Cursor vs Windsurf (2026): Pricing, Features & Which to Choose

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
Windsurf
From $15/mo against from $20/mo
Free plan
Tie
Both have one
Higher rating
Cursor
4.7 against 4.4
Same job?
Yes
Both are Coding tools

Side by side

Compared on	Cursor	Windsurf
Our rating	4.7Better	4.4
Starts at	$20/mo	$15/moBetter
Free plan	Yes	Yes
Category	Coding	Coding
Plans	HobbyFree Pro$20/mo Pro+$60/mo Ultra$200/mo Teams$40/user/mo	FreeFree Pro$15/mo
Key features	Multi-line Tab autocomplete predicting full edits Composer agent mode for multi-file changes Choice of multiple underlying AI models Built as a full VS Code fork, not a plugin Free tier with limited usage	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	Widely regarded as the category's leading AI-native editor by adoption Composer handles genuinely complex, multi-file tasks well Model choice avoids lock-in to a single AI provider	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	Higher usage requires a paid subscription fairly quickly Popularity has driven pricing changes some long-time users have pushed back on Fork-based editor requires migrating settings from plain VS Code	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
Company	Anysphere, founded 2022	Codeium, founded 2021

Prices come from each vendor's pricing page, last checked 20260629. Check the vendor before you buy.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Is Cursor better than Windsurf?

In our reviews Cursor scores 4.7 and Windsurf scores 4.4. The better pick depends on the job. Cursor: The AI-native editor most competitors now get compared against. Windsurf: Now a Cognition subsidiary, after a chaotic 2025 acquisition saga.

Which is cheaper, Cursor or Windsurf?

Windsurf has the lower starting price: from $20/mo for Cursor and from $15/mo for Windsurf.

Do Cursor and Windsurf have free plans?

Yes, both have a free plan.

More comparisons

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Windsurf compared with

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