Windsurf

What Is Windsurf?

Windsurf is an AI-powered code editor created by the team behind Codeium (which rebranded to Windsurf in late 2024). It's a standalone editor — not a VS Code extension — that competes directly with Cursor in the "AI-native IDE" category.

Windsurf's headline feature is Cascade, an agentic AI flow that can handle multi-step coding tasks. Instead of just autocompleting one line at a time, Cascade can reason through a problem, modify multiple files, run terminal commands, and iterate on its work — similar to how a junior developer might tackle a task.

Who Is It Best For?

Windsurf is ideal for developers who want a balance between AI power and affordability. At $15/month for the Pro tier, it undercuts Cursor's $20/month while offering competitive features. It's particularly well-suited for:

• Developers who want agentic coding (multi-step, multi-file AI tasks)
• Teams looking for a cost-effective AI editor
• Codeium users who want to upgrade from an extension to a full editor
• Developers who find Cursor too expensive or too resource-heavy

If you're deciding between Windsurf and Cursor, the honest answer is: try both. They're close enough in capability that personal preference matters more than feature lists.

Setup Walkthrough

Getting started takes about 5 minutes:

1. Download Windsurf from windsurf.com — it's available for Mac, Windows, and Linux
2. Run the installer and open the application
3. Create an account or sign in — the free tier doesn't require a credit card
4. Open a project folder via File > Open Folder
5. Start using Cascade by pressing Cmd+I (Mac) or Ctrl+I (Windows)

If you're migrating from VS Code, Windsurf can import your settings, extensions, and keybindings during setup.

Real Usage: Cascade in Action

Here's what using Windsurf actually looks like in practice:

Scenario: You have a React project and want to add a dark mode toggle.

1. Open Cascade with Cmd+I
2. Type: "Add a dark mode toggle to the app. It should persist the user's preference in localStorage and respect their system preference by default."
3. Cascade will:
   • Analyze your existing project structure
   • Create or modify a theme provider component
   • Update your CSS/Tailwind configuration
   • Add a toggle button to your navbar
   • Wire up localStorage persistence
   • Show you a diff of all changes

You review each change and accept or reject them. Cascade keeps context between steps, so you can say "Actually, use a dropdown instead of a toggle button" and it adjusts without losing the rest of its work.

The autocomplete experience is also solid. Windsurf's inline suggestions are fast and context-aware. They feel slightly less "predictive" than Cursor's Tab feature but are reliable and rarely slow.

Honest Pros & Cons

Cost Analysis

What you actually need: The free tier is enough to try Windsurf and decide if you like it. For daily coding, you'll want Pro. The Teams tier is only worth it if you're actively collaborating with other developers using Windsurf.

Compared to Cursor: Windsurf Pro at $15/month saves you $5/month compared to Cursor Pro at $20/month. Over a year, that's $60 — meaningful but not life-changing. Choose based on which tool you prefer, not the price difference.

Windsurf vs. Cursor: The Honest Comparison

Since these are the two main AI-native editors, you're probably wondering which to choose:

Choose Windsurf if:

• You want to spend less per month
• You like Cascade's agentic flow approach
• You're coming from Codeium and want a familiar upgrade path
• You want a cleaner, less cluttered interface

Choose Cursor if:

• You want the largest community and most resources/tutorials
• You rely heavily on VS Code extensions
• You want more AI model choices (GPT-4, Claude, etc.)
• Tab predictions are important to your workflow

The truth: Both are good. Neither is dramatically better than the other. Try both free tiers for a week each and see which one feels more natural to you.

Our Verdict

Windsurf is a strong, affordable AI code editor that's particularly good at agentic multi-step tasks. Cascade is its standout feature — when it works, it feels like having a capable assistant who can tackle entire features, not just individual lines.

The main risk is that Windsurf is younger than Cursor and has a smaller community. That means fewer tutorials, fewer solved Stack Overflow questions, and a smaller pool of people to ask for help. For an experienced developer, this doesn't matter much. For a beginner, Cursor's larger community might be more valuable.

Rating: 4.0/5 — A solid choice, especially for developers who value the agentic workflow and want to save a few dollars compared to Cursor. We'd rate it higher once the product matures and the community grows.