Windsurf is a lightweight IDE built for AI-assisted coding with native Claude integration, while GitHub Copilot is an AI code completion tool integrated into existing IDEs like VS Code. Windsurf functions as a complete development environment, whereas Copilot is an add-on extension for established editors.
Windsurf vs GitHub Copilot — Side-by-side comparison on A Versus B
AI-native IDE built by Codeium with integrated Claude 3.5 Sonnet for code generation and editing.
AI pair programmer powered by OpenAI models with broad language and IDE support
Core Function. AI Model Used. Installation Complexity. Supported IDEs/Editors. Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro). Free Tier Availability. Context Window
Choose Windsurf if you prefer an integrated development environment where AI assistance is built into the core editor experience and you want native Claude integration with maximum context awareness. Choose GitHub Copilot if you're already invested in VS Code or JetBrains IDEs and want a proven, mature AI assistant that works seamlessly as an extension without switching your entire development environment.
Windsurf: FedRAMP High, DoD IL5, ITA | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: Native IDE | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: 7 (novel) | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: Yes — generous free tier with limited premium credits | GitHub Copilot: Free tier with limited completions/chat, plus free for verified students, teachers, and OSS maintainers
Windsurf: Supercomplete (Codeium-tuned) | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: VS Code fork | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: Riptide retrieval indexing | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: Claude, GPT, Gemini families + Codeium models | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: Enterprise tier with SSO + self-hosting heritage | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: macOS, Windows, Linux + JetBrains plugin | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: Growing since the Windsurf rebrand | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: $15 | GitHub Copilot: $10 or free with GitHub Pro
Windsurf: 10 agent tasks | GitHub Copilot: 180 code completions
Windsurf: 90+ languages | GitHub Copilot: 80+ languages
Windsurf: Windsurf IDE only | GitHub Copilot: 15+ editors (VS Code, JetBrains, Vim, Neovim, etc.)
Windsurf: Full multi-step autonomous execution with state tracking | GitHub Copilot: Suggestion-based only, no autonomous execution
Windsurf: Codeium (proprietary) | GitHub Copilot: OpenAI GPT-4 / Anthropic Claude
Windsurf: ~800ms average completion | GitHub Copilot: ~1200ms average completion
Windsurf: 8,000 tokens | GitHub Copilot: 12,000 tokens (GPT-4)
Windsurf: Web-only (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React) | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: API subscription required (Claude API) | GitHub Copilot: $10/month individual, $19/month business
Windsurf: Claude 3.5 Sonnet only | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: Early access/Beta (2024-2025) | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: Multi-step browser workflows (3-10+ steps) | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: Web files only (.html, .js, .css) | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: Closed/Proprietary | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: 0.35 million | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: 400-600 MB | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: Automatic across entire codebase | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: Freemium with credit system | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: 30+ via built-in support | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: ~0.5 million (estimated) | GitHub Copilot: 27 million
Windsurf: <1 year (2024) | GitHub Copilot: 4+ years (2021)
Windsurf: Full standalone IDE included | GitHub Copilot: Plugin only (requires VS Code/JetBrains)
Windsurf: Native multi-file support | GitHub Copilot: Limited to referenced files
Windsurf: 1 (Windsurf proprietary IDE only) | GitHub Copilot: 5+ (VS Code, JetBrains suite, GitHub.com, etc.)
Windsurf: 30 days unlimited | GitHub Copilot: 30 days (free tier limited)
Windsurf: ~200 MB | GitHub Copilot: ~15 MB extension
Windsurf: 200,000 tokens | GitHub Copilot: 8,000 tokens
Windsurf: $20/month | GitHub Copilot: $20/month
Windsurf: 1 (Windsurf IDE only) | GitHub Copilot: 10+ (VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Neovim, etc.)
Windsurf: Claude 3.5 Sonnet (Anthropic) | GitHub Copilot: GPT-4o / o1 (OpenAI)
Windsurf: Yes, with rate limits | GitHub Copilot: Yes (GitHub Copilot Free)
Windsurf: Inherits all VS Code extensions | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: 128,000 tokens | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: $120 (Pro tier) | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: 140% faster (40% improvement) | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: 12K stars | GitHub Copilot: N/A
Windsurf: 200+ (via VS Code compatibility) | GitHub Copilot: 90+ languages
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 10+ IDEs
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 2-3 minutes
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Very Large
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 3+ model choices
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Minimal (extension)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Copilot Pro $10/mo
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Business $19/user/mo (Enterprise $39)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Plugin/extension installed into your existing IDE
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT, Google Gemini (model picker in chat/agent)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Agent mode + Copilot Workspace + coding agent (issue-to-PR); strong but tighter loop trails Cursor
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Repository context, @workspace search, and Enterprise knowledge bases; less aggressive auto-indexing
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Very fast, low-latency completions; category pioneer and still excellent inline
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Org policy management, SSO, audit logs, content exclusion, data residency, IP indemnification
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Unlimited completions
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: VS Code, JetBrains, Neovim, Visual Studio, Sublime
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Copilot (GPT-based, Good)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Limited to current + adjacent files
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 5 major IDEs
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Not available
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: October 2023 (~27 months old)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: ~1,200,000
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Yes (OpenAI servers)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Deep (PR, commits, issues)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: ~5-10 visible files in editor
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: GitHub Copilot (proprietary, Codex-based)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 5+ (VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Vim, Neovim)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: No—suggestions only, manual edit required
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 1 (IDE-native, like autocomplete)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: No (cloud-only)
Average Response Time for Code Suggestion
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 0.5-1 (inline suggestion)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 6 major platforms
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Native PR reviews, CLI, GitHub.dev, Copilot X
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Data exclusion available (enterprise only)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: $252/year
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: $10/month
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: $120 (monthly) or $100 (annual with 17% discount)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Up to 150 lines
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: April 2024
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 27% of developers
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 2-5 seconds per suggestion
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 5 IDE integrations
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 20-40% faster on routine tasks
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 2 (GPT-4, Claude)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 4 major (VS Code, Visual Studio, GitHub.com, JetBrains Beta)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 1.5+ million (GitHub official, 2024)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Yes (GitHub Enterprise available)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 2–5 min (GitHub sign-in)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Mandatory (cloud-based)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 30-day trial only
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 20+ IDEs
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 150-250ms per suggestion
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 8,000 tokens (~6,000 words)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 8+ (VS Code, JetBrains Suite, Vim, Visual Studio, etc.)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 72% correct on HumanEval benchmark
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 2-5 seconds (in-editor, no switching)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 15+ IDEs
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Code may be retained (opt-out available)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Limited (logs code references)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Limited (generic suggestions)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Cloud (GitHub servers)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 250,000,000
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: $10 (Pro) or $0 (Limited)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 0.5 minutes
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Integration with VS Code
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: 50-100ms per suggestion
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Fixed $10 (Copilot Individual) or $19 (Copilot Pro)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Single file at a time
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: None: requires manual git commands outside Copilot
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: No: GitHub Copilot model is fixed and proprietary
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: ~8,000 (estimated Copilot context)
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001
Windsurf: N/A | GitHub Copilot: Available in all tiers
How to choose between Windsurf and GitHub Copilot
Windsurf vs GitHub Copilot — Structured Comparison Data
Machine-readable comparison dataset for Windsurf vs GitHub Copilot. Contains 167 attribute comparisons, 5 FAQ pairs.
Windsurf vs GitHub Copilot — Attribute Category Vocabulary
Taxonomy of attribute categories used to classify comparison data for Windsurf vs GitHub Copilot.
No. Windsurf has native Claude 3.5 Sonnet integration as its primary AI assistant. You cannot install GitHub Copilot as an extension in Windsurf. If you need OpenAI models, you must use GitHub Copilot in VS Code, JetBrains, or another supported IDE.
Which AI model is better for coding, Claude or GPT-4o?
Both are competitive. Claude 3.5 Sonnet excels at code refactoring and understanding large codebases (200K context), while GPT-4o with o1 (reasoning) is stronger at solving complex algorithmic problems. The best choice depends on your use case: use Windsurf for full-codebase awareness, use Copilot for complex problem-solving with o1.
If I'm already using VS Code, should I switch to Windsurf?
Not necessarily. If you're happy with VS Code's ecosystem, GitHub Copilot integrates seamlessly as an extension. Switch to Windsurf only if you specifically want Claude's 200K context window and don't mind losing access to VS Code's 50,000+ extensions. Windsurf is better for AI-first workflows; VS Code + Copilot is better for traditional development with AI enhancement.
What's the difference in pricing between Windsurf and Copilot?
Both charge $20/month for Pro plans. Windsurf's pricing includes unlimited Claude API usage within the IDE, while GitHub Copilot's pricing gives you access in multiple IDEs. Both offer free tiers with usage limits. The total cost depends on how many IDEs you use (Copilot works in multiple, Windsurf only works in itself).
Is Windsurf production-ready for professional development?
Windsurf is functional but nascent (launched in 2024). GitHub Copilot is battle-tested with millions of professional users since 2021. For mission-critical production work, GitHub Copilot has a proven track record; Windsurf is still establishing its reliability. However, Windsurf's 200K context window is technically superior for large codebases.
How to Choose Between Windsurf and GitHub Copilot
Core Function: Windsurf has Standalone IDE with integrated AI, while GitHub Copilot has AI code completion extension.
AI Model Used: Windsurf has Claude 3.5 Sonnet (native integration), while GitHub Copilot has GPT-4o and o1 (OpenAI models).
Installation Complexity: Windsurf has Single application install (~200MB), while GitHub Copilot has Extension install in VS Code or JetBrains (~15MB extension).
Supported IDEs/Editors: Windsurf has Windsurf IDE only (proprietary), while GitHub Copilot has VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Visual Studio, Neovim.
Consider: Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro)
Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro): Windsurf has $20 USD/month, while GitHub Copilot has $20 USD/month.
Free Tier Availability: Windsurf has Limited free tier with rate limits, while GitHub Copilot has GitHub Copilot Free (limited completions).
Context Window: Windsurf has 200K tokens (Claude 3.5 Sonnet), while GitHub Copilot has 8K-128K tokens depending on model.