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Head to head · 2026

Aide vs Windsurf

Pricing, free plans, ratings, features, pros and cons, side by side. Where one comes out ahead, we mark it.

Aide

A fully open-source VS Code fork, not just an extension

4.1Free

Visit Aide (opens Aide in a new tab)

Windsurf

Now a Cognition subsidiary, after a chaotic 2025 acquisition saga

4.4$15/mo

Visit Windsurf (opens Windsurf in a new tab)

Who comes out ahead

Based only on the facts in our directory. The right pick still depends on the job you need done.

  • Lower starting price

    Not comparable

    Not comparable: Aide does not list a price

  • Free plan

    Tie

    Both have one

  • Higher rating

    Windsurf

    4.1 against 4.4

  • Same job?

    Yes

    Both are Coding tools

Side by side

Compared onAideWindsurf
Our rating4.14.4Better
Starts atFree$15/mo
Free planYesYes
CategoryCodingCoding
PlansFree
  • FreeFree
  • Pro$15/mo
Key features
  • Full VS Code fork, not an extension
  • Fully open-source codebase
  • Proactive agents that iterate on linter errors automatically
  • AST-based code navigation across files
  • 62.2% reported score on SWE-bench Verified
  • Cascade agentic flow for multi-file coding tasks
  • VS Code-based AI-native editor
  • Now owned by Cognition, the company behind Devin
  • Survived a widely publicized 2025 acquisition saga involving OpenAI and Google
  • Free tier for standard use
Pros
  • Genuinely open source, unlike most competing AI-native editors
  • Deep editor-level integration rather than extension-level access
  • Strong reported benchmark performance on real-world coding tasks
  • Cascade agent mode handles genuinely complex, multi-file tasks
  • Now backed by Cognition's resources and autonomous-agent expertise
  • Free tier available for everyday use
Cons
  • Smaller team and community than venture-scale competitors
  • Fork-based editors require migrating away from existing VS Code extensions and settings
  • Less enterprise support infrastructure than commercial alternatives
  • Recent ownership changes may affect long-term product direction
  • Lost significant senior research talent to Google during the 2025 restructuring
  • Overlaps with Cognition's own Devin product, worth watching how the two evolve together
CompanyCodestory, founded 2024Codeium, founded 2021

Prices come from each vendor's pricing page, last checked 20260703. Check the vendor before you buy.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Is Aide better than Windsurf?

In our reviews Aide scores 4.1 and Windsurf scores 4.4. The better pick depends on the job. Aide: A fully open-source VS Code fork, not just an extension. Windsurf: Now a Cognition subsidiary, after a chaotic 2025 acquisition saga.

Which is cheaper, Aide or Windsurf?

Aide: free. Windsurf: from $15/mo.

Do Aide and Windsurf have free plans?

Yes, both have a free plan.

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