Windsurf vs Cline

Windsurf (Codeium/Windsurf) and Cline (open source (community)) compared head-to-head: prices from $15 and $0, model-dependent vs. model-dependent context, free tiers, models, limits plus strengths and weaknesses. Find out which AI coding agent fits your workflow.

Windsurf vs Cline — Category side-by-side

Provider	Windsurf Codeium/Windsurf	Cline open source (community)
From /month	$15	Free
Billing	subscription + credits	BYO-key (usage)
Top models	Claude Sonnet 4, GPT-5, SWE-1	Claude Sonnet 4, GPT-5, Gemini 2.5 Pro, Qwen3
Context	model-dependent	model-dependent
Limits	Pro: flexible flow-based credits	whatever your API key allows
Free tier	yes — limited free tier	free software (model usage billed separately)
Best for	Teams wanting an agentic IDE alternative to Cursor	Devops who want a transparent, hackable agent
Strengths	Cascade multi-step agent Strong enterprise story Own SWE-1 model	Fully open source Works with any API provider Transparent plans
Weaknesses	Newer ecosystem Credit accounting can be opaque	You manage & pay for model usage Less polish than commercial IDEs

Recommendation by priority

💰 On a budget? Cline ($0) is cheaper than Windsurf ($15).

Cline is especially strong when you care about "Devops who want a transparent, hackable agent".

Go to Windsurf → Go to Cline →

Frequently asked questions: Windsurf vs Cline

Windsurf or Cline: 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 — Windsurf or Cline?

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

Is there a free tier for Windsurf or Cline?

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