Cursor vs Windsurf
A VS Code fork built around AI, with full codebase indexing and multi-file editing. An agentic AI editor, priced on daily and weekly quotas since retiring credits in March 2026.
At a glance
| Cursor | Windsurf | |
|---|---|---|
| Entry price | $20/mo | $20/mo |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Plans offered | 5 | 4 |
| Team pricing | $40/seat/mo | $40/seat/mo |
| Vendor | Anysphere | Windsurf |
| Best for | Developers working across large existing codebases | Developers who want agentic editing with predictable quotas |
| Main trade-off | Twice the price of Copilot Pro for individuals | Smaller ecosystem and extension community than a VS Code fork |
The short answer
Choose Cursor if developers working across large existing codebases. Choose Windsurf if developers who want agentic editing with predictable quotas. The rest of this page is the detail behind that.
Pricing
Cursor
| Plan | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Hobby | Free | Limited completions · Limited agent requests |
| Pro | $20/mo | 500 fast premium requests/mo · Access to frontier models including Opus-class · Consumption billing beyond quota |
| Pro+ | $60/mo | Substantially higher request allowance |
| Ultra | $200/mo | Highest allowance for sustained agentic work |
| Teams | $40/seat/mo | Central billing · Org privacy controls |
Pricing verified
Windsurf
| Plan | Price | What it adds |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | Limited quota |
| Pro | $20/mo | Daily and weekly quotas rather than credits |
| Max | $200/mo | Highest quota |
| Teams | $40/seat/mo | Org management |
Pricing verified
Cursor
Strengths
- Full codebase indexing makes multi-file edits genuinely reliable
- Frontier models including Opus-class are on the $20 tier, not held back for a higher plan
- Familiar to anyone who already uses VS Code -- extensions and keybindings carry over
Trade-offs
- Twice the price of Copilot Pro for individuals
- Costs become unpredictable once you exceed the request quota and consumption billing starts
- Forking the editor means lagging slightly behind upstream VS Code releases
Cursor: who it suits
Buy it if
- Developers working across large existing codebases
- Anyone who wants Opus-class models without paying for a higher tier
- Teams already standardised on VS Code
Skip it if
- Developers who mainly want inline autocomplete -- you would be paying double for capability you do not use
- Anyone who needs a strictly predictable monthly bill, because usage above quota bills on consumption
- JetBrains or Neovim users unwilling to change editor
Visit Cursorfrom $20/mo · free tier available
Windsurf
Strengths
- Quota-based pricing is easier to reason about than credits
- Strong agentic flows built into the editor itself
- Priced level with Cursor at the Pro tier
Trade-offs
- Smaller ecosystem and extension community than a VS Code fork
- The March 2026 pricing change reset how quotas work, so older comparisons are wrong
- Less established than Copilot or Cursor
Windsurf: who it suits
Buy it if
- Developers who want agentic editing with predictable quotas
- Anyone who disliked credit-based billing elsewhere
Skip it if
- Teams needing the broadest editor and IDE coverage
- Anyone depending on a large third-party extension ecosystem
Visit Windsurffrom $20/mo · free tier available
Common questions
- Is Cursor or Windsurf cheaper?
- Cursor starts at $20/mo and Windsurf at $20/mo. They are priced the same at entry level, so cost should not decide it.
- Who should not use Cursor?
- Developers who mainly want inline autocomplete -- you would be paying double for capability you do not use. Anyone who needs a strictly predictable monthly bill, because usage above quota bills on consumption. JetBrains or Neovim users unwilling to change editor.
- Who should not use Windsurf?
- Teams needing the broadest editor and IDE coverage. Anyone depending on a large third-party extension ecosystem.
- Does Cursor or Windsurf have a free tier?
- Both offer a free tier, so you can evaluate each before paying.