Cursor vs Windsurf: which one fits you?

Both are coding tools, but they're built for different people. Here's the honest comparison — and who should pick which.

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	Cursor	Windsurf
Price	Free tier · paid from €19/mo	Free tier · paid from €15/mo
Usable free tier	Yes	Yes
Best for	developers	developers
Privacy posture	●●○	●●○
Team fit	all	all

Pick Cursor if…

what you mainly want is: ai-first code editor (vs code fork) with deep codebase-aware autocomplete and agents

Pick Windsurf if…

the lower price matters (€15/mo vs €19/mo)

Still torn? The right answer depends on your budget, skills, and privacy needs — take the 30-second quiz and we'll score both against your situation.

Cursor Free tier · paid from €19/mo

AI-first code editor (VS Code fork) with deep codebase-aware autocomplete and agents.

✓ Best-in-class inline AI editing
✓ Understands whole codebase
✓ Familiar VS Code base

✗ Subscription on top of model costs for heavy use
✗ Occasional aggressive suggestions

Try Cursor →

Windsurf Free tier · paid from €15/mo

Agentic AI code editor with a generous free tier and clean UX.

✓ Cheaper than Cursor
✓ Cascade agent handles multi-step tasks
✓ Good free tier

✗ Smaller ecosystem
✗ Model routing less transparent

Try Windsurf →

Prices & details last verified 2026-08-16.

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Full category guide: Best AI Coding Tools