Windsurf vs Cursor 2026: Which AI Code Editor Wins?

Windsurf vs Cursor compared on agentic coding, autocomplete, pricing, and developer experience. Find the best AI code editor.

Windsurf

★ 4.2

AI code editor with agentic Cascade assistant.

Price: Free tier available $15/month
Model: freemium

Key Features

  • ✓ Cascade agentic AI assistant
  • ✓ Multi-file editing and refactoring
  • ✓ Codebase-wide context understanding
  • ✓ Tab autocomplete
  • ✓ Terminal command generation
Full review → Visit site →

Cursor

★ 4.6

AI-first code editor with deep codebase understanding.

Price: Free tier available $20/month
Model: freemium

Key Features

  • ✓ Full codebase indexing and context
  • ✓ Multi-file agentic editing
  • ✓ Composer mode for complex changes
  • ✓ Tab completion with diff preview
  • ✓ Built on VS Code (familiar UX)
Full review → Visit site →

Use Case Breakdown

Agentic Multi-File Editing

Winner: Cursor

Cursor's Composer and agent mode are more reliable for complex, multi-file tasks. Windsurf's Cascade is good but less consistent.

Autocomplete

Winner: tie

Both offer fast, accurate inline completions. Windsurf's Supercomplete predicts next actions; Cursor shows diff previews.

Codebase Understanding

Winner: Cursor

Cursor's indexing and retrieval across large codebases is more mature and accurate.

Price

Winner: Windsurf

Windsurf Pro at $15/mo vs Cursor Pro at $20/mo. Windsurf also has a more generous free tier.

Free Tier

Winner: Windsurf

Windsurf offers unlimited autocomplete for free. Cursor limits free completions to 2,000.

Extension Compatibility

Winner: tie

Both are VS Code forks with strong extension compatibility.

Windsurf vs Cursor: The Complete Comparison

This is the closest head-to-head in AI coding tools. Both are VS Code forks with agentic AI capabilities. Cursor is more established; Windsurf is the scrappy challenger with better pricing.

The quick take

Choose Cursor if you want the most capable agentic coding experience and are willing to pay a premium. Choose Windsurf if you want 80% of Cursor’s capability at 75% of the price, with a better free tier.