Cursor vs Windsurf (2026)
AI-First IDE vs Agentic Powerhouse — the defining AI coding tool comparison of 2026. Both forked from VS Code origins. Both promise to 10x your development. But they've diverged into fundamentally different visions of what an AI IDE should be.
The Core Split: Model Marketplace vs Proprietary Stack
Cursor and Windsurf started from similar places — VS Code forks with AI superpowers — but have diverged dramatically in 2026. Understanding this split is the key to choosing the right tool.
🟣 Cursor — The Model Marketplace
Cursor's philosophy: give developers access to the best frontier models and let them choose. Built by Anysphere, Cursor routes your prompts to Claude, GPT, Gemini, and others — then adds a powerful ecosystem of MCPs, skills, hooks, and cloud agents on top.
- ✓ Choose your model per-task (Claude Sonnet 4.5, GPT-5, Gemini)
- ✓ Cloud background agents (run tasks while you sleep)
- ✓ MCP integrations, custom skills, hooks
- ✓ Bugbot PR review add-on
- ✓ Mature VS Code fork with large community
🔵 Windsurf — The Proprietary Stack
Windsurf's philosophy: build purpose-built models for coding that outperform general-purpose LLMs on speed and cost. Now developed by Cognition (the team behind Devin), Windsurf has SWE-1.5 (13x faster than Sonnet), Fast Context, and AI-powered Codemaps.
- ✓ SWE-1.5 proprietary model (950 tok/sec, 13x faster than Sonnet 4.5)
- ✓ Fast Context (10x faster codebase retrieval)
- ✓ AI-powered Codemaps for visual code navigation
- ✓ 40+ IDE plugins (JetBrains, Vim, NeoVim, Xcode)
- ✓ Enterprise compliance (FedRAMP High, HIPAA, ITAR)
💡 The Key Question:
Do you want to pick your own frontier models and build custom workflows (Cursor)? Or do you want purpose-built speed with enterprise compliance and IDE flexibility (Windsurf)? That's the 2026 AI IDE decision in one sentence.
Side-by-Side: Cursor vs Windsurf Feature Comparison
| Feature | Cursor | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Company | Anysphere | Cognition (Devin team) |
| Pro Pricing | $20/mo | $20/mo |
| Max/Ultra Pricing | $200/mo (Ultra — 20x usage) | $200/mo (Max — heavy usage + SWE-1.5) |
| Team Pricing | $40/user/mo | $40/user/mo |
| Free Plan | Hobby (limited agent + completions) | Free (light usage) |
| Proprietary Model | ❌ None (uses third-party models) | ✅ SWE-1.5 (950 tok/sec) |
| Frontier Model Access | ✅ Claude, GPT, Gemini (user choice) | ✅ All premium models |
| Inference Speed | Model-dependent (~70-200 tok/sec) | SWE-1.5: 950 tok/sec (13x Sonnet) |
| Context Retrieval | Frontier model-based | Fast Context (SWE-grep, 10x faster) |
| Visual Code Maps | ❌ | ✅ AI Codemaps |
| Cloud/Background Agents | ✅ Cloud agents | ✅ Cascade agent |
| Editor Support | Cursor only (VS Code fork) | 40+ IDEs (JetBrains, Vim, Xcode, etc.) |
| MCP Support | ✅ MCPs, skills, hooks | ✅ MCP with admin controls |
| PR Review | ✅ Bugbot ($40/user/mo add-on) | ❌ |
| Deployments | ❌ | ✅ Built-in Previews & Deploys |
| SOC 2 | ✅ | ✅ Type II |
| FedRAMP / HIPAA / ITAR | ❌ | ✅ FedRAMP High, HIPAA, ITAR |
| SSO | ✅ SAML/OIDC | ✅ SSO + SCIM + RBAC |
| Best For | Developers who want model choice + extensibility | Enterprise teams needing speed + compliance |
Pricing Deep Dive: The Convergence
In early 2026, Windsurf had a clear price advantage at $15/mo vs Cursor's $20/mo. That's gone. Both now charge $20/mo for their core Pro plans. But the devil is in the details of what you get at each tier.
Cursor Pricing
Hobby — Free
Limited agent requests, limited tab completions. No credit card required. Good for evaluation only.
Pro — $20/mo
Extended agent limits, frontier model access (Claude/GPT/Gemini), MCPs, skills, hooks, cloud agents. The standard developer plan.
Pro+ — $60/mo ⭐ Recommended
3x usage on all OpenAI, Claude, Gemini models. For power users who hit Pro limits regularly.
Ultra — $200/mo
20x usage on all models, priority access to new features. For AI-heavy workflows where cost per token matters less than throughput.
Teams — $40/user/mo
Shared chats/commands/rules, centralized billing, usage analytics, RBAC, SAML/OIDC SSO.
Enterprise — Custom
Pooled usage, invoice/PO billing, SCIM, AI code tracking API, audit logs, granular admin controls, priority support.
Windsurf Pricing
Free — $0/mo
Light Cascade usage, limited features. Good for trying the tool.
Pro — $20/mo
Standard Cascade allowance, all premium models, SWE-1.5, Fast Context, extra usage at API price. The mainstream plan.
Max — $200/mo
Heavy Cascade allowance, unlimited deploys, extra usage at API price. For power users who live in the agent.
Teams — $40/user/mo
Centralized billing, admin dashboard, analytics, knowledge base, priority support.
Enterprise — Custom
SSO + SCIM, RBAC, volume discounts, hybrid deployment, account management, FedRAMP/HIPAA/ITAR compliance.
💰 The Real Cost Difference
At $20/mo each, the sticker price is identical. The real cost difference comes from:
- Cursor's tiered multipliers: Pro ($20) → Pro+ ($60, 3x) → Ultra ($200, 20x). If you're a heavy AI user, you'll hit Pro limits quickly and face a 3x price jump to maintain flow. Cursor's Pro plan uses a credit pool system — your $20 is a budget that drains based on actual model API costs.
- Windsurf's simpler scaling: Pro ($20) → Max ($200). Two tiers, no middle step. Extra usage beyond your allowance costs API price, which is transparent but can surprise you. SWE-1.5 usage is more economical than frontier models per-token.
- The Bugbot factor: Cursor charges $40/user/mo extra for Bugbot (automated PR reviews). Windsurf doesn't have a PR review feature. If you want AI PR reviews, Cursor is $60/user/mo total (Pro + Bugbot) — that's a significant add-on cost that no Windsurf plan includes.
- IDE lock-in cost: Cursor requires you to use their editor. If your team uses JetBrains or Vim, switching to Cursor means retraining. Windsurf's plugins let you keep your current IDE — no switching cost. This is a hidden productivity cost that pricing pages don't capture.
Agentic Coding: Two Philosophies of AI Automation
Both Cursor and Windsurf have moved beyond autocomplete into full agentic coding — where the AI doesn't just suggest code, it executes multi-step tasks across your codebase. But their approaches differ.
Cursor's Agent Architecture
- Cloud Agents: Run background tasks that continue even when you close your laptop. Spawn agents for refactoring, migration, or test generation — check results later.
- Model Routing: The agent picks the best model for each sub-task. Complex reasoning gets Claude Opus; fast completions get lighter models. You can override.
- MCP Ecosystem: Connect external tools — databases, APIs, documentation — as context sources the agent can query mid-task. Custom skills and hooks extend behavior.
- Parallel Subagents: Cursor can spawn multiple subagents for independent tasks, then merge results. Effective for large refactors across separate modules.
Windsurf's Cascade Architecture
- Cascade Agent: Windsurf's signature feature — a persistent agentic flow that maintains context across your entire coding session. It doesn't just respond to prompts; it anticipates what you need next.
- SWE-1.5 Speed: Cascade runs on the proprietary SWE-1.5 model at 950 tok/sec. This means agent responses feel near-instant vs the 3-10 second latency of frontier models. Speed changes how you interact with AI.
- Fast Context Subagent: SWE-grep retrieves codebase context using 8 parallel tool calls per turn, completing in ~4 turns. 10x faster than feeding code to frontier models.
- Codemaps: AI-generated visual maps of code structure with line-level linking, trace guides, and diagrams. Helps the agent (and you) understand complex codebases instantly.
🏆 Agent Verdict
Cursor's cloud agents win for async workflows — spawn a task, close your laptop, check back later. Windsurf's Cascade wins for interactive speed — the 13x inference advantage means the agent keeps up with your thinking rather than making you wait. If you're a"vibe coder" who stays in flow, Windsurf's speed advantage is transformative. If you delegate big tasks and context-switch, Cursor's background agents are more powerful.
Code Quality: Frontier Models vs Purpose-Built Models
The quality question comes down to: do general-purpose frontier models write better code than coding-specific models? The answer is nuanced.
Autocomplete Quality
Both tools excel at tab completion — the bread and butter of daily coding. Cursor uses a mix of smaller fine-tuned models and frontier models depending on your plan. Windsurf uses SWE-1.5 for autocomplete, which is fast enough to feel predictive rather than reactive.
Edge: Tie. Autocomplete is table stakes in 2026 — both tools handle it well.
Complex Multi-File Changes
This is where frontier models shine. When you ask the agent to "refactor the auth system to use JWT tokens across all 15 affected files," Claude Sonnet 4.5 or GPT-5 on Cursor can reason about the full dependency chain. Windsurf's SWE-1.5 handles routine multi-file changes well but may miss edge cases that frontier models catch through deeper reasoning.
Edge: Cursor, for complex architectural changes.
Speed-Dependent Quality
Here's the subtle point: code quality isn't just about the best single generation — it's about the quality of your iterative loop. Windsurf's 13x speed advantage means you can prompt → review → refine 3-4 times in the same time it takes Cursor to complete one frontier model response. Faster iteration often beats smarter single-shot generation.
Edge: Windsurf, for iterative development workflows.
Debugging & Error Fixing
Both tools can identify and fix errors. Cursor lets you throw the hardest bugs at Claude Opus (the strongest reasoning model available). Windsurf's Fast Context helps it quickly understand the relevant code around a bug. For typical bugs, they're equivalent. For truly gnarly issues requiring deep reasoning, Cursor's access to Opus-class models has an edge.
Edge: Cursor, for complex debugging requiring deep reasoning.
IDE & Editor Ecosystem: Lock-In vs Flexibility
This is one of the biggest practical differences between Cursor and Windsurf in 2026.
Cursor: One Editor to Rule Them
Cursor is a standalone application — a modified VS Code fork. You must use the Cursor editor. Your VS Code extensions generally work (it's the same base), but you can't use Cursor's AI features in JetBrains, Vim, Emacs, or any other editor. For VS Code users, the transition is seamless. For everyone else, it's a dealbreaker.
Windsurf: Plugin Everything
Windsurf offers plugins for 40+ IDEs including JetBrains (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm, GoLand, Rider), Vim, NeoVim, Xcode, and Eclipse. Since March 2026, JetBrains support is fully GA. This means Java/Kotlin/Scala teams on IntelliJ, Python teams on PyCharm, and Go teams on GoLand can all use Windsurf without changing editors. Windsurf also has its own standalone editor (also a VS Code fork), but it's optional.
⚠️ The JetBrains Factor
JetBrains IDEs have ~33% market share among professional developers. If your team uses IntelliJ or PyCharm, Cursor is simply not an option without forcing an editor switch. Windsurf's JetBrains plugin is the only way to get agentic AI coding in your existing JetBrains workflow. This alone could be the deciding factor for many teams.
Enterprise Readiness: Compliance Gap
For individual developers and small startups, both tools work fine. For enterprise procurement, the compliance gap is massive.
| Compliance | Cursor | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| SOC 2 | ✅ | ✅ Type II |
| FedRAMP | ❌ | ✅ High |
| HIPAA | ❌ | ✅ |
| ITAR | ❌ | ✅ |
| SSO | ✅ SAML/OIDC | ✅ SSO |
| SCIM | ✅ (Enterprise) | ✅ |
| RBAC | ✅ | ✅ |
| Zero Data Retention | Privacy mode | ✅ ZDR |
| Hybrid Deployment | ❌ | ✅ |
| Audit Logging | ✅ AI code tracking API | ✅ |
The compliance picture is clear: Windsurf covers regulated industries; Cursor covers standard enterprise needs. Healthcare organizations (HIPAA), government contractors (FedRAMP), and defense companies (ITAR) cannot use Cursor for compliant workloads. Windsurf's Cognition parentage (they built Devin, the first AI software engineer) and enterprise-first pivot has translated into a significant compliance advantage.
Unique Features: What One Has That the Other Doesn't
Cursor Exclusives
🤖 Bugbot PR Reviews
Automated code review on pull requests. Reviews up to 200 PRs/month. Catches bugs, suggests improvements, respects custom rules. $40/user/month add-on. No Windsurf equivalent.
☁️ True Cloud Agents
Background agents that run in Cursor's cloud — close your laptop, the agent keeps working. Check back for results. Windsurf's Cascade is session-bound.
🔌 Skills & Hooks
Custom extensions that modify agent behavior — pre/post-edit hooks, domain-specific skills, custom context providers. More programmable than Windsurf's MCP integration.
🎯 Explicit Model Choice
Switch between Claude, GPT, Gemini per-prompt. Want Opus for a hard problem and Haiku for quick completions? You control the routing. Windsurf uses SWE-1.5 by default.
Windsurf Exclusives
⚡ SWE-1.5 Model
Proprietary coding model at 950 tok/sec — 13x faster than Sonnet 4.5. Near-frontier quality for code tasks at dramatically lower latency. No equivalent in Cursor.
🗺️ AI Codemaps
Visual AI-annotated maps of code structure with grouped sections, line-level linking, trace guides, and diagrams. Powered by SWE-1.5 + Sonnet 4.5. Nothing like this in Cursor.
🔍 Fast Context (SWE-grep)
Specialized context retrieval using 8 parallel tool calls per turn. 10x faster than sending code to frontier models. Makes large codebase understanding near-instant.
🚀 Built-in Previews & Deploys
Deploy directly from the IDE. Preview builds, share deployments. Cursor requires external CI/CD. Windsurf bakes the deploy workflow in.
🔧 40+ IDE Plugins
JetBrains, Vim, NeoVim, Xcode, Eclipse — use Windsurf in your existing editor. Cursor is VS Code-only. Non-negotiable for many teams.
Power Combo: Using Both Together
Some developers use both tools for different scenarios. It sounds excessive, but each tool's strengths complement the other's weaknesses:
Cursor for complex architecture work
Use Claude Opus via Cursor for major refactors, system design, and hard debugging sessions where reasoning depth matters more than speed.
Windsurf for daily flow coding
SWE-1.5's speed keeps you in flow state during feature development, bug fixes, and routine coding. The 13x speed advantage compounds over a full workday.
Cursor cloud agents for overnight tasks
Spawn background agents before bed: migrate a test suite, update dependencies, generate documentation. Review results in the morning.
Windsurf in JetBrains for Java/Kotlin
If your backend is JVM-based, Windsurf's IntelliJ plugin means you don't need to leave your preferred IDE.
Combined cost: $40/mo (both Pro plans). That's less than Cursor Pro+ alone ($60/mo) and gives you both proprietary speed and frontier model depth.
6 Real-World Scenarios: Which Should You Choose?
👨💻 Scenario 1: Solo Full-Stack Developer
You build web apps in React + Node/Python. You live in VS Code. You want the best AI assistance without overthinking it.
→ Choose Cursor Pro ($20/mo). The model marketplace gives you flexibility, cloud agents handle background tasks, and the VS Code base means zero learning curve.
🏢 Scenario 2: Enterprise Java Team (15 developers)
Your team uses IntelliJ IDEA. You need SOC 2, SSO, and centralized management. Some developers work on classified projects requiring compliance.
→ Choose Windsurf Teams/Enterprise. JetBrains support is non-negotiable, and FedRAMP/HIPAA compliance eliminates Cursor from consideration. $40/user/mo × 15 = $600/mo.
⚡ Scenario 3: Speed-Obsessed Indie Hacker
You ship fast. You hate waiting for AI responses. You're building your third startup this year and every second counts.
→ Choose Windsurf Pro ($20/mo). SWE-1.5's 950 tok/sec means the AI keeps up with your thinking. The speed compounds — faster iteration = faster shipping = faster validation.
🧠 Scenario 4: ML/AI Researcher
You work with complex algorithms, need deep reasoning for debugging research code, and want to throw hard problems at the strongest available model.
→ Choose Cursor Pro+ ($60/mo). Access to Claude Opus and GPT-5 for complex reasoning, 3x usage limits for heavy AI use, and the ability to choose the best model per-task.
🌙 Scenario 5: Team Lead Who Delegates to AI
You manage a codebase and want to offload routine tasks (dependency updates, test migration, documentation generation) to AI agents overnight.
→ Choose Cursor Pro ($20/mo). Cloud background agents are the killer feature — spawn tasks before bed, review results in the morning. Windsurf's Cascade is session-bound.
🏥 Scenario 6: Healthcare/Gov Contractor
You build software for hospitals (HIPAA) or government agencies (FedRAMP). Compliance isn't optional — it's a contractual requirement.
→ Choose Windsurf Enterprise. Full stop. Cursor cannot meet HIPAA or FedRAMP requirements. Windsurf's hybrid deployment option and zero data retention add extra protection.
Hidden Costs & Gotchas
Cursor Gotchas
- Credit pool drain: Pro's $20 is a budget, not unlimited access. Heavy Opus usage drains it fast. You may need Pro+ ($60) sooner than expected.
- No mid-tier: The jump from $20 (Pro) to $60 (Pro+) to $200 (Ultra) has no $40 option. You're either hitting limits or overpaying for headroom.
- Editor lock-in: Switching to Cursor means leaving your current editor. Extensions mostly transfer, but custom configs, keybindings, and muscle memory don't.
- Bugbot is extra: $40/user/mo on top of your plan. A team of 5 on Teams + Bugbot = $400/mo ($80/user). That's expensive for code review.
- Cloud agent costs: Background agents consume your credit pool even while you sleep. A complex overnight task could drain your monthly budget.
Windsurf Gotchas
- Overage pricing opacity: "Extra usage at API price" sounds transparent, but the actual cost depends on which model Cascade chooses. It's hard to predict monthly spend.
- SWE-1.5 quality ceiling: Proprietary models are fast but may not match frontier models on the hardest reasoning tasks. You can't explicitly switch to Opus for a tough problem the way you can in Cursor.
- No PR review tool: Windsurf doesn't have a Bugbot equivalent. If you want AI code reviews, you need a separate tool (CodeRabbit, etc.) at additional cost.
- Session-bound agents: Cascade doesn't run in the background when you close the IDE. No fire-and-forget for big tasks.
- Plugin parity: Windsurf's JetBrains/Vim plugins may not have 100% feature parity with the standalone editor. Some features are editor-first.
The Competitive Landscape (2026)
Cursor and Windsurf aren't the only options. Here's how they fit into the broader AI coding landscape:
| Tool | Price | Best For | Key Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cursor | $20-200/mo | Frontier model access + extensibility | Model choice, cloud agents, Bugbot |
| Windsurf | $20-200/mo | Speed + enterprise compliance | SWE-1.5, 40+ IDEs, FedRAMP/HIPAA |
| GitHub Copilot | $10-39/user/mo | GitHub-native teams | Deepest GitHub/Azure integration |
| Claude Code | API pricing | Terminal-based agentic coding | CLI-first, no IDE required |
| Google Antigravity | Invite-only | Full agentic development | Google-scale infrastructure |
| Amazon Kiro | Free/$19-39/mo | AWS-native spec-driven development | Spec → code → test workflow |
4 Market Trends Shaping the Decision
- Proprietary models are winning on speed. Windsurf's SWE-1.5 and Cognition's Devin heritage show that purpose-built coding models outperform general LLMs on speed/cost for routine tasks. Expect more tools to build custom models.
- Cloud agents are becoming standard. Cursor pioneered background agents; others are following. By late 2026, expect Windsurf and Copilot to offer similar fire-and-forget capabilities.
- Enterprise compliance is table stakes. Government, healthcare, and finance are the biggest enterprise buyers. FedRAMP and HIPAA certification are becoming competitive moats, not nice-to-haves. Windsurf is positioned; Cursor needs to catch up.
- IDE agnosticism wins long-term. Forcing developers to switch editors is friction. GitHub Copilot works everywhere, Windsurf works in 40+ IDEs, and Cursor is still locked to its fork. Editor flexibility may become the defining competitive advantage.
Final Verdict: Cursor vs Windsurf in 2026
Choose Cursor If:
- ✅ You want to choose your frontier model per-task
- ✅ You need cloud background agents for async work
- ✅ You want Bugbot for automated PR reviews
- ✅ You're already in VS Code and happy there
- ✅ You do complex architecture/reasoning work
- ✅ You want the richest MCP/skills/hooks ecosystem
Choose Windsurf If:
- ✅ Speed is your top priority (13x faster inference)
- ✅ You use JetBrains, Vim, or any non-VS Code editor
- ✅ You need FedRAMP, HIPAA, or ITAR compliance
- ✅ You work on large enterprise codebases
- ✅ You want visual code navigation (Codemaps)
- ✅ You want built-in deployment from your IDE
🤝 The Honest Answer
In 2026, there's no wrong choice between Cursor and Windsurf — they're both excellent. The decision comes down to three dealbreakers: (1) Do you need a non-VS Code editor? Windsurf. (2) Do you need FedRAMP/HIPAA? Windsurf. (3) Do you need cloud background agents and frontier model choice? Cursor. If none of these apply, try both free tiers on a real project and see which flow matches how you think. The best AI IDE is the one that disappears — where the AI matches your speed of thought and the tool never gets in the way.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cursor better than Windsurf?
It depends on your workflow. Cursor is better for developers who want frontier model flexibility (Claude, GPT, Gemini), cloud-based background agents, and a mature ecosystem of MCP integrations. Windsurf is better for teams that need proprietary speed-optimized models (SWE-1.5 at 950 tok/sec), enterprise compliance (FedRAMP, HIPAA, ITAR), and visual code navigation (Codemaps). Cursor wins on model choice and ecosystem; Windsurf wins on speed and enterprise readiness.
Is Windsurf cheaper than Cursor?
Both now charge $20/month for their Pro tiers. Windsurf previously had a $15/month advantage, but pricing has converged in 2026. At the team level, both charge $40/user/month. Windsurf's Max plan ($200/month) offers heavier usage with SWE-1.5 unlimited, while Cursor's Ultra ($200/month) provides 20x usage on all frontier models. The real cost difference depends on how much AI you use and which models you prefer.
Which AI IDE has better code generation?
Both produce high-quality code. Cursor routes to the best frontier model for each task (Claude Sonnet 4.5, GPT-5, Gemini) and lets you explicitly choose models. Windsurf's proprietary SWE-1.5 model achieves near-frontier quality at 13x faster inference than Sonnet 4.5. For raw quality, they're comparable. For speed, Windsurf's SWE-1.5 is significantly faster. For model flexibility, Cursor wins.
Which is better for large codebases?
Windsurf has the edge for large codebases. Its Fast Context feature uses SWE-grep models for 10x faster context retrieval than frontier models, and Codemaps generates visual code structure maps. Windsurf is specifically optimized for enterprise-scale projects with millions of lines. Cursor handles large codebases well but relies on frontier models for context understanding rather than purpose-built retrieval.
Can I use Cursor with JetBrains or Vim?
No. Cursor is a standalone VS Code fork — you must use the Cursor editor. Windsurf offers plugins for 40+ IDEs including JetBrains (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm), Vim, NeoVim, and Xcode. If you're committed to a non-VS Code editor, Windsurf is your only option between the two.
Which has better enterprise security?
Windsurf has significantly more enterprise certifications: SOC 2 Type II, FedRAMP High, HIPAA, ITAR, SCIM, and RBAC. Cursor offers SOC 2 certification and SAML/OIDC SSO. For healthcare (HIPAA), government (FedRAMP), or defense (ITAR) organizations, Windsurf is the only compliant option.
What is Windsurf's SWE-1.5 model?
SWE-1.5 is Windsurf's proprietary coding model developed by Cognition (the team behind Devin). It achieves near-frontier coding quality at 950 tokens/second — 13x faster than Claude Sonnet 4.5 and 6x faster than Haiku 4.5. It's designed specifically for software engineering tasks like code generation, refactoring, and debugging. Cursor doesn't have a proprietary model; it relies on third-party frontier models.
Should I switch from Cursor to Windsurf or vice versa?
Switch to Windsurf if you need: enterprise compliance (FedRAMP/HIPAA), JetBrains or Vim support, faster inference (SWE-1.5), or visual code navigation (Codemaps). Switch to Cursor if you want: frontier model choice (pick your preferred LLM), cloud background agents, MCP/skills/hooks ecosystem, or Bugbot PR reviews. Both offer free tiers — try them side by side on a real project before committing.
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Try Both — Free Tiers Available
Both Cursor and Windsurf offer free plans. The best way to decide is to try both on a real project you're working on — not a toy demo. Use each for a full day and see which flow matches your brain.