Windsurf vs. Cursor: How they really carried out in my analysis
On this comparability, I went deep into demos and current documentation on Windsurf and Cursor. Right here’s an summary of my comparability:
Autocomplete and code technology capabilities
Each instruments supply superior code autocomplete. Windsurf gives multiline recommendations and even automated unit take a look at stubs, using fashions skilled on open-source code. Its Cascade agent fills in giant blocks of code with a single instruction.
I discovered the AI code completion characteristic to be extremely intuitive and useful in rushing up the coding course of. The recommendations it made had been correct and context-aware, suggesting extra environment friendly methods to put in writing the code. The chat characteristic provided one other standout facet, offering fast help and clarification when wanted. It is like having a coding associate prepared to assist always.
Supply: Windsurf
Cursor equally gives AI-driven tab completions and generates code from feedback or prompts. Cursor affords robust customization by way of context guidelines, symlinks, and scaffolding. This permits predictable, constant outcomes throughout giant codebases. Nonetheless, it’d produce surface-level output at occasions.
Supply: Cursor
Winner: Tie
Context consciousness, UI, and IDE integration
Windsurf’s Cascade agent is explicitly constructed to achieve a deep consciousness of your venture. It remembers earlier information you’ve labored on and makes use of that context when making recommendations. Cursor, likewise, indexes your codebase and solutions questions on it. It sees how completely different information and components of your venture work collectively.
Windsurf affords each plugins and a customized editor. Its plugin works inside VS Code, JetBrains, and different IDEs, giving AI completions the place you already work. Alternatively, Windsurf now options its AI-native IDE, which incorporates all vital options. Cursor can be a standalone software, nevertheless it permits importing extensions and keybindings. It would mean you can import all of your extensions, themes, and keybindings from VS Code with a click on.
Whereas Cursor would not supply a plugin in the identical manner Windsurf does, it gives comparable performance via its core options and integration with different instruments.
For customers conversant in Visible Studio Code, they’ll discover it straightforward to work on Cursor because it retains the same interface. On the similar time, Windsurf makes it simpler to finish tedious work with its ease of integration into current IDEs.
Ideally, this comparability can be a tie. However I personally appreciated Windsurf’s UI/UX over Cursor’s. What’s extra, some consumer critiques famous inconsistencies with Cursor’s AI, saying that whereas it’s sensible at occasions, it will probably sometimes go off monitor for no motive.
Winner: Windsurf 🏆
Efficiency
Builders care about velocity and light-weight operation. Many Windsurf customers reward its efficiency. One reviewer famous:
“Windsurf may be very quick, and the code recommendations are very related to the venture.”
– Windsurf Overview, Sujeet A, Senior Software program Engineer
In an interview, Varun Mohan, CEO and Co-Founding father of Windsurf, conveyed that Windsurf’s engineers goal sub‑100 ms time‑to‑first‑token and a whole bunch of tokens a second for the technology time. Latency issues a ton because it largely determines the willingness to make use of the product.
Alternatively, Cursor is equally quick, in accordance with a consumer’s weblog put up on Medium.
It’s difficult to check these options objectively, as their efficiency largely depends upon the particular use case. That stated, I didn’t see any performance-related complaints for Cursor on G2 as of July 2025.
Winner: Tie
Pricing
Each Windsurf and Cursor have free plans.
Windsurf affords a two-week free trial of the Professional plan. With the free plan, you obtain 25 immediate credit monthly throughout main fashions, together with OpenAI, Claude, Gemini xAI, and extra. The plan affords non-obligatory zero information retention, Previews, and one app deployment per day.
Windsurf’s Professional plan at $15/consumer/month affords 500 immediate credit monthly and 5 app deploys/day. Staff and Enterprise plans price $30/consumer/month and $60/consumer/month.
Cursor additionally affords a two-week free trial. The Professional plan prices $20/month. It’s appropriate for customers primarily utilizing the Tab with occasional agent utilization. There are two extra particular person plans: Professional+ ($60/month) and Extremely ($200/ month). For those who code every single day with brokers, the Professional+ plan is appropriate. For those who’re an influence consumer utilizing brokers for almost all of coding, the Extremely plan will swimsuit you the most effective.
These plans include particular person limits.
Windsurf’s Professional plan prices $15 monthly, which is lower than Cursor. Nonetheless, it has limits of as much as 500 credit monthly. Cursor Professional prices $20 monthly, however should you want utilizing GPT 4.1, it gives as much as 650 requests monthly.
Winner: Tie
Right here’s an summary of how Windsurf and Cursor evaluate when it comes to AI coding assistant software program options:
| Function | Winner | Why it gained |
| Autocomplete and code technology capabilities | Tie | Each instruments are able to writing out complete features and even scaffolding a easy software from a immediate. |
| Context consciousness, UI, and IDE integration | Windsurf 🏆 | Windsurf stands out as a result of its user-friendly interface and expertise. |
| Efficiency | Tie | Each platforms evaluate effectively when it comes to velocity and light-weight operation. |
| Pricing | Tie | Windsurf Professional plan affords 500 credit at $15 monthly. Cursor prices $20 monthly however affords completely different utilization limits for various AI fashions. |
Windsurf vs. Cursor: Which must you use?
In selecting between Windsurf and Cursor, it typically comes all the way down to your workflow:
Select Windsurf if:
You like a free or low-cost resolution that integrates together with your IDE. Windsurf’s plugin works in every single place, and also you get a beneficiant free tier that covers fundamental use. Groups that prioritize privateness or on-premises deployment can lean towards Windsurf, because it affords enterprise self-hosting.
Listed here are a number of extra insights on Windsurf primarily based on G2 Information:
- Windsurf has an honest ease of use (86%) and ease of setup (95%) scores.
- The platform dominates pc software program, IT and companies, training administration, accounting, and consulting industries.
- Windsurf excels in interface (81%), code high quality (77%), and enter processing (75%). The platform may battle with group (70%), documentation (73%), and accuracy (74%).
Select Cursor if:
If you would like a totally AI-integrated coding surroundings and are keen to pay for it. It appears like a superb new editor constructed from the bottom up round AI. Its options, reminiscent of multi-line refactoring and deep code search, are exhausting to search out elsewhere.
Cursor had restricted critiques on G2 as of July 2025. Try G2 stories for the newest insights on Cursor.
Code with confidence
Windsurf and Cursor are each highly effective AI coding assistants with distinctive strengths. Windsurf is great for fast, low-friction coding assist throughout languages. Cursor, however, affords a richer AI-driven enhancing expertise; it’s like having a extremely superior pair programmer in its app.
Which one is best?
It depends upon your use case and what issues to your workflow. On the finish of the day, select the device that streamlines your workflow and let the AI do the remainder.
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