Cursor vs Windsurf
Two VS Code forks chasing the same job. Cursor has the bigger user base and faster feature churn; Windsurf leans harder on running long tasks unattended.
Cursor
Free plan
Pick Cursor if…
You want the most-used option with the most community answers when something breaks.
Windsurf
Free plan
Pick Windsurf if…
You prefer handing over a whole task and reviewing the result rather than steering each edit.
Side by side
| Cursor | Windsurf | |
|---|---|---|
| Pricing | Free plan | Free plan |
| Category | Code & Dev | Code & Dev |
| Best known for | VS Code fork built around multi-file AI editing. | Agentic IDE that keeps context across your whole codebase. |
| Tags | ide, editor, multi-file | ide, agent, codebase |
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Comparisons are editorial and can't be bought. Pricing models change — check both vendors before deciding. Some links earn a commission; see the disclosure.