Cursor vs Windsurf

Cursor (Anysphere) and Windsurf (Codeium/Windsurf) compared head-to-head: prices from $20 and $15, model-dependent vs. model-dependent context, free tiers, models, limits plus strengths and weaknesses. Find out which AI coding agent fits your workflow.

Cursor vs Windsurf — Category side-by-side

Provider	Cursor Anysphere	Windsurf Codeium/Windsurf
From /month	$20	$15
Billing	subscription	subscription + credits
Top models	Claude Sonnet 4, GPT-5, Gemini 2.5 Pro	Claude Sonnet 4, GPT-5, SWE-1
Context	model-dependent	model-dependent
Limits	Pro: 500 fast premium requests/mo	Pro: flexible flow-based credits
Free tier	Hobby: 50 fast + slow requests/mo	yes — limited free tier
Best for	Devs who want AI inside a familiar editor	Teams wanting an agentic IDE alternative to Cursor
Strengths	Best-in-class autocomplete (Tab) Multi-file Composer Model choice	Cascade multi-step agent Strong enterprise story Own SWE-1 model
Weaknesses	Credit-based fast requests Editor lock-in	Newer ecosystem Credit accounting can be opaque

Recommendation by priority

💰 On a budget? Windsurf ($15) is cheaper than Cursor ($20).

Windsurf is especially strong when you care about "Teams wanting an agentic IDE alternative to Cursor".

🆫 Start without budget? Windsurf shines with a free tier (yes — limited free tier).

Windsurf is especially strong when you care about "Teams wanting an agentic IDE alternative to Cursor".

Go to Cursor → Go to Windsurf →

Frequently asked questions: Cursor vs Windsurf

Cursor or Windsurf: which is cheaper?

The entry price depends on each provider and plan tier. This page shows the current indicative values side by side.

Which offers more context — Cursor or Windsurf?

Cursor reaches model-dependent, Windsurf reaches model-dependent. More context helps with long files and large repos.

Is there a free tier for Cursor or Windsurf?

Yes — details on free tiers and free quotas are in the side-by-side table above.