Cursor vs Windsurf

## TL;DR Cursor wins on raw speed, agent quality, and ecosystem maturity. Windsurf (formerly Codeium) wins on price, free tier generosity, and its Cascade flow for multi-file refactors. ## Features Cursor is a VS Code fork with Composer (multi-file edits), Tab autocomplete, and best-in-class @-symbol context. Windsurf ships Cascade (an agentic flow that maintains context across edits), Supercomplete, and a generous free tier. ## Pricing Cursor Pro: $20/mo with 500 fast premium requests. Windsurf Pro: $15/mo with similar limits and a more usable free plan. ## Pros & cons **Cursor** — fastest inline edits, best Claude integration, huge community. Costlier at scale. **Windsurf** — better free tier, smoother multi-step agent runs, integrated terminal context. Smaller plugin ecosystem. ## Best use cases Use Cursor for: solo dev productivity, daily coding driver, working in large monorepos. Use Windsurf for: budget-conscious teams, agentic refactors, students. ## Verdict Cursor remains the productivity king for professional developers. Windsurf is the smarter pick if budget matters or if you prefer an agent that drives the flow for you. ## FAQ **Is Cursor worth $20/month?** Yes, if you code daily — most users recover the cost within a week. **Does Windsurf work offline?** Local autocomplete works; agentic features need cloud.