Windsurf

What Is Windsurf?

Windsurf is an AI-native IDE built by Codeium, designed to combine the power of an agentic AI with the familiar feel of a code editor. Its headline feature, Cascade, is a deep contextual AI agent that can understand your entire codebase, plan multi-step changes, and execute them across multiple files — while keeping you in the loop.

Unlike simple code completion tools, Windsurf positions itself as an "AI flow" editor where the AI proactively assists with complex development tasks. It's built on a VS Code foundation, so it feels familiar while adding capabilities that go beyond what extensions can achieve.

Who Is Windsurf For?

Target audience:

• Developers looking for a free AI editor — Windsurf's free tier is one of the most generous
• Teams wanting cost-effective AI tooling — $15/mo Pro is cheaper than most competitors
• Developers who want agentic capabilities — Cascade goes beyond simple code completion
• VS Code users wanting a more integrated AI experience
• Frontend and full-stack developers building web applications
• Developers working across multiple languages — Windsurf supports a wide range

Windsurf appeals to developers who want Cursor-level AI integration at a lower price point, especially those who value the agentic Cascade workflow.

Key Use Cases

1. Multi-file refactoring — Cascade plans and executes changes across your codebase
2. Feature implementation — Describe a feature and let Cascade write the code across all necessary files
3. Bug diagnosis — Cascade reads error messages, traces through your code, and fixes issues
4. Code review assistance — Get AI-powered explanations and suggestions for code improvements
5. Test generation — Generate comprehensive test suites based on your existing code
6. Documentation — Auto-generate docs, READMEs, and inline comments
7. Learning — Understand unfamiliar code by having Cascade explain it in context

What's New in 2026

Windsurf has been rapidly adding features to compete with Cursor:

• Cascade Flows — Multi-step agentic workflows that can plan, code, test, and iterate
• Memories — Persistent context that Windsurf remembers across sessions (coding style, project conventions)
• Image understanding — Drop in screenshots or designs for UI generation
• Terminal integration — Cascade can run terminal commands as part of its workflow
• Preview pane — See changes in real-time as Cascade modifies your code
• OpenAI acquisition — Codeium was acquired by OpenAI in late 2025, bringing new model access and resources
• Multi-model support — Access to GPT-4o, Claude, and Codeium's own models

Pricing Breakdown

Plan	Price	What You Get
Free	$0	Unlimited basic completions, limited Cascade uses
Pro	$15/mo	Unlimited completions, 500 Cascade credits/mo
Teams	$30/mo	Everything in Pro + admin controls, usage analytics

Windsurf's Pro plan at $15/mo is $5 less than Cursor's equivalent tier, making it an attractive option for budget-conscious developers.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Generous free tier with unlimited basic completions
• Cascade agent is powerful for multi-file, multi-step tasks
• Lower pricing than Cursor ($15/mo vs $20/mo)
• Familiar VS Code-based interface
• Good at maintaining context across large codebases
• Memories feature learns your coding preferences over time
• Backed by OpenAI resources post-acquisition

Cons:

• Smaller community and ecosystem compared to Cursor
• Extension compatibility can lag behind VS Code
• Cascade can sometimes over-plan and make more changes than necessary
• Free tier Cascade limits can feel restrictive
• Fewer third-party integrations (MCP servers, rules, etc.) than Cursor
• Release cadence has been less predictable than Cursor's

How to Get Started

1. Download Windsurf from codeium.com/windsurf
2. Sign up for a free account
3. Open your project — Windsurf automatically indexes your codebase
4. Press Cmd+L (Mac) or Ctrl+L (Windows) to open Cascade
5. Describe what you want to build or change
6. Cascade will create a plan, show you the changes, and apply them with your approval
7. Use inline completions as you code for quick suggestions

Video Resources

Explore Windsurf through these resources:

• Windsurf Editor Full Review — Is It Better Than Cursor? — In-depth review
• Cascade AI — The Agentic Workflow Explained — Deep dive into Cascade
• Windsurf vs Cursor — Which AI Editor Should You Use? — Head-to-head comparison
• Building a Project with Windsurf from Scratch — Practical walkthrough

How Windsurf Compares

Windsurf's main competitor is Cursor. Both are VS Code-based AI editors with agentic capabilities, but Cursor has a larger community, more integrations, and a faster release cycle. Windsurf counters with a lower price point and a generous free tier. Compared to GitHub Copilot, Windsurf offers deeper agentic capabilities through Cascade.

See our detailed comparisons:

• Cursor vs Windsurf
• Windsurf vs Copilot

The Bottom Line

Windsurf is a strong contender in the AI code editor space, offering Cursor-like capabilities at a lower price point. The Cascade AI agent is genuinely impressive for multi-step development tasks, and the OpenAI acquisition positions Windsurf well for future improvements. If you're looking for an AI-native editor and want to save a few dollars per month — or if you simply prefer Windsurf's approach to agentic coding — it's well worth trying alongside Cursor.