Cursor is a VS Code-based AI code editor focused on precision editing with Claude integration, while Windsurf is a standalone IDE built on similar architecture but emphasizing agentic workflows and real-time collaboration. Cursor leads in AI model flexibility with GPT-4o support, whereas Windsurf focuses on autonomous coding agents.
Cursor vs Windsurf — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
VS Code-based AI code editor with multi-model support and precision editing features
Standalone IDE by Codeium emphasizing autonomous agents and native team collaboration
Base Architecture. Primary AI Models Supported. Pricing Model. Main Use Case Focus. Real-time Collaboration. Learning Curve. Code Context Window
Choose Cursor if you need flexible AI model selection, VS Code familiarity, and precise code generation for individual development work. Choose Windsurf if you prioritize autonomous agentic capabilities, native real-time team collaboration, and prefer a lower entry price point with deeper project-wide understanding.
Cursor: 3 (familiar) | Windsurf: 7 (novel)
Cursor: VS Code-based only | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Native & Superior | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Not publicly disclosed | Windsurf: 1M+
Cursor: Significant but undisclosed | Windsurf: 59%
Cursor: Enterprise-grade | Windsurf: FedRAMP High, DoD IL5, ITA
Cursor: VS Code fork | Windsurf: Native IDE
Cursor: Proprietary Commercial | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Cursor Pro $20/mo | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Business $40/user/mo | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Standalone editor — a fork of VS Code (install Cursor itself) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT, Google Gemini, plus Cursor fast models (per-request switching) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Composer (Agent) plan-execute-verify loop across many files; runs commands and tests | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Whole-repo semantic embeddings with automatic relevant-file retrieval; built for monorepos | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Very fast predictive Tab completions that jump to the next edit location | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: SSO, privacy mode (no retention/training), admin controls, SOC 2 | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Graphical IDE (VS Code fork) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Interactive in-editor coding | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Flat plan with request quota + usage add-ons | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Monthly fast-request quota | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Multi-model (Claude, GPT, Gemini, etc.) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Not designed for it | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Workspace indexing + @-mentions | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Low (VS Code familiarity) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Interactive feature building & quick edits | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Yes — free Hobby tier plus a 2-week Pro trial | Windsurf: Yes — generous free tier with limited premium credits
Cursor: Agent (formerly Composer) | Windsurf: Cascade
Cursor: Cursor Tab model | Windsurf: Supercomplete (Codeium-tuned)
Cursor: VS Code fork | Windsurf: VS Code fork
Cursor: Claude, GPT, Gemini families (frequent day-one additions) | Windsurf: Claude, GPT, Gemini families + Codeium models
Cursor: Mature enterprise tier with SSO + privacy mode | Windsurf: Enterprise tier with SSO + self-hosting heritage
Cursor: macOS, Windows, Linux | Windsurf: macOS, Windows, Linux + JetBrains plugin
Cursor: Largest AI-IDE community and mindshare | Windsurf: Growing since the Windsurf rebrand
Cursor: 128,000 tokens | Windsurf: 8,000 tokens
Cursor: 0 (paid tier required) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Claude 3.5 Sonnet (Superior) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Native @-indexing across entire codebase | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: ~15,000 (via VS Code) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Native Claude integration | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Code sent to Anthropic servers | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: 50-200ms (Tab autocomplete) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Desktop (Mac, Windows, Linux) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4, Others | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: ~500K (estimated based on download trends) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Entire projects (no hard limit) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: 1.5 years (launched Oct 2024) | Windsurf: <1 year (2024)
Cursor: 200,000 (Claude 3.5 Sonnet) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: ~50 (via Claude AI) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: 40+ | Windsurf: 30+ via built-in support
Cursor: Limited (chat requires internet) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: 50 premium requests | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: 70,000+ (VS Code) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: 4+ (Claude, GPT-4, local) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Electron (VS Code fork) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: 200KB (Claude) | Windsurf: 200,000 tokens
Primary AI Model Quality (MMBENCH score)
Cursor: 1-2 steps (download IDE) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: 4 major models (Claude, GPT-4o, Gemini, local) | Windsurf: 3 major models (Codeium, Claude, GPT-4o)
Cursor: No (proprietary) | Windsurf: Closed/Proprietary
Cursor: 1 (Cursor IDE only) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: 14-day free trial | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: 200,000 tokens | Windsurf: 128,000 tokens
Cursor: No (via extensions only) | Windsurf: Yes (built-in)
Cursor: 40,000+ (VS Code marketplace) | Windsurf: 1,200+ (Windsurf ecosystem)
Cursor: 5-10 minutes | Windsurf: 15-25 minutes
Cursor: Limited (basic) | Windsurf: Yes (Flows)
Cursor: Code, text, file references | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Native VS Code-based editor | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: 1–3 seconds (avg inline suggestion) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Automatic full-project indexing | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: No native mobile app | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Varies by plan (Pro tier higher) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: ~500KB+ codebase context | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Claude 3.5 Sonnet + GPT-4 | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: Full native support | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: 4 (Claude, GPT-4o, Gemini, local) | Windsurf: N/A
Cursor: 14 days | Windsurf: 30 days unlimited
Cursor: Yes, full project indexing | Windsurf: Riptide retrieval indexing
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: Windsurf IDE only
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: Full multi-step autonomous execution with state tracking
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: Codeium (proprietary)
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: ~800ms average completion
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: Web-only (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React)
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: API subscription required (Claude API)
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: Claude 3.5 Sonnet only
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: Early access/Beta (2024-2025)
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: Multi-step browser workflows (3-10+ steps)
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: Web files only (.html, .js, .css)
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: Automatic across entire codebase
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: Freemium with credit system
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: ~0.5 million (estimated)
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: Full standalone IDE included
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: Native multi-file support
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: 1 (Windsurf proprietary IDE only)
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: 1 (Windsurf IDE only)
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: Claude 3.5 Sonnet (Anthropic)
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: Yes, with rate limits
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: Inherits all VS Code extensions
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: 140% faster (40% improvement)
Cursor: N/A | Windsurf: 200+ (via VS Code compatibility)
How to choose between Cursor and Windsurf
Cursor vs Windsurf — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Cursor vs Windsurf. Contains 173 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Cursor vs Windsurf — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Cursor vs Windsurf.
Which is better for teams: Cursor or Windsurf?
Windsurf is significantly better for teams due to native multi-user real-time collaboration built directly into the IDE, allowing 2+ developers to edit simultaneously with live presence awareness. Cursor relies on VS Code's Live Share extension, which adds complexity. However, Cursor's ecosystem of 40,000+ extensions provides more flexibility for team tooling.
Yes, Cursor supports offline mode with local LLM models (like Ollama or LM Studio), though with reduced performance. Windsurf's offline capabilities are more limited and require cloud connection for most features including their proprietary Codeium model.
What's the difference in code understanding between Cursor and Windsurf?
Cursor can maintain up to 200K token context (suitable for entire projects), while Windsurf uses a 128K token limit. Windsurf's advantage is automatic project-wide indexing that doesn't consume tokens, making it more efficient for large codebases despite the lower token limit.
Which editor is faster for code generation?
Cursor typically generates code 15-25% faster due to VS Code's optimized architecture and Cursor's lean AI layer. Windsurf's standalone architecture adds ~2-3 second overhead per generation, though this difference diminishes with larger completions.
Can I switch between Cursor and Windsurf without losing settings?
Yes, both tools are built on similar foundations. Cursor settings export to JSON, and Windsurf can import many VS Code extensions/configs. However, AI model configurations and API keys must be reconfigured in each editor separately.
How to Choose Between Cursor and Windsurf
Base Architecture: Cursor has VS Code fork with AI layer, while Windsurf has Standalone IDE (Codeium's platform).
Primary AI Models Supported: Cursor has Claude 3.5, GPT-4o, Gemini Pro, local models, while Windsurf has Codeium's proprietary model, Claude 3.5, GPT-4o.
Pricing Model: Cursor has $20/month Pro or pay-as-you-go, while Windsurf has $15/month Standard or $99/month Pro.
Main Use Case Focus: Cursor has Precise code generation and editing, while Windsurf has Autonomous agentic task completion.
Real-time Collaboration: Cursor has Limited (via Live Share extension), while Windsurf has Native multi-user editing built-in.
Learning Curve: Cursor has Minimal (familiar VS Code interface), while Windsurf has Moderate (new IDE paradigm required).
Code Context Window: Cursor has Up to 200K tokens (with Claude 3.5), while Windsurf has Up to 128K tokens.