<!-- Canonical: https://www.agentlist.io/compare/cursor-vs-windsurf -->

# [CursorAnysphere · ai-ide](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/cursor)vs[Windsurf / Devin DesktopCognition · ai-ide](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/windsurf)

The two flagship AI IDEs. Cursor is a VS Code fork with the largest third-party model pool; Windsurf (now under Cognition, alongside Devin) is the ex-Codeium editor built around Cascade agent flows.

agentlist.io · spec diff · verified 2026-09-25 — list prices only, not benchmarks

SEC.01

## Spec diff

CursorWindsurf / Devin Desktop

vendorAnysphereCognition

categoryai-ideai-ide

interfaceseditor · apieditor

hostinglocal · cloudlocal · cloud

pricingHobby free; Pro $20/mo; Pro+ $60; Ultra $200; Teams $40/userFree; Pro $20/mo; Max $200; Teams $80 + $40/seat

statusactively maintainedactively maintained

also known asCodeium, Cascade

SEC.02

## Pick which

pick Cursor if

You want the most models under one UI (Cursor + third-party pools), the biggest ecosystem, and cloud background agents.

pick Windsurf / Devin Desktop if

You want Cascade multi-step flows out of the box, or you're already in the Cognition/Devin ecosystem.

watch out

Both bundle two usage pools on paid plans — heavy agent use on the lower tiers hits limits fast.

SEC.03

## Feature notes

-   Cursor
-   01Tab completion
-   02Agent / Composer modes
-   03Project rules
-   04Model choice
-   05Cloud agents
-   06Code review helpers

-   Windsurf / Devin Desktop
-   01Cascade agent
-   02Multi-file edits
-   03SWE-2 model
-   04Cloud agents (Pro+)
-   05Plugins
-   06Free tier

FAQ

## Frequently asked

### Cursor or Windsurf / Devin Desktop — which should I pick?

The two flagship AI IDEs. Cursor is a VS Code fork with the largest third-party model pool; Windsurf (now under Cognition, alongside Devin) is the ex-Codeium editor built around Cascade agent flows. Pick Cursor if: You want the most models under one UI (Cursor + third-party pools), the biggest ecosystem, and cloud background agents. Pick Windsurf / Devin Desktop if: You want Cascade multi-step flows out of the box, or you're already in the Cognition/Devin ecosystem.

### Is Cursor or Windsurf / Devin Desktop cheaper?

Cursor: Hobby free; Pro $20/mo; Pro+ $60; Ultra $200; Teams $40/user. Windsurf / Devin Desktop: Free; Pro $20/mo; Max $200; Teams $80 + $40/seat. List prices as of 2026-09-25; usage pools and seat terms change the real cost.

### Does Cursor or Windsurf / Devin Desktop run locally?

Cursor hosting: local, cloud. Windsurf / Devin Desktop hosting: local, cloud. Interfaces differ too: Cursor exposes editor/api, Windsurf / Devin Desktop exposes editor.

### Are Cursor and Windsurf / Devin Desktop still maintained?

Cursor: actively maintained. Windsurf / Devin Desktop: actively maintained. Statuses are re-verified each catalog refresh (2026-09-25); see the changelog for the full history.

ALT

## More comparisons

-   [→Claude Code vs Cursor](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/claude-code-vs-cursor)
-   [→GitHub Copilot vs Cursor](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/copilot-vs-cursor)
-   [→Zed vs Cursor](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/zed-vs-cursor)
-   [→Claude Code vs Codex CLI](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/claude-code-vs-codex-cli)
-   [→Aider vs Claude Code](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/aider-vs-claude-code)
-   [→Cline vs Roo Code](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/cline-vs-roo-code)

A

## Cursor

Cursor is a VS Code–based AI-native editor with repo-aware chat, multi-file edits, Composer/agent modes, and cloud background agents.

[full spec sheet →](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/cursor)

-   [↗ cursor.com/pricing](https://cursor.com/pricing)
-   [↗ cursor.com/docs/models-and-pricing](https://cursor.com/docs/models-and-pricing)

B

## Windsurf / Devin Desktop

Windsurf is Cognition's AI IDE (ex-Codeium) built around Cascade multi-step agent flows, sold on the same Free / Pro / Max / Teams sheet as Devin.

[full spec sheet →](https://www.agentlist.io/systems/windsurf)

-   [↗ windsurf.com/blog/windsurf-pricing-plans](https://windsurf.com/blog/windsurf-pricing-plans)
-   [↗ devin.ai/pricing](https://devin.ai/pricing)

SRC

## Data

Fields come from the seed catalog, re-verified 2026-09-25. This page compares recorded specs — it does not rank performance. See the [changelog](https://www.agentlist.io/changelog) or the [JSON feed](https://www.agentlist.io/api/v1/systems).

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Source: [Cursor vs Windsurf / Devin Desktop: spec comparison | agentlist.io](https://www.agentlist.io/compare/cursor-vs-windsurf). This is the public page rendered as Markdown; interactive controls require the website.
