Shortlist by what you need
Start here if you know why you are leaving Windsurf.
Want the closest match?
AideMost similar to Windsurf in what it does, its category and its price.
Visit (opens Aide in a new tab)Need a free plan?
CursorHas a free plan, rated 4.7 out of 5.
Visit (opens Cursor in a new tab)Want to pay less than Windsurf?
AskCodiFrom $5/mo, against from $15/mo for Windsurf.
Visit (opens AskCodi in a new tab)Want the best rated?
ZedRated 4.5 out of 5 in our review, against 4.4 for Windsurf.
Visit (opens Zed in a new tab)
At a glance
Green means better than Windsurf, red means worse. Prices are starting prices per month.
| Tool | Our rating | Starts at | Free plan | Best for | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 WindsurfBaseline | 4.4 | $15/mo | Yes | Now a Cognition subsidiary, after a chaotic 2025 acquisition saga | |
| Aide | 4.1−0.3 | Free | Yes | A fully open-source VS Code fork, not just an extension | vs Windsurf |
| Cursor | 4.7+0.3 | $20/mo$5 more | Yes | The AI-native editor most competitors now get compared against | vs Windsurf |
 JetBrains Junie | 4.3−0.1 | $10/mo$5 less | Yes | JetBrains' autonomous agent, separate from its inline AI Assistant | vs Windsurf |
| Zed | 4.5+0.1 | $10/mo$5 less | Yes | Built by Atom's original creators, native and fast rather than Electron-based | vs Windsurf |
 Visual Studio Code | 3.9−0.5 | Free | Yes | "The open source AI code editor" - hand off tasks to AI agents that autonomously plan, edit code, run commands, and iterate, across dozens of models. | vs Windsurf |
| AskCodi | 3.5−0.9 | $5/mo$10 less | No | Switch between GPT, Claude, Gemini and LLaMA instantly instead of locking into one vendor - AI code completion, debugging, and unit-test generation plugged into VS Code, Cursor, Continue and more. | vs Windsurf |
 Devin | 4.0−0.4 | $20/mo$5 more | No | Marketed as the first AI software engineer, with disputed early claims | vs Windsurf |
 Grok Build | 4.0−0.4 | $8/mo$7 less | No | XAI's terminal-first coding agent, bundled into SuperGrok and X Premium Plus | vs Windsurf |
The alternatives in detail
In order of how closely each one matches Windsurf.
Aide
4.1Free
vs Windsurf−0.3
A fully open-source VS Code fork, not just an extension.
- Full VS Code fork, not an extension
- Fully open-source codebase
- Proactive agents that iterate on linter errors automatically
Genuinely open source, unlike most competing AI-native editors
Smaller team and community than venture-scale competitors
Cursor
4.7$20/mo
vs Windsurf$5 more+0.3
The AI-native editor most competitors now get compared against.
- Multi-line Tab autocomplete predicting full edits
- Composer agent mode for multi-file changes
- Choice of multiple underlying AI models
Widely regarded as the category's leading AI-native editor by adoption
Higher usage requires a paid subscription fairly quickly
JetBrains Junie
4.3$10/mo
vs Windsurf$5 less−0.1
JetBrains' autonomous agent, separate from its inline AI Assistant.
- Autonomous, multi-step task execution
- Runs tests to verify its own changes
- Built into JetBrains' existing IDE suite
Genuine autonomous, multi-file task handling within a familiar IDE
Overlaps with JetBrains' own AI Assistant, worth comparing both directly
Zed
4.5$10/mo
vs Windsurf$5 less+0.1
Built by Atom's original creators, native and fast rather than Electron-based.
- Built natively rather than as an Electron/VS Code fork
- Built by the original creators of Atom and Tree-sitter
- Performance-optimized for low-latency editing and AI actions
Genuine performance advantage from native, non-Electron architecture
Smaller extension and plugin ecosystem than the VS Code-based competitors
Visual Studio Code
3.9Free
vs Windsurf−0.5
"The open source AI code editor" - hand off tasks to AI agents that autonomously plan, edit code, run commands, and iterate, across dozens of models.
- Multi-agent development - agents autonomously plan, edit, and run commands
- AI-powered inline suggestions and intelligent completions
- Model flexibility - Copilot, Claude, OpenAI, and dozens of others
Free with just a GitHub login - no paywall to access core agent features
Advanced reasoning models may carry separate usage costs depending on provider
AskCodi
3.5$5/mo
vs Windsurf$10 less−0.9
Switch between GPT, Claude, Gemini and LLaMA instantly instead of locking into one vendor - AI code completion, debugging, and unit-test generation plugged into VS Code, Cursor, Continue and more.
- Multi-model switching (GPT, Claude, Gemini, LLaMA) in one workflow
- AI code completion, debugging, and refactoring
- Unit test generation
Multi-model access avoids single-vendor lock-in and its tradeoffs
Token-based pricing requires monitoring usage to avoid overage
Devin
4.0$20/mo
vs Windsurf$5 more−0.4
Marketed as the first AI software engineer, with disputed early claims.
- Fully autonomous multi-step task planning and execution
- Plans, codes, tests, and debugs within one session
- Marketed as one of the earliest autonomous AI software engineers
Ambitious scope for autonomous, end-to-end task completion
Original launch benchmark claims were publicly disputed by independent researchers
Grok Build
4.0$8/mo
vs Windsurf$7 less−0.4
XAI's terminal-first coding agent, bundled into SuperGrok and X Premium Plus.
- Terminal-first coding agent and CLI, not a chat-only interface
- Powered by Grok 4.5, xAI's model built for coding and agentic tasks
- Voice mode lets a developer dictate prompts directly to coding agents
Included in an existing subscription rather than a new separate bill
No standalone free tier, requires a paid SuperGrok or X Premium Plus subscription
FAQ
Questions people ask
Is Windsurf free?
Windsurf has a free plan, and paid plans start from $15/mo.
What is the best free alternative to Windsurf?
Cursor is the highest-rated alternative here with a free plan (4.7 out of 5). Other free options: Zed, JetBrains Junie, Aide.
What is the cheapest alternative to Windsurf?
Among paid plans, AskCodi has the lowest starting price (from $5/mo). If you need it free, start with Cursor.
How did you pick these alternatives?
We match tools on what they do, their category and their price, using the details in our directory. Ratings come from our reviews and reader reviews.