technology
Cursor vs Windsurf 2026: AI Coding Assistants
Cursor is a VS Code-based AI coding assistant emphasizing autocomplete and inline suggestions with deterministic control features, while Windsurf is Codeium's agentic IDE offering autonomous planning and agent workflows. Both are market leaders as of 2026, with Windsurf reaching 1M+ users and Cursor maintaining strong enterprise adoption.
C
Cursor
VS Code-based AI code editor with multi-model support and precision editing features
Developers and enterprises wanting AI augmentation with familiar tools and deterministic control
Score60%
VS
Windsurf
Standalone IDE by Codeium emphasizing autonomous agents and native team collaboration
Development teams and Fortune 500 enterprises seeking autonomous AI-driven coding with highest security standards
Score70%
Quick Answer
AI SummaryCursor is a VS Code-based AI coding assistant emphasizing autocomplete and inline suggestions with deterministic control features, while Windsurf is Codeium's agentic IDE offering autonomous planning and agent workflows. Both are market leaders as of 2026, with Windsurf reaching 1M+ users and Cursor maintaining strong enterprise adoption.
Our Verdict
AI-assistedWindsurf leads in agentic AI capabilities, security certifications, and raw user growth metrics, making it ideal for teams seeking autonomous coding workflows. Cursor excels in familiar developer experience and deterministic control, better suited for organizations preferring gradual AI integration. Both remain top-tier choices depending on your automation vs. control preference.
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C
Cursor
8/10
Windsurf
7/10
C
Choose Cursor if
Best pickDevelopers and enterprises wanting AI augmentation with familiar tools and deterministic control
Choose Windsurf if
Development teams and Fortune 500 enterprises seeking autonomous AI-driven coding with highest security standards
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Key Differences at a Glance
- Base Architecture:✓ Windsurf wins(Native AI-first IDE vs VS Code fork with AI layer)
- Agent Capabilities:✓ Windsurf wins(Cascade agent, Windsurf Tab, autonomous workflows vs Plan Mode, Slash Commands, Rules)
- User Base (2026):✓ Windsurf wins(1M+ active users, 59% Fortune 500 vs Major enterprise adoption)
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(minutes) | 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(count) | 200+ (via VS Code compatibility) | 200+ (via VS Code compatibility) |
Sourced from publicly available data ·
Key Differences
8 attributes compared head-to-head
C
1CursorWindsurf leads2 ties
Cursor
Attribute
Windsurf
- VS Code fork with AI layerBase ArchitectureNative AI-first IDE(winner)
- Plan Mode, Slash Commands, RulesAgent CapabilitiesCascade agent, Windsurf Tab, autonomous workflows(winner)
- Major enterprise adoptionUser Base (2026)1M+ active users, 59% Fortune 500(winner)
- Not publicly disclosedDaily Code Generation70M+ lines/day(winner)
- Predictable, rule-based controlsControl PhilosophyAgentic autonomy-first
- Enterprise deploymentsEnterprise SecurityFedRAMP High, DoD IL5, ITA certified(winner)
- Familiar VS Code interface(winner)Learning CurveNew IDE paradigm
- Established leaderMarket PositionFastest-growing AI dev tool
- Base Architecture
Cursor
VS Code fork with AI layer
Windsurf
Native AI-first IDE(winner)
- Agent Capabilities
Cursor
Plan Mode, Slash Commands, Rules
Windsurf
Cascade agent, Windsurf Tab, autonomous workflows(winner)
- User Base (2026)
Cursor
Major enterprise adoption
Windsurf
1M+ active users, 59% Fortune 500(winner)
- Daily Code Generation
Cursor
Not publicly disclosed
Windsurf
70M+ lines/day(winner)
- Control Philosophy
Cursor
Predictable, rule-based controls
Windsurf
Agentic autonomy-first
- Enterprise Security
Cursor
Enterprise deployments
Windsurf
FedRAMP High, DoD IL5, ITA certified(winner)
- Learning Curve
Cursor
Familiar VS Code interface(winner)
Windsurf
New IDE paradigm
- Market Position
Cursor
Established leader
Windsurf
Fastest-growing AI dev tool
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 23 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 — Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro Tier)(USD) $20/month $15/month Monthly Subscription (Pro/Standard)(USD) $20 — Monthly Cost (Individual Plan)(USD) $20/month — 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(null) 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 | — |
| Platform Support(platforms) | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS, Windows, Linux + JetBrains plugin |
| Supported Editors/IDEs(count) | 1 IDE only | — |
| Number of Supported IDEs(count) | 1 (Cursor IDE only) | — |
| Supported IDEs/Editors(count) | 1 (VS Code) | — |
Show 1 more attributeSupported Development Environments(count) 1 (Windsurf IDE only) — | ||
| Setup Time(minutes) | 5-10 minutes | — |
| Setup Time for New Users(minutes) | 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 | — |
| Free Trial Duration(days) | 14 days | 30 days unlimited(winner) |
| Active Users (2026)(millions) | Not publicly disclosed | 1M+ |
| Estimated Daily Active Users(millions) | ~500K (estimated based on download trends) | — |
| 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 3 more attributesMulti-File Editing Native support — AI Model Flexibility(model options) Claude 3.5 Sonnet only — Multi-file Project Editing Native multi-file support — | ||
| 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 |
| 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 | — |
| Platform Availability(platforms) | Desktop (Mac, Windows, Linux) | — |
| Free Tier Availability(boolean) | 14-day free trial | — |
| Available on Mobile | No native mobile app | — |
| Availability Status(null) | Early access/Beta (2024-2025) | — |
| Supported Languages(count) | 200+ (via VS Code compatibility) | — |
| 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 |
| 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) |
Show 5 more attributesCode Context Window Size(KB) ~500KB+ codebase context — 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(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 | — |
| Input Types Supported | Code, text, file references | — |
| 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) | — |
| Monthly Active Users(billion) | 0.35 million | — |
| 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 23 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
—
Monthly Subscription Cost (Pro Tier)(USD)
$20/month
$15/month
Monthly Subscription (Pro/Standard)(USD)
$20
—
Monthly Cost (Individual Plan)(USD)
$20/month
—
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(null)
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
—
Platform Support(platforms)
macOS, Windows, Linux
macOS, Windows, Linux + JetBrains plugin
Supported Editors/IDEs(count)
1 IDE only
—
Number of Supported IDEs(count)
1 (Cursor IDE only)
—
Supported IDEs/Editors(count)
1 (VS Code)
—
Show 1 more attribute
Supported Development Environments(count)
1 (Windsurf IDE only)
—
Setup Time(minutes)
5-10 minutes
—
Setup Time for New Users(minutes)
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
—
Free Trial Duration(days)
14 days
30 days unlimited
Active Users (2026)(millions)
Not publicly disclosed
1M+
Estimated Daily Active Users(millions)
~500K (estimated based on download trends)
—
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 3 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
—
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
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
—
Platform Availability(platforms)
Desktop (Mac, Windows, Linux)
—
Free Tier Availability(boolean)
14-day free trial
—
Available on Mobile
No native mobile app
—
Availability Status(null)
Early access/Beta (2024-2025)
—
Supported Languages(count)
200+ (via VS Code compatibility)
—
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
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)
Show 5 more attributes
Code Context Window Size(KB)
~500KB+ codebase context
—
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
—
Input Types Supported
Code, text, file references
—
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)
—
Monthly Active Users(billion)
0.35 million
—
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
13 pros·7 cons across both
C
C
Cursor
+6-4
Pros
- Familiar VS Code interface reduces onboarding friction
- Deterministic Rules and Plan Mode for predictable AI behavior
- Robust autocomplete and inline suggestion engine
- Strong enterprise adoption and trust
- Browser control and background agents
- Version 2.0 released with enhanced capabilities
Cons
- Built on VS Code architecture limits true IDE innovation
- Lower public user metrics vs competitors
- Less emphasis on autonomous agent workflows
- Primarily cursor/suggestion-based rather than full planning
Windsurf
+7-3
Pros
- 1M+ active users and 70M+ lines of code generated daily
- Native agentic architecture with Cascade agent and autonomous workflows
- 59% Fortune 500 adoption rate
- FedRAMP High, DoD IL5, and ITA security certifications
- MCP integrations for extended functionality
- Windsurf Tab for rapid multi-file edits
- Fastest-growing AI developer tool of its generation
Cons
- Steeper learning curve as entirely new IDE paradigm
- Agentic autonomy may feel unpredictable to control-focused teams
- Requires paradigm shift from traditional coding workflows
Frequently Asked Questions
5 questions
Cursor is a VS Code-based AI assistant emphasizing predictable control through Rules and Plan Mode, while Windsurf is Codeium's native agentic IDE prioritizing autonomous AI workflows. Windsurf leads in agent autonomy and enterprise scale (1M+ users, 59% Fortune 500), while Cursor excels in developer familiarity and deterministic behavior control.
Resources & Learn More
Curated sources to dive deeper
Where to Buy
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Wikipedia
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