Operator Build

Comparison

Cursor vs Windsurf

Both are AI code editors. Here is how they compare on price, free plan, ease for non-coders, hosting and data handling, using the same sourced data as our tracker.

CursorWindsurf
ToolCursorWindsurf (Devin Desktop)
CategoryAI code editorAI code editor
Starting price$8 /mo$20 /mo
All plans
  • Free
  • Plus $8/mo (Grok models only in Cursor)
  • Premium $30/mo
  • Super $100/mo
  • Ultra $200/mo
  • Teams from $30/user/mo
  • Enterprise custom
  • Free
  • Pro $20/mo
  • Max $200/mo
  • Teams $80/mo + $40/mo per dev seat (up to 200 users)
  • Enterprise custom
Free planFree plan: limited agent and chat requestsLight agent quota, limited models; unlimited inline edits and Tab completions
Ease for non-coders2/52/5
HostingNone - you deploy yourself (e.g. Vercel, Cloudflare)None - you deploy yourself
Data and securityCode stays in your repo; Privacy Mode; on-demand usage billed in arrearsNow part of Cognition (sold as Devin Desktop); review enterprise data terms
Best forOperators with a technical partner or growing beyond app buildersDevelopers running multiple coding agents
Unverified
  • Annual pricing not shown on official page
  • Plans now sold via X Subscription Corp bundle (Grok); model access differs by tier
  • windsurf.com/pricing now redirects to devin.ai/pricing (rebrand to Devin)
Sourcecursor.comdevin.ai
Last checked2026-10-162026-10-16

Prices are USD per month unless noted. Data last checked 2026-10-16; vendors change terms often.

Differences

Where they differ

  • Price: Cursor starts lower, at $8 against $20 a month.
  • Ease: we rate both 2/5 for non-coders.
  • Hosting: neither includes hosting; you deploy both yourself.
  • Billing to watch: Cursor: on-demand usage billed in arrears; allowances are counted in requests.

Decision

Which to pick

When Cursor is the better pick

Best fit: Operators with a technical partner or growing beyond app builders.

  • Its lowest paid plan costs less: $8 against $20 a month (“Plus $8/mo (Grok models only in Cursor)”).

When Windsurf is the better pick

Best fit: Developers running multiple coding agents.

  • Fewer open questions at our last check (1 flagged against 2).

Our default

Neither is built for someone working without a technical partner. If that is you, start with a higher-rated app builder. If you do have technical help, Cursor is the cheaper place to start; confirm what its entry plan includes.

Related

Related pages

Full profiles: Cursor and Windsurf (Devin Desktop).

Other comparisons:

Or see all tools ranked for non-coders.