Comparison Guide
Compare Windsurf and Cursor on AI agents, pricing, free tier, and developer experience. Discover which AI-native IDE best fits your workflow.
Windsurf
Codeium's AI-native IDE, also built as a fork of VS Code. Windsurf distinguishes itself with the Cascade agent that proactively thinks along and automatically gathers context. It offers a generous free tier and focuses on a seamless "flow-state" development experience where AI understands your intent.
Cursor
The most established AI-native IDE, built as a VS Code fork with deep AI integration. Cursor offers the Composer agent for multi-file editing, extensive model selection, and a large community. It is known for powerful codebase indexing and is the default choice for many professional development teams.
Comparison table
| Feature | Windsurf | Cursor |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | Generous — more free AI requests per month | Limited — fewer free requests, faster paywall |
| Pricing (Pro) | Pro $15/month | Pro $20/month |
| AI agent | Cascade — proactive agent that automatically gathers context | Composer — powerful multi-file editor with explicit codebase indexing |
| Model selection | More limited selection, focus on proprietary Codeium models | Wide choice: Claude, GPT-4o, Gemini, and more |
| Community & ecosystem | Growing but smaller — newer to market | Large and active — more tutorials, plugins, and user experiences |
| Autocomplete | Codeium-powered — fast and accurate | Multi-model autocomplete with tab predictions |
Verdict
Windsurf and Cursor are both strong AI-native IDEs competing for developer preference. Windsurf excels with a more generous free tier, a lower Pro price, and the Cascade agent that proactively thinks along. Cursor is the more established choice with broader model support, a larger community, and more powerful codebase indexing. For budget-conscious developers and AI IDE beginners, Windsurf is an attractive entry point. For professionals who want to get the maximum out of AI-assisted development, Cursor offers more depth and flexibility.
Our recommendation
At MG Software, we extensively tested both IDEs and chose Cursor as our standard. The broader model selection, deeper codebase indexing, and larger community better align with our professional Next.js and TypeScript workflow. However, Windsurf is an excellent alternative for solo developers or small teams looking for an affordable AI IDE. We recommend trying both via their free tiers before making a choice.
Frequently asked questions
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