GitHub Copilot vs Windsurf

GitHub Copilot (GitHub/Microsoft) and Windsurf (Codeium/Windsurf) compared head-to-head: prices from $10 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.

GitHub Copilot vs Windsurf — Category side-by-side

Provider	GitHub Copilot GitHub/Microsoft	Windsurf Codeium/Windsurf
From /month	$10	$15
Billing	subscription	subscription + credits
Top models	GPT-5, Claude Sonnet 4, Gemini 2.5 Pro	Claude Sonnet 4, GPT-5, SWE-1
Context	model-dependent	model-dependent
Limits	Generous multi-model usage; agent mode	Pro: flexible flow-based credits
Free tier	Free tier for students/maintainers + limited monthly	yes — limited free tier
Best for	Teams already in the GitHub ecosystem	Teams wanting an agentic IDE alternative to Cursor
Strengths	Deep GitHub integration Multi-model Enterprise features	Cascade multi-step agent Strong enterprise story Own SWE-1 model
Weaknesses	Less aggressive agentic loop than Cursor Usage controls vary by plan	Newer ecosystem Credit accounting can be opaque

Recommendation by priority

💰 On a budget? GitHub Copilot ($10) is cheaper than Windsurf ($15).

GitHub Copilot is especially strong when you care about "Teams already in the GitHub ecosystem".

Go to GitHub Copilot → Go to Windsurf →

Frequently asked questions: GitHub Copilot vs Windsurf

GitHub Copilot 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 — GitHub Copilot or Windsurf?

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

Is there a free tier for GitHub Copilot or Windsurf?

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