For most of 2025, the Cursor vs Windsurf decision had a simple financial shortcut: Windsurf cost $15/month and Cursor cost $20. That shortcut is gone. In March 2026, Windsurf raised its Pro price to $20/month. Then, on June 2, 2026, Cognition — the company that acquired Windsurf in late 2025 — shipped an over-the-air update that rebranded the entire product as Devin Desktop (official announcement).
The editor formerly called Windsurf now opens as Devin Desktop. The underlying VS Code fork is unchanged, but the agent engine, branding, and product direction are different. A current Cursor vs Windsurf comparison is therefore a comparison with Devin Desktop, while the Windsurf name remains on the JetBrains plugin and in legacy search terms.
What just happened to Windsurf
The acquisition and rebrand timeline matters for understanding where the product is heading:
- April 2025 — Codeium rebrands its AI IDE as Windsurf, positions directly against Cursor at $15/month
- July 2025 — Cognition AI (maker of Devin, the autonomous coding agent) acquires Windsurf for ~$250M after a deal with OpenAI fell through
- March 19, 2026 — Windsurf restructures pricing: credits replaced by daily/weekly quotas, Pro raised from $15 to $20/month, new $200 Max tier added
- April 15, 2026 — Windsurf 2.0 ships: Agent Command Center + native Devin integration inside the editor
- June 2, 2026 — Over-the-air update renames the product Devin Desktop. Cascade agent deprecated; end-of-life July 1, 2026 (Devin FAQ)
The product you download from windsurf.com now redirects to devin.ai. Plans, pricing, settings, extensions, and keybindings carried over automatically for existing users.
Pricing: now identical at $20/month
| Tier | Cursor | Devin Desktop (Windsurf) |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Hobby — limited Agent requests and Tab completions | Free — light Agent quota, SWE 1.7, unlimited Tab |
| Entry paid | Pro — $20/month, extended Agent limits | Pro — $20/month, daily/weekly quotas + frontier models |
| Mid | Pro+ — $60/month, 3× Pro Agent limits | — (no mid tier) |
| Power | Ultra — $200/month, 20× Pro Agent limits | Max — $200/month, significantly higher quotas |
| Teams | $40/month per user | $80/month base + $40/month per full developer seat |
The billing models differ even at the same headline price. Cursor meters Agent use against limits included with each plan and offers on-demand usage after those limits are consumed. Devin Desktop uses daily and weekly quotas that refresh automatically, with extra usage available at API pricing. That makes the $20 sticker price comparable, but not the amount or timing of included agent work.
The fundamental difference: where the AI lives
Both tools are VS Code forks with AI built in — but they have different philosophies about what that means.
Cursor is built around the developer staying in control. The inline editor, Composer, and Agent all work with the developer reviewing and approving changes. Background Agents can run async in cloud sandboxes, but the default workflow is collaborative: the AI suggests, the developer approves.
Devin Desktop is built around the agent doing more. The Agent Command Center — a Kanban-style view — is now the default surface. The idea is that developers manage multiple agents running in parallel, checking in rather than reviewing every diff. Devin Local (replacing Cascade) and Devin Cloud sessions both run inside the same view.
Neither philosophy is objectively better. Which one fits depends entirely on how you want to work.
Editor support: a clear differentiator
This is where the decision often ends for many developers.
Cursor is a standalone VS Code-based application rather than a plugin for JetBrains or other editors.
Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) is also a full IDE, while the Windsurf JetBrains plugin remains available under its existing name. Cognition says that plugin is not affected by the Devin Desktop rebrand.
If staying inside JetBrains is a hard requirement, test the Windsurf JetBrains plugin before considering a switch to either standalone editor.
Models: access and cost
Both tools support multiple LLM backends including Claude Sonnet, GPT-5, and Gemini on paid tiers. The key difference is what happens when you use the AI:
Cursor includes model usage with each plan. Pro+ raises Agent limits to three times Pro and Ultra raises them to twenty times Pro; on-demand usage can continue after the included amount is consumed. Model choice and task size affect how quickly those limits are used.
Devin Desktop's SWE 1.7 is Cognition's current first-party coding model. Paid plans include free use of SWE 1.7 alongside access to frontier models, while the Free plan keeps limited model availability. Tab completions and inline edits are unlimited across the listed individual plans.
Effective cost depends on how quickly your workload consumes Cursor's plan limits or Devin Desktop's rolling quotas. Compare your real usage dashboard after a trial instead of treating the shared $20 entry price as equal capacity.
Unique features
Cursor only:
- Cursor Tab — inline multi-line completions integrated with the standalone editor
- Background Agents — async agents running in cloud sandboxes on isolated Git branches, allowing parallel work without blocking the editor
- Largest community and extension ecosystem among AI IDEs in 2026
Devin Desktop (Windsurf) only:
- Codemaps — AI-annotated visual code navigation for large codebases and monorepos. No equivalent feature in Cursor or Claude Code as of June 2026
- Agent Command Center — Kanban view for managing multiple local and cloud agents in parallel
- Native Devin Cloud integration — long-running autonomous tasks can hand off to Devin Cloud without leaving the editor
- Windsurf JetBrains plugin — retained separately during the Devin Desktop transition
- Enterprise compliance — FedRAMP, HIPAA, ITAR certifications for regulated industries
Head-to-head: which one wins by scenario
| Scenario | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| You must stay in JetBrains | Windsurf plugin | Cognition continues to support the JetBrains plugin under the Windsurf name |
| You prioritize inline autocomplete | Cursor | Cursor Tab is tightly integrated with its standalone editor |
| You work on large monorepos | Devin Desktop | Codemaps is a genuine differentiator |
| You want to review every diff | Cursor | Approval-gated agent workflow |
| You want agents to run autonomously | Devin Desktop | Agent Command Center + Devin Cloud |
| Team in regulated industry (FedRAMP/HIPAA) | Devin Desktop | Enterprise compliance certifications — verify current status on official site |
| VS Code user, no compliance requirements | Cursor | Faster Tab, larger community, familiar feel |
| Predictable monthly costs, no bill surprises | Devin Desktop | Daily/weekly quota model caps spend |
| Burst usage (one big sprint per month) | Cursor | Credit pool lets you spend it all at once |
| Student seeking a free coding editor | Cursor | Free tier for everyone; student event promotions may appear |
The Cascade transition: what changed for Windsurf users
Cognition replaced Cascade with Devin Local as its primary local agent and kept the legacy Cascade agent available through July 1, 2026 for migration. Existing automations should now target Devin Local.
Devin Local is the replacement — a Rust-rewritten local agent with up to 30% better token efficiency and subagent support. It runs the same pricing model as Cascade (prompt-based credits continue unchanged). The migration for most users is automatic; only explicit Cascade references in automation need updating.
Enterprise users on MDM/endpoint management systems need to add "Devin" as an approved application name before the next device policy sync — organizations that approved "Windsurf" will need to update their allowlists.
How to choose
At the same $20/month entry price, the Cursor vs Devin Desktop decision comes down to two questions. First: which IDE do you actually use? If you use JetBrains, the Windsurf plugin remains available. If you want a standalone VS Code fork, both products qualify. Second: how do you want to work with AI? If you prefer a focused editor and explicit review, start with Cursor. If you want local and cloud agents organized in one command center, start with Devin Desktop.
For developers who are comfortable switching editors and have no compliance requirements, Cursor's autocomplete and free tier make it the default recommendation. For teams on JetBrains, monorepo codebases, or regulated industries, Devin Desktop is the clear choice.
Frequently asked questions
Is Windsurf still called Windsurf?
No. On June 2, 2026, Cognition shipped an over-the-air update that rebranded Windsurf as Devin Desktop. The VS Code fork is unchanged, but the name, branding, and default agent engine have changed. Existing plans and pricing carried over automatically.
Does Cursor work with JetBrains or Neovim?
No. Cursor is a standalone VS Code-based application. Cognition continues to support the Windsurf JetBrains plugin separately under its existing name.
Which is better for large codebases?
Devin Desktop has an edge on very large codebases through Codemaps — AI-annotated visual code navigation that Cursor does not have. For most projects, both tools perform comparably.
What happened to Windsurf Cascade?
Devin Local replaced Cascade as the primary local agent. Cognition kept legacy Cascade available through July 1, 2026 to support migration.
Is Devin Desktop free?
Yes. Devin Desktop Free includes a light agent quota, limited model availability, unlimited inline edits, and unlimited Tab completions. SWE 1.7 is the current first-party model listed by Cognition.