Finding the possibilities
Side-by-side comparison
Cursor vs Windsurf
Plans, free tiers and API access for Cursor and Windsurf, from each vendor's own pages. Last checked Oct 4, 2026.
The short answer
- Both Cursor and Windsurf have an ongoing free plan.
Pricing and features
CursorWindsurf
Starting price
$20/mo
$20/mo
Paid plans
- Pro$20/mo
- Teams Standard$40/mo
- Pro$20/mo
Free plan
Free planHobby tier is free with limited Agent requests and Composer access; no credit card required
Free planFree plan includes unlimited inline edits and tab completions with light agent quotas
API access
API availableAI code tracking API on Enterprise; MCP and CLI documented for integrations
API availablePricing mentions Devin API access on paid tiers for programmatic agent use
Best for
Individual developers and software teams wanting an agent-native editor with frontier models and shared team rules.
Individual developers and teams who want an agent-first IDE with cloud agent delegation and multi-model coding support.
Watch out for
Included model usage is capped per plan with on-demand overage billing; Teams pricing is per user with privacy and SSO controls.
Free tier limits model availability and agent quotas compared with Pro and Max plans.
Category
Code
Code
Last checked
Oct 4, 2026
Oct 4, 2026
How to choose
Cursor and Windsurf are both agent-oriented code editors, and both list Pro at $20 per month. The difference lies in the free tier, teams and API data. Windsurf's free plan includes unlimited inline edits and tab completions with light agent quotas. Cursor's free Hobby tier has limited Agent requests and Composer access, with no credit card needed. Cursor also lists Teams Standard at $40 per user per month with privacy and SSO controls, and an AI code tracking API on Enterprise plus documented MCP and CLI. Windsurf mentions Devin API access on paid tiers for programmatic agent use. Windsurf says its free tier limits model availability and agent quotas versus Pro and Max. Cursor caps included model usage per plan, with on-demand overage billing.
- Windsurf: You want a free plan with unlimited inline edits and tab completions, and cloud agent delegation on paid plans.
- Cursor: You are on a team and want per-user Teams pricing at $40 with privacy and SSO controls.
- Either: You are an individual developer who is happy at $20 per month and wants to try each free tier first.
Common questions
Which is cheaper, Cursor or Windsurf?
Cursor has the lower starting price ($20/mo versus $20/mo). Compare plans before choosing, since limits differ.
Is Cursor free?
Free plan. Hobby tier is free with limited Agent requests and Composer access; no credit card required
Is Windsurf free?
Free plan. Free plan includes unlimited inline edits and tab completions with light agent quotas