Windsurf vs Cursor
An honest, side-by-side comparison from the ToolHund editors — plus what the community actually votes for.
Windsurf
Agentic IDE from Codeium
Windsurf (formerly Codeium) ships an agentic editor with Cascade — a flow-aware agent that keeps full context of your repo and your last actions.
Visit WindsurfCursor
The AI-first code editor
Cursor is a VS Code fork built around AI: agent mode, codebase-wide context, multi-file edits and the best autocomplete on the market.
Visit CursorCursor takes the ToolHund Score (89/100 vs 83/100) — but the right pick depends on your workflow.
Pick Windsurf if you need: devs who want a cursor alternative with strong free tier. · Pick Cursor if you need: working devs who want ai deeply integrated into the editor.
Which one should you pick?
- You need devs who want a cursor alternative with strong free tier.
- Your team fits: works for solo creators all the way up to small teams
- Learning curve OK: steep — expect a few hours to feel productive
- Pricing works: Free · Pro $15/mo
- You need working devs who want ai deeply integrated into the editor.
- Your team fits: works for solo creators all the way up to small teams
- Learning curve OK: steep — expect a few hours to feel productive
- Pricing works: Free · Pro $20/mo
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Windsurf | Cursor |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Code | Code |
| Pricing | Free · Pro $15/mo | Free · Pro $20/mo |
| Best for | Devs who want a Cursor alternative with strong free tier. | Working devs who want AI deeply integrated into the editor. |
| Active users | 400K+ | 1M+ |
| Editor rating | 4.7 / 5 | 4.9 / 5 |
- Cascade agent
- Repo-wide context
- Generous free tier
- JetBrains & VS Code
- Agent mode
- Codebase-wide context
- Multi-file edits
- Best-in-class autocomplete
Which one would you pick?
Be the first to vote.
Why did you choose Windsurf or Cursor?
Share your real-world experience. No signup required.
Common questions
Is Windsurf better than Cursor?+
Cursor scores 89/100 on the ToolHund rubric vs Windsurf at 83/100 — but "better" depends on your workflow. Cursor wins if you need working devs who want ai deeply integrated into the editor.
What is the pricing difference between Windsurf and Cursor?+
Windsurf: Free · Pro $15/mo. Cursor: Free · Pro $20/mo.
Can I use both Windsurf and Cursor together?+
Yes — many teams pair them. Use Windsurf for devs who want a cursor alternative with strong free tier. and switch to Cursor when you need working devs who want ai deeply integrated into the editor.
Who should avoid Windsurf?+
Teams that need on-prem deployment or strict data-residency guarantees
Who should avoid Cursor?+
Teams that need on-prem deployment or strict data-residency guarantees
Other Code comparisons
Keep comparing — see how Windsurf stacks up against more tools in the same category.