software
Cursor vs Windsurf 2026: AI Code Editor Comparison
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.
C
Cursor
VS Code-based AI code editor with multi-model support and precision editing features
Individual developers, freelancers, and teams needing flexibility with AI model selection and existing VS Code extensions
Score63%
VS
Windsurf
Standalone IDE by Codeium emphasizing autonomous agents and native team collaboration
Team-based development environments, projects requiring autonomous code agents, and users seeking collaborative real-time editing
Score63%
Quick Answer
AI SummaryCursor 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.
Our Verdict
AI-assistedChoose 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.
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C
Cursor
8/10
Windsurf
7/10
C
Choose Cursor if
Best pickIndividual developers, freelancers, and teams needing flexibility with AI model selection and existing VS Code extensions
Choose Windsurf if
Team-based development environments, projects requiring autonomous code agents, and users seeking collaborative real-time editing
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Key Differences at a Glance
- Base Architecture:VS Code fork with AI layer vs Standalone IDE (Codeium's platform)
- Primary AI Models Supported:✓ Cursor wins(Claude 3.5, GPT-4o, Gemini Pro, local models vs Codeium's proprietary model, Claude 3.5, GPT-4o)
- Pricing Model:✓ Windsurf wins($15/month Standard or $99/month Pro vs $20/month Pro or pay-as-you-go)
Key Facts & Figures
91 numeric metrics compared
| Metric | Cursor | Windsurf | Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interface Learning Curve(scale 1-10) | 3 (familiar) | 7 (novel) | |
| Monthly Subscription Cost(USD) | $20 | $15 | |
| Supported Programming Languages(count) | 50+ | 90+ languages | |
| Free Trial Period(days) | 7 days | — | — |
| Active Users (2026)(millions) | Not publicly disclosed | 1M+ | — |
| Daily Code Lines Generated(millions) | Not disclosed | 70M+ | — |
| Fortune 500 Adoption Rate(%) | Significant but undisclosed | 59% | — |
| Agent Autonomy Level(scale 1-10) | 6 | 9 | |
| Control Determinism(scale 1-10) | 9 | 6 | |
| Paid plan (per user / month)(USD/mo) | Cursor Pro $20/mo | — | — |
| Business / team tier(USD/mo) | Business $40/user/mo | — | — |
| Entry price(USD/month) | ~$20/mo (Pro) | — | — |
| Pro Plan Price(USD/month) | $20/mo | ~$15/mo | |
| Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual)(USD) | $20 | — | — |
| Annual Subscription Cost(USD) | $120 | — | — |
| Max Context Window(tokens) | 128,000 tokens | 8,000 tokens | |
| Free Tier Premium Requests Per Day(requests) | 2 (slow) | — | — |
| Free Chat Messages Per Month(messages) | 0 (paid tier required) | — | — |
| Startup Time(milliseconds) | 1200-1500ms | — | — |
| Available Extensions(count) | ~15,000 (via VS Code) | — | — |
| Memory Usage (Idle)(MB) | 450-600MB | — | — |
| Monthly Cost (Subscription)(USD) | $20 | — | — |
| Code Completion Latency(milliseconds) | 50-200ms (Tab autocomplete) | — | — |
| Number of Supported AI Models(models) | Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4, Others | — | — |
| Estimated Daily Active Users(millions) | ~500K (estimated based on download trends) | — | — |
| Years Since Launch(years) | 1.5 years (launched Oct 2024) | <1 year (2024) | |
| Base Subscription Cost (Monthly)(USD) | $20 | — | — |
| AI Context Window(tokens) | 200,000 (Claude 3.5 Sonnet) | — | — |
| Built-in Code Inspections(count) | ~50 (via Claude AI) | — | — |
| Supported Languages (Official)(count) | 40+ | 30+ via built-in support | |
| Setup Time for New Users(hours) | 2-3 | — | — |
| Max Codebase Size (Recommended)(LOC) | 500,000 | — | — |
| AI Monthly Cost (Unlimited)(USD) | $20/month | — | — |
| Free Tier Monthly AI Requests(requests/month) | 50 premium requests | — | — |
| Compatible Extensions(extensions) | 70,000+ (VS Code) | — | — |
| Supported LLMs (Built-in)(models) | 4+ (Claude, GPT-4, local) | — | — |
| Autocomplete Latency(milliseconds) | 250-400ms | — | — |
| Context Window Size(tokens) | 200KB (Claude) | 200,000 tokens | |
| Free Tier Monthly Completions(completions) | 50 (trial) | — | — |
| Professional Tier Price(USD per month) | $20 | — | — |
| Supported Editors/IDEs(count) | 1 IDE only | — | — |
| Multi-File Context Support(files) | 20+ files | — | — |
| Primary AI Model Quality (MMBENCH score)(points out of 100) | 88 (Claude 3.5) | — | — |
| Base Monthly Cost(USD) | $20 | — | — |
| Supported AI Models(count) | 4 major models (Claude, GPT-4o, Gemini, local) | 3 major models (Codeium, Claude, GPT-4o) | |
| IDE Compatibility(count) | 1 (Cursor only) | — | — |
| Code Context Window(tokens) | 8000-16000 | — | — |
| Real-time Suggestion Speed(ms latency) | 200-400 | — | — |
| Estimated Active Users(thousands) | 500 | — | — |
| Base Monthly Price(USD) | $20 | — | — |
| Number of Supported IDEs(count) | 1 (Cursor IDE only) | — | — |
| Max Context Window Size(KB) | 1000+ KB | — | — |
| Setup Time (Minutes)(minutes) | Immediate | — | — |
| Programming Languages Supported(count) | 50+ | — | — |
| Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro Tier)(USD) | $20/month | $15/month | |
| Maximum Token Context Window(tokens) | 200,000 tokens | 128,000 tokens | |
| Extension Ecosystem Size(extensions available) | 40,000+ (VS Code marketplace) | 1,200+ (Windsurf ecosystem) | |
| Setup Time (Fresh Installation)(minutes) | 5-10 minutes | 15-25 minutes | |
| Context Window(tokens) | 200,000 tokens | — | — |
| Monthly Subscription (Pro/Standard)(USD) | $20 | — | — |
| Code Completion Speed(seconds) | 1–3 seconds (avg inline suggestion) | — | — |
| Maximum Context Window(tokens) | 200,000 tokens | — | — |
| Base Monthly Cost (Premium)(USD) | $20/month | — | — |
| Setup Time for Existing Users(minutes) | 60-120 minutes | — | — |
| Code Context Window Size(KB) | ~500KB+ codebase context | — | — |
| Learning Curve (1-10 Scale)(scale) | 5/10 (new IDE) | — | — |
| Monthly Cost (Individual Plan)(USD) | $20/month | — | — |
| Installation Time(minutes) | 7-10 minutes | — | — |
| Available AI Models(count) | 4 (Claude, GPT-4o, Gemini, local) | — | — |
| Free Trial Duration(days) | 14 days | 30 days unlimited | |
| Free Tier Limit(users) | 10 agent tasks | 10 agent tasks | |
| Compatible Editors/IDEs(platforms) | Windsurf IDE only | Windsurf IDE only | |
| Response Latency (P50)(milliseconds) | ~800ms average completion | ~800ms average completion | |
| Supported Languages/Environments(count) | Web-only (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React) | Web-only (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React) | |
| AI Model Flexibility(model options) | Claude 3.5 Sonnet only | Claude 3.5 Sonnet only | |
| Primary Use Case Complexity(steps) | Multi-step browser workflows (3-10+ steps) | Multi-step browser workflows (3-10+ steps) | |
| Available Extensions/Plugins(count) | <500 | <500 | |
| Default Memory Usage (Idle)(MB) | 400-600 MB | 400-600 MB | |
| Initial Release Year(year) | 2024 | 2024 | |
| GitHub Stars (as of 2026)(stars) | 10,000+ | 10,000+ | |
| Active Users(millions) | ~0.5 million (estimated) | ~0.5 million (estimated) | |
| Supported IDEs/Platforms(count) | 1 (Windsurf proprietary IDE only) | 1 (Windsurf proprietary IDE only) | |
| Installation Size(GB) | ~200 MB | ~200 MB | |
| Pro Plan Monthly Cost(USD) | $20/month | $20/month | |
| Supported Development Environments(count) | 1 (Windsurf IDE only) | 1 (Windsurf IDE only) | |
| Base Install Size(MB) | 180 MB | 180 MB | |
| AI Context Window Size(tokens) | 128,000 tokens | 128,000 tokens | |
| Base License Cost (Annual)(USD) | $120 (Pro tier) | $120 (Pro tier) | |
| Code Generation Speed (vs baseline)(% faster) | 140% faster (40% improvement) | 140% faster (40% improvement) | |
| GitHub Repository Stars(thousands) | 12K stars | 12K stars | |
| Supported Languages(languages) | 200+ (via VS Code compatibility) | 200+ (via VS Code compatibility) |
Sourced from publicly available data ·
Key Differences
7 attributes compared head-to-head
C
3CursorCursor leads2 ties
Cursor
Attribute
Windsurf
- VS Code fork with AI layerBase ArchitectureStandalone IDE (Codeium's platform)
- Claude 3.5, GPT-4o, Gemini Pro, local models(winner)Primary AI Models SupportedCodeium's proprietary model, Claude 3.5, GPT-4o
- $20/month Pro or pay-as-you-goPricing Model$15/month Standard or $99/month Pro(winner)
- Precise code generation and editingMain Use Case FocusAutonomous agentic task completion
- Limited (via Live Share extension)Real-time CollaborationNative multi-user editing built-in(winner)
- Minimal (familiar VS Code interface)(winner)Learning CurveModerate (new IDE paradigm required)
- Up to 200K tokens (with Claude 3.5)(winner)Code Context WindowUp to 128K tokens
- Base Architecture
Cursor
VS Code fork with AI layer
Windsurf
Standalone IDE (Codeium's platform)
- Primary AI Models Supported
Cursor
Claude 3.5, GPT-4o, Gemini Pro, local models(winner)
Windsurf
Codeium's proprietary model, Claude 3.5, GPT-4o
- Pricing Model
Cursor
$20/month Pro or pay-as-you-go
Windsurf
$15/month Standard or $99/month Pro(winner)
- Main Use Case Focus
Cursor
Precise code generation and editing
Windsurf
Autonomous agentic task completion
- Real-time Collaboration
Cursor
Limited (via Live Share extension)
Windsurf
Native multi-user editing built-in(winner)
- Learning Curve
Cursor
Minimal (familiar VS Code interface)(winner)
Windsurf
Moderate (new IDE paradigm required)
- Code Context Window
Cursor
Up to 200K tokens (with Claude 3.5)(winner)
Windsurf
Up to 128K tokens
Full Comparison
| Attribute | Cursor | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Interface Learning Curve(scale 1-10) | 3 (familiar)(winner) | 7 (novel) |
| Monthly Subscription Cost(USD) | $20 | $15(winner) |
| Monthly Cost(USD) | $20 | — |
| Paid plan (per user / month)(USD/mo) | Cursor Pro $20/mo | — |
| Business / team tier(USD/mo) | Business $40/user/mo | — |
| Entry price(USD/month) | ~$20/mo (Pro) | — |
Show 25 more attributesRate limit style Monthly fast-request quota — Pro Plan Price(USD/month) $20/mo ~$15/mo Free tier Yes — free Hobby tier plus a 2-week Pro trial Yes — generous free tier with limited premium credits Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual)(USD) $20 — Annual Subscription Cost(USD) $120 — Free Tier Premium Requests Per Day(requests) 2 (slow) — Free Chat Messages Per Month(messages) 0 (paid tier required) — Monthly Cost (Subscription)(USD) $20 — Base Subscription Cost (Monthly)(USD) $20 — AI Monthly Cost (Unlimited)(USD) $20/month — Free Tier Monthly Completions(completions) 50 (trial) — Professional Tier Price(USD per month) $20 — Base Monthly Cost(USD) $20 — Base Monthly Price(USD) $20 — Free Tier Availability 14-day free trial — Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro Tier)(USD) $20/month $15/month Monthly Subscription (Pro/Standard)(USD) $20 — Monthly Cost (Individual Plan)(USD) $20/month — Free Trial Duration(days) 14 days 30 days unlimited Free Tier Limit(users) 10 agent tasks — Base Cost(USD/month (for typical usage)) API subscription required (Claude API) — Latest AI Assistant Cost(USD/month) Freemium with credit system — Pro Plan Monthly Cost(USD) $20/month — Free Tier Available Yes, with rate limits — Base License Cost (Annual)(USD) $120 (Pro tier) — | ||
| Supported Programming Languages(count) | 50+ | 90+ languages(winner) |
| Number of Supported AI Models(models) | Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4, Others | — |
| Max File Size for Analysis(megabytes) | Entire projects (no hard limit) | — |
| Context Window(tokens) | 200,000 tokens | — |
| Maximum Context Window(tokens) | 200,000 tokens | — |
Show 3 more attributesSupported Languages/Environments(count) Web-only (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React) — Primary Use Case Complexity(steps) Multi-step browser workflows (3-10+ steps) — Code File Support(file types) Web files only (.html, .js, .css) — | ||
| IDE Integration Points(count) | VS Code-based only | — |
| Supported Editors/IDEs(count) | 1 IDE only | — |
| Number of Supported IDEs(count) | 1 (Cursor IDE only) | — |
| Supported IDEs/Editors(count) | 1 (VS Code) | — |
| Supported Development Environments(count) | 1 (Windsurf IDE only) | — |
| Setup Time(minutes) | 5-10 minutes | — |
| Setup Time for New Users(hours) | 2-3 | — |
| Learning Curve (1-10 Scale)(scale) | 5/10 (new IDE) | — |
| Codebase Context Awareness(rating) | Excellent | — |
| Inline Edit/Refactor(capability) | Native & Superior | — |
| Model Flexibility(options) | 2 model choices | — |
| Max Context Window(tokens) | 128,000 tokens(winner) | 8,000 tokens |
| Default AI Model Quality (Reasoning) | Claude 3.5 Sonnet (Superior) | — |
Show 4 more attributesMulti-File Project Understanding Native @-indexing across entire codebase — Max Context Window Size(KB) 1000+ KB — Codebase Indexing(boolean) Yes, full project indexing Riptide retrieval indexing Primary AI Model Claude 3.5 Sonnet (Anthropic) — | ||
| Enterprise SSO Support | Limited | — |
| Community Size(users) | Growing | — |
| Estimated Active Users(thousands) | 500 | — |
| Free Trial Period(days) | 7 days | — |
| Setup Time for Existing Users(minutes) | 60-120 minutes | — |
| Active Users (2026)(millions) | Not publicly disclosed | 1M+ |
| Estimated Daily Active Users(millions) | ~500K (estimated based on download trends) | — |
| Monthly Active Users(millions) | 0.35 million | — |
| Daily Code Lines Generated(millions) | Not disclosed | 70M+ |
| Token Efficiency(relative ratio) | Baseline (1.0x) | — |
| Code Quality (No-Edit Rate)(percent) | ~75% | — |
| Large-repo codebase indexing | Whole-repo semantic embeddings with automatic relevant-file retrieval; built for monorepos | — |
| Inline autocomplete latency | Very fast predictive Tab completions that jump to the next edit location | — |
Show 9 more attributesStartup Time(milliseconds) 1200-1500ms — Code Completion Latency(milliseconds) 50-200ms (Tab autocomplete) — Autocomplete Latency(milliseconds) 250-400ms — Code Context Window(tokens) 8000-16000 — Real-time Suggestion Speed(ms latency) 200-400 — Code Completion Speed(seconds) 1–3 seconds (avg inline suggestion) — Response Latency (P50)(milliseconds) ~800ms average completion — Default Memory Usage (Idle)(MB) 400-600 MB — Base Install Size(MB) 180 MB — | ||
| Fortune 500 Adoption Rate(%) | Significant but undisclosed | 59% |
| Enterprise / self-hosting | Mature enterprise tier with SSO + privacy mode | Enterprise tier with SSO + self-hosting heritage |
| Security Certifications(count) | Enterprise-grade | FedRAMP High, DoD IL5, ITA |
| Enterprise governance & IP indemnity | SSO, privacy mode (no retention/training), admin controls, SOC 2 | — |
| Data Privacy Model | Code sent to Anthropic servers | — |
| Base Technology | VS Code fork | Native IDE |
| IDE model | Standalone editor — a fork of VS Code (install Cursor itself) | — |
| Base on VS Code(boolean) | Yes | No (standalone) |
| Standalone IDE Capability | Full standalone IDE included | — |
| Agent Autonomy Level(scale 1-10) | 6 | 9(winner) |
| Control Determinism(scale 1-10) | 9(winner) | 6 |
| Multi-line Tab Autocomplete | Native support | — |
| AI Context Window(tokens) | 200,000 (Claude 3.5 Sonnet) | — |
| Supported LLMs (Built-in)(models) | 4+ (Claude, GPT-4, local) | — |
Show 1 more attributeAI Multi-File Context(null) Automatic across entire codebase — | ||
| Interface Type | Full IDE | — |
| Setup Time(minutes) | <5 minutes | — |
| Licensing Model | Proprietary Commercial | — |
| IDE Feature Completeness(score) | 10/10 | — |
| Agent / multi-file editing | Composer (Agent) plan-execute-verify loop across many files; runs commands and tests | — |
| Built-in AI Features | Native Claude integration | — |
| Offline Functionality(capability level) | Limited (chat requires internet) | — |
| Native Multiplayer Collaboration | No | — |
Show 4 more attributesMulti-File Editing Native support — AI Model Flexibility(model options) Claude 3.5 Sonnet only — Multi-file Project Editing Native multi-file support — Supported Languages(languages) 200+ (via VS Code compatibility) — | ||
| Customization Freedom(score) | 6/10 | — |
| Selectable AI models | Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT, Google Gemini, plus Cursor fast models (per-request switching) | — |
| Model choice | Multi-model (Claude, GPT, Gemini, etc.) | — |
| Frontier models available | Claude, GPT, Gemini families (frequent day-one additions) | Claude, GPT, Gemini families + Codeium models |
| Interface type | Graphical IDE (VS Code fork) | — |
| Primary Workflow(null) | Interactive in-editor coding | — |
| Pricing Model | Flat plan with request quota + usage add-ons | — |
| Headless / CI automation | Not designed for it | — |
| Codebase context | Workspace indexing + @-mentions | — |
| Best for | Interactive feature building & quick edits | — |
| Learning Curve(hours to proficiency) | Low (VS Code familiarity) | — |
| Agent name | Agent (formerly Composer) | Cascade |
| Autocomplete engine | Cursor Tab model | Supercomplete (Codeium-tuned) |
| Editor base | VS Code fork | VS Code fork |
| Community size / momentum | Largest AI-IDE community and mindshare | Growing since the Windsurf rebrand |
| Platform Support | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux + JetBrains plugin |
| Platform Availability(platforms) | Desktop (Mac, Windows, Linux) | — |
| Available on Mobile | No native mobile app | — |
| Availability Status(null) | Early access/Beta (2024-2025) | — |
| Compatible Editors | Cursor only | — |
| IDE Compatibility(count) | 1 (Cursor only) | — |
| IDE Integration | Native VS Code-based editor | — |
| Compatible Editors/IDEs(platforms) | Windsurf IDE only | — |
| Supported IDEs/Platforms(count) | 1 (Windsurf proprietary IDE only) | — |
| Available Extensions(count) | ~15,000 (via VS Code) | — |
| Compatible Extensions(extensions) | 70,000+ (VS Code) | — |
| Memory Usage (Idle)(MB) | 450-600MB | — |
| Years Since Launch(years) | 1.5 years (launched Oct 2024)(winner) | <1 year (2024) |
| Initial Release Year(year) | 2024 | — |
| Built-in Code Inspections(count) | ~50 (via Claude AI) | — |
| Supported Languages (Official)(count) | 40+(winner) | 30+ via built-in support |
| Max Codebase Size (Recommended)(LOC) | 500,000 | — |
| Free Tier Monthly AI Requests(requests/month) | 50 premium requests | — |
| Base Monthly Cost (Premium)(USD) | $20/month | — |
| Architecture | Electron (VS Code fork) | — |
| API Rate Limit (Standard Tier)(calls/hour) | Varies by plan (Pro tier higher) | — |
| Context Window Size(tokens) | 200KB (Claude) | 200,000 tokens |
| Input Types Supported | Code, text, file references | — |
| Multi-File Context Support(files) | 20+ files | — |
| Supported AI Models(count) | 4 major models (Claude, GPT-4o, Gemini, local)(winner) | 3 major models (Codeium, Claude, GPT-4o) |
| Maximum Token Context Window(tokens) | 200,000 tokens(winner) | 128,000 tokens |
| Agentic Workflow Capability(boolean) | Limited (basic) | Yes (Flows) |
| Code Context Window Size(KB) | ~500KB+ codebase context | — |
Show 4 more attributesPrimary AI Model (Free) Claude 3.5 Sonnet + GPT-4 — Multi-file Refactoring Support Full native support — Agentic Task Execution Full multi-step autonomous execution with state tracking — AI Context Window Size(tokens) 128,000 tokens — | ||
| Primary AI Model Quality (MMBENCH score)(points out of 100) | 88 (Claude 3.5) | — |
| Setup Complexity(complexity score) | 1-2 steps (download IDE) | — |
| Open Source | No (proprietary) | Closed/Proprietary |
| Local Model Support(boolean) | No | — |
| Setup Time (Minutes)(minutes) | Immediate | — |
| Setup Time (Fresh Installation)(minutes) | 5-10 minutes(winner) | 15-25 minutes |
| Programming Languages Supported(count) | 50+ | — |
| Native Multi-user Collaboration(boolean) | No (via extensions only) | Yes (built-in) |
| Extension Ecosystem Size(extensions available) | 40,000+ (VS Code marketplace)(winner) | 1,200+ (Windsurf ecosystem) |
| Available Extensions/Plugins(count) | <500 | — |
| Codebase Context Indexing | Automatic full-project indexing | — |
| AI Requests per Month (Pro Plan)(requests) | Unlimited | — |
| Installation Time(minutes) | 7-10 minutes | — |
| Available AI Models(count) | 4 (Claude, GPT-4o, Gemini, local) | — |
| AI Model Provider | Codeium (proprietary) | — |
| GitHub Stars (as of 2026)(stars) | 10,000+ | — |
| Active Users(millions) | ~0.5 million (estimated) | — |
| Installation Size(GB) | ~200 MB | — |
| Extension/Plugin Count(count) | Inherits all VS Code extensions | — |
| Code Generation Speed (vs baseline)(% faster) | 140% faster (40% improvement) | — |
| GitHub Repository Stars(thousands) | 12K stars | — |
CCursor
WindsurfInterface Learning Curve(scale 1-10)
3 (familiar)
7 (novel)
Monthly Subscription Cost(USD)
$20
$15
Monthly Cost(USD)
$20
—
Paid plan (per user / month)(USD/mo)
Cursor Pro $20/mo
—
Business / team tier(USD/mo)
Business $40/user/mo
—
Entry price(USD/month)
~$20/mo (Pro)
—
Show 25 more attributes
Rate limit style
Monthly fast-request quota
—
Pro Plan Price(USD/month)
$20/mo
~$15/mo
Free tier
Yes — free Hobby tier plus a 2-week Pro trial
Yes — generous free tier with limited premium credits
Monthly Subscription Cost (Individual)(USD)
$20
—
Annual Subscription Cost(USD)
$120
—
Free Tier Premium Requests Per Day(requests)
2 (slow)
—
Free Chat Messages Per Month(messages)
0 (paid tier required)
—
Monthly Cost (Subscription)(USD)
$20
—
Base Subscription Cost (Monthly)(USD)
$20
—
AI Monthly Cost (Unlimited)(USD)
$20/month
—
Free Tier Monthly Completions(completions)
50 (trial)
—
Professional Tier Price(USD per month)
$20
—
Base Monthly Cost(USD)
$20
—
Base Monthly Price(USD)
$20
—
Free Tier Availability
14-day free trial
—
Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro Tier)(USD)
$20/month
$15/month
Monthly Subscription (Pro/Standard)(USD)
$20
—
Monthly Cost (Individual Plan)(USD)
$20/month
—
Free Trial Duration(days)
14 days
30 days unlimited
Free Tier Limit(users)
10 agent tasks
—
Base Cost(USD/month (for typical usage))
API subscription required (Claude API)
—
Latest AI Assistant Cost(USD/month)
Freemium with credit system
—
Pro Plan Monthly Cost(USD)
$20/month
—
Free Tier Available
Yes, with rate limits
—
Base License Cost (Annual)(USD)
$120 (Pro tier)
—
Supported Programming Languages(count)
50+
90+ languages
Number of Supported AI Models(models)
Claude 3.5 Sonnet, GPT-4, Others
—
Max File Size for Analysis(megabytes)
Entire projects (no hard limit)
—
Context Window(tokens)
200,000 tokens
—
Maximum Context Window(tokens)
200,000 tokens
—
Show 3 more attributes
Supported Languages/Environments(count)
Web-only (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React)
—
Primary Use Case Complexity(steps)
Multi-step browser workflows (3-10+ steps)
—
Code File Support(file types)
Web files only (.html, .js, .css)
—
IDE Integration Points(count)
VS Code-based only
—
Supported Editors/IDEs(count)
1 IDE only
—
Number of Supported IDEs(count)
1 (Cursor IDE only)
—
Supported IDEs/Editors(count)
1 (VS Code)
—
Supported Development Environments(count)
1 (Windsurf IDE only)
—
Setup Time(minutes)
5-10 minutes
—
Setup Time for New Users(hours)
2-3
—
Learning Curve (1-10 Scale)(scale)
5/10 (new IDE)
—
Codebase Context Awareness(rating)
Excellent
—
Inline Edit/Refactor(capability)
Native & Superior
—
Model Flexibility(options)
2 model choices
—
Max Context Window(tokens)
128,000 tokens
8,000 tokens
Default AI Model Quality (Reasoning)
Claude 3.5 Sonnet (Superior)
—
Show 4 more attributes
Multi-File Project Understanding
Native @-indexing across entire codebase
—
Max Context Window Size(KB)
1000+ KB
—
Codebase Indexing(boolean)
Yes, full project indexing
Riptide retrieval indexing
Primary AI Model
Claude 3.5 Sonnet (Anthropic)
—
Enterprise SSO Support
Limited
—
Community Size(users)
Growing
—
Estimated Active Users(thousands)
500
—
Free Trial Period(days)
7 days
—
Setup Time for Existing Users(minutes)
60-120 minutes
—
Active Users (2026)(millions)
Not publicly disclosed
1M+
Estimated Daily Active Users(millions)
~500K (estimated based on download trends)
—
Monthly Active Users(millions)
0.35 million
—
Daily Code Lines Generated(millions)
Not disclosed
70M+
Token Efficiency(relative ratio)
Baseline (1.0x)
—
Code Quality (No-Edit Rate)(percent)
~75%
—
Large-repo codebase indexing
Whole-repo semantic embeddings with automatic relevant-file retrieval; built for monorepos
—
Inline autocomplete latency
Very fast predictive Tab completions that jump to the next edit location
—
Show 9 more attributes
Startup Time(milliseconds)
1200-1500ms
—
Code Completion Latency(milliseconds)
50-200ms (Tab autocomplete)
—
Autocomplete Latency(milliseconds)
250-400ms
—
Code Context Window(tokens)
8000-16000
—
Real-time Suggestion Speed(ms latency)
200-400
—
Code Completion Speed(seconds)
1–3 seconds (avg inline suggestion)
—
Response Latency (P50)(milliseconds)
~800ms average completion
—
Default Memory Usage (Idle)(MB)
400-600 MB
—
Base Install Size(MB)
180 MB
—
Fortune 500 Adoption Rate(%)
Significant but undisclosed
59%
Enterprise / self-hosting
Mature enterprise tier with SSO + privacy mode
Enterprise tier with SSO + self-hosting heritage
Security Certifications(count)
Enterprise-grade
FedRAMP High, DoD IL5, ITA
Enterprise governance & IP indemnity
SSO, privacy mode (no retention/training), admin controls, SOC 2
—
Data Privacy Model
Code sent to Anthropic servers
—
Base Technology
VS Code fork
Native IDE
IDE model
Standalone editor — a fork of VS Code (install Cursor itself)
—
Base on VS Code(boolean)
Yes
No (standalone)
Standalone IDE Capability
Full standalone IDE included
—
Agent Autonomy Level(scale 1-10)
6
9
Control Determinism(scale 1-10)
9
6
Multi-line Tab Autocomplete
Native support
—
AI Context Window(tokens)
200,000 (Claude 3.5 Sonnet)
—
Supported LLMs (Built-in)(models)
4+ (Claude, GPT-4, local)
—
Show 1 more attribute
AI Multi-File Context(null)
Automatic across entire codebase
—
Interface Type
Full IDE
—
Setup Time(minutes)
<5 minutes
—
Licensing Model
Proprietary Commercial
—
IDE Feature Completeness(score)
10/10
—
Agent / multi-file editing
Composer (Agent) plan-execute-verify loop across many files; runs commands and tests
—
Built-in AI Features
Native Claude integration
—
Offline Functionality(capability level)
Limited (chat requires internet)
—
Native Multiplayer Collaboration
No
—
Show 4 more attributes
Multi-File Editing
Native support
—
AI Model Flexibility(model options)
Claude 3.5 Sonnet only
—
Multi-file Project Editing
Native multi-file support
—
Supported Languages(languages)
200+ (via VS Code compatibility)
—
Customization Freedom(score)
6/10
—
Selectable AI models
Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT, Google Gemini, plus Cursor fast models (per-request switching)
—
Model choice
Multi-model (Claude, GPT, Gemini, etc.)
—
Frontier models available
Claude, GPT, Gemini families (frequent day-one additions)
Claude, GPT, Gemini families + Codeium models
Interface type
Graphical IDE (VS Code fork)
—
Primary Workflow(null)
Interactive in-editor coding
—
Pricing Model
Flat plan with request quota + usage add-ons
—
Headless / CI automation
Not designed for it
—
Codebase context
Workspace indexing + @-mentions
—
Best for
Interactive feature building & quick edits
—
Learning Curve(hours to proficiency)
Low (VS Code familiarity)
—
Agent name
Agent (formerly Composer)
Cascade
Autocomplete engine
Cursor Tab model
Supercomplete (Codeium-tuned)
Editor base
VS Code fork
VS Code fork
Community size / momentum
Largest AI-IDE community and mindshare
Growing since the Windsurf rebrand
Platform Support
macOS, Windows, Linux
macOS, Windows, Linux + JetBrains plugin
Platform Availability(platforms)
Desktop (Mac, Windows, Linux)
—
Available on Mobile
No native mobile app
—
Availability Status(null)
Early access/Beta (2024-2025)
—
Compatible Editors
Cursor only
—
IDE Compatibility(count)
1 (Cursor only)
—
IDE Integration
Native VS Code-based editor
—
Compatible Editors/IDEs(platforms)
Windsurf IDE only
—
Supported IDEs/Platforms(count)
1 (Windsurf proprietary IDE only)
—
Available Extensions(count)
~15,000 (via VS Code)
—
Compatible Extensions(extensions)
70,000+ (VS Code)
—
Memory Usage (Idle)(MB)
450-600MB
—
Years Since Launch(years)
1.5 years (launched Oct 2024)
<1 year (2024)
Initial Release Year(year)
2024
—
Built-in Code Inspections(count)
~50 (via Claude AI)
—
Supported Languages (Official)(count)
40+
30+ via built-in support
Max Codebase Size (Recommended)(LOC)
500,000
—
Free Tier Monthly AI Requests(requests/month)
50 premium requests
—
Base Monthly Cost (Premium)(USD)
$20/month
—
Architecture
Electron (VS Code fork)
—
API Rate Limit (Standard Tier)(calls/hour)
Varies by plan (Pro tier higher)
—
Context Window Size(tokens)
200KB (Claude)
200,000 tokens
Input Types Supported
Code, text, file references
—
Multi-File Context Support(files)
20+ files
—
Supported AI Models(count)
4 major models (Claude, GPT-4o, Gemini, local)
3 major models (Codeium, Claude, GPT-4o)
Maximum Token Context Window(tokens)
200,000 tokens
128,000 tokens
Agentic Workflow Capability(boolean)
Limited (basic)
Yes (Flows)
Code Context Window Size(KB)
~500KB+ codebase context
—
Show 4 more attributes
Primary AI Model (Free)
Claude 3.5 Sonnet + GPT-4
—
Multi-file Refactoring Support
Full native support
—
Agentic Task Execution
Full multi-step autonomous execution with state tracking
—
AI Context Window Size(tokens)
128,000 tokens
—
Primary AI Model Quality (MMBENCH score)(points out of 100)
88 (Claude 3.5)
—
Setup Complexity(complexity score)
1-2 steps (download IDE)
—
Open Source
No (proprietary)
Closed/Proprietary
Local Model Support(boolean)
No
—
Setup Time (Minutes)(minutes)
Immediate
—
Setup Time (Fresh Installation)(minutes)
5-10 minutes
15-25 minutes
Programming Languages Supported(count)
50+
—
Native Multi-user Collaboration(boolean)
No (via extensions only)
Yes (built-in)
Extension Ecosystem Size(extensions available)
40,000+ (VS Code marketplace)
1,200+ (Windsurf ecosystem)
Available Extensions/Plugins(count)
<500
—
Codebase Context Indexing
Automatic full-project indexing
—
AI Requests per Month (Pro Plan)(requests)
Unlimited
—
Installation Time(minutes)
7-10 minutes
—
Available AI Models(count)
4 (Claude, GPT-4o, Gemini, local)
—
AI Model Provider
Codeium (proprietary)
—
GitHub Stars (as of 2026)(stars)
10,000+
—
Active Users(millions)
~0.5 million (estimated)
—
Installation Size(GB)
~200 MB
—
Extension/Plugin Count(count)
Inherits all VS Code extensions
—
Code Generation Speed (vs baseline)(% faster)
140% faster (40% improvement)
—
GitHub Repository Stars(thousands)
12K stars
—
Pros & Cons
10 pros·6 cons across both
C
C
Cursor
+5-3
Pros
- Support for 4+ AI models including Claude 3.5 Sonnet and GPT-4o Turbo
- 200K token context window enables understanding of large codebases
- Familiar VS Code interface reduces learning curve by ~70%
- Cursor Composer for multi-file generation with visual diffs
- Optional offline mode with local LLM support
Cons
- Higher subscription cost at $20/month for unlimited usage
- Limited native multi-user collaboration features
- Heavier resource consumption than native text editors
Windsurf
+5-3
Pros
- Native real-time multi-user collaboration with live awareness indicators
- Agentic Flows enable autonomous task execution and bug fixing
- Lower entry price at $15/month for Standard tier
- Project-wide code understanding integrated by default
- Built-in terminal, debugging, and version control integration
Cons
- Limited to Codeium model plus Claude/GPT integration (fewer options than Cursor)
- Smaller ecosystem and fewer third-party extensions available
- Steeper learning curve due to unfamiliar IDE interface
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questions
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.
Resources & Learn More
Curated sources to dive deeper
Where to Buy
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Wikipedia
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