Windsurf vs. Cursor: How they really carried out in my analysis
On this comparability, I went deep into demos and current documentation on Windsurf and Cursor. Right here’s an summary of my comparability:
Autocomplete and code technology capabilities
Each instruments provide superior code autocomplete. Windsurf gives multiline solutions and even automated unit check stubs, using fashions educated on open-source code. Its Cascade agent fills in massive blocks of code with a single instruction.
I discovered the AI code completion function to be extremely intuitive and useful in dashing up the coding course of. The solutions it made have been correct and context-aware, suggesting extra environment friendly methods to jot down the code. The chat function provided one other standout facet, offering fast help and clarification when wanted. It is like having a coding associate prepared to assist always.
Supply: Windsurf
Cursor equally gives AI-driven tab completions and generates code from feedback or prompts. Cursor gives robust customization by way of context guidelines, symlinks, and scaffolding. This allows predictable, constant outcomes throughout massive codebases. Nevertheless, it’d produce surface-level output at instances.
Supply: Cursor
Winner: Tie
Context consciousness, UI, and IDE integration
Windsurf’s Cascade agent is explicitly constructed to achieve a deep consciousness of your challenge. It remembers earlier information you’ve labored on and makes use of that context when making solutions. Cursor, likewise, indexes your codebase and solutions questions on it. It sees how totally different information and components of your challenge work collectively.
Windsurf gives each plugins and a customized editor. Its plugin works inside VS Code, JetBrains, and different IDEs, giving AI completions the place you already work. Alternatively, Windsurf now options its AI-native IDE, which incorporates all essential options. Cursor can be a standalone software, nevertheless it permits importing extensions and keybindings. It is going to assist you to import all of your extensions, themes, and keybindings from VS Code with a click on.
Whereas Cursor does not provide a plugin in the identical method Windsurf does, it gives related performance by its core options and integration with different instruments.
For customers acquainted with Visible Studio Code, they’ll discover it straightforward to work on Cursor because it retains the same interface. On the identical time, Windsurf makes it simpler to finish tedious work with its ease of integration into current IDEs.
Ideally, this comparability can be a tie. However I personally favored Windsurf’s UI/UX over Cursor’s. What’s extra, some person opinions famous inconsistencies with Cursor’s AI, saying that whereas it’s good at instances, it may possibly often go off monitor for no cause.
Winner: Windsurf 🏆
Efficiency
Builders care about pace and light-weight operation. Many Windsurf customers reward its efficiency. One reviewer famous:
“Windsurf could be very quick, and the code solutions are very related to the challenge.”
– Windsurf Assessment, Sujeet A, Senior Software program Engineer
In an interview, Varun Mohan, CEO and Co-Founding father of Windsurf, conveyed that Windsurf’s engineers goal sub‑100 ms time‑to‑first‑token and a whole lot of tokens a second for the technology time. Latency issues a ton because it largely determines the willingness to make use of the product.
Alternatively, Cursor is equally quick, in accordance with a person’s weblog put up on Medium.
It’s difficult to match these options objectively, as their efficiency largely is determined by the particular use case. That stated, I didn’t see any performance-related complaints for Cursor on G2 as of July 2025.
Winner: Tie
Pricing
Each Windsurf and Cursor have free plans.
Windsurf gives a two-week free trial of the Professional plan. With the free plan, you obtain 25 immediate credit monthly throughout main fashions, together with OpenAI, Claude, Gemini xAI, and extra. The plan gives non-compulsory zero knowledge retention, Previews, and one app deployment per day.
Windsurf’s Professional plan at $15/person/month gives 500 immediate credit monthly and 5 app deploys/day. Workforce and Enterprise plans value $30/person/month and $60/person/month.
Cursor additionally gives a two-week free trial. The Professional plan prices $20/month. It’s appropriate for customers primarily utilizing the Tab with occasional agent utilization. There are two further particular person plans: Professional+ ($60/month) and Extremely ($200/ month). For those who code every single day with brokers, the Professional+ plan is appropriate. For those who’re an influence person utilizing brokers for almost all of coding, the Extremely plan will swimsuit you the most effective.
These plans include particular person limits.
Windsurf’s Professional plan prices $15 monthly, which is lower than Cursor. Nevertheless, it has limits of as much as 500 credit monthly. Cursor Professional prices $20 monthly, however should you favor utilizing GPT 4.1, it gives as much as 650 requests monthly.
Winner: Tie
Right here’s an summary of how Windsurf and Cursor evaluate by way of AI coding assistant software program options:
| Function | Winner | Why it gained |
| Autocomplete and code technology capabilities | Tie | Each instruments are able to writing out complete features and even scaffolding a easy software from a immediate. |
| Context consciousness, UI, and IDE integration | Windsurf 🏆 | Windsurf stands out on account of its user-friendly interface and expertise. |
| Efficiency | Tie | Each platforms evaluate effectively by way of pace and light-weight operation. |
| Pricing | Tie | Windsurf Professional plan gives 500 credit at $15 monthly. Cursor prices $20 monthly however gives totally different utilization limits for various AI fashions. |
Windsurf vs. Cursor: Which must you use?
In selecting between Windsurf and Cursor, it typically comes right down to your workflow:
Select Windsurf if:
You favor a free or low-cost resolution that integrates together with your IDE. Windsurf’s plugin works in all places, and also you get a beneficiant free tier that covers primary use. Groups that prioritize privateness or on-premises deployment can lean towards Windsurf, because it gives enterprise self-hosting.
Listed here are a number of further insights on Windsurf primarily based on G2 Knowledge:
- Windsurf has an honest ease of use (86%) and ease of setup (95%) rankings.
- The platform dominates pc software program, IT and companies, training administration, accounting, and consulting industries.
- Windsurf excels in interface (81%), code high quality (77%), and enter processing (75%). The platform may wrestle with group (70%), documentation (73%), and accuracy (74%).
Select Cursor if:
If you’d like a completely AI-integrated coding surroundings and are keen to pay for it. It seems like a superb new editor constructed from the bottom up round AI. Its options, reminiscent of multi-line refactoring and deep code search, are exhausting to seek out elsewhere.
Cursor had restricted opinions on G2 as of July 2025. Take a look at G2 studies for the newest insights on Cursor.
Code with confidence
Windsurf and Cursor are each highly effective AI coding assistants with distinctive strengths. Windsurf is great for fast, low-friction coding assist throughout languages. Cursor, alternatively, gives a richer AI-driven enhancing expertise; it’s like having a extremely superior pair programmer in its app.
Which one is best?
It is determined by your use case and what issues to your workflow. On the finish of the day, select the software that streamlines your workflow and let the AI do the remainder.
Exploring methods to expedite coding? Take a look at the 9 greatest AI code mills available on the market.
