Compare
Windsurf vs Cursor
A · DEV TOOLS
Windsurf
That project-level memory is a lifesaver; it remembers that weird fix I did three days ago so I don't have to.
75
AIght score
B · DEV TOOLS
Cursor
An IDE that codes alongside you — not autocomplete, a genuine pair programmer that knows your entire codebase cold.
77
AIght score
Five-axis score
AxisWindsurfCursorΔ A−B
Utility86.093.0▼ 7.0
Privacy65.065.0· 0.0
Speed84.088.0▼ 4.0
Cost70.068.0▲ 2.0
Transparency68.070.0▼ 2.0
Pricing
Windsurf
- Free tier
- Windsurf free tier includes access to Cascade with limited credits per month. Enough for light daily use.
- Cliff
- Credits deplete quickly on complex multi-file refactors. Cascade's deep context is exactly what burns credits fastest.
- Paid monthly
- Windsurf Pro at $15/month for higher credit limits and priority access to the latest Cascade models.
Cursor
- Free tier
- Cursor Hobby gives 2,000 completions and 50 slow premium model requests per month. Enough to evaluate it seriously.
- Cliff
- 50 fast premium requests disappears in 2–3 days of real coding. After that you're on slower model access for the rest of the month.
- Paid monthly
- Cursor Pro at $20/month for 500 fast premium requests and unlimited slow completions. The jump is noticeable immediately.
AIght’s take
Windsurf
Genuinely competitive with Cursor — the cascade mode is excellent and the pricing is friendlier. Worth a week-long trial before you commit to either one.
Cursor
If you write code professionally, this is the call. The agent mode is the first one I trust to refactor across files without breaking my head. Pricier than feels fair but I've cancelled and come back twice.
Try a different pair