Cursor vs Windsurf: Features, Pricing, and Developer Workflows

Cursor and Windsurf, now named Devin Desktop, both combine an editor with coding agents. Choose between them by how you want to manage tasks, share repository instructions, review changes, and pay for model usage. A long documentation list alone does not establish that one produces better code.

Quick verdict: Cursor is worth shortlisting for teams that want repository rules and centrally managed team workflows. Devin Desktop is worth shortlisting for developers who want an agent command center alongside a full IDE, or already use Windsurf. Both have free entry plans and paid individual plans starting at US$20 per month. Neither removes the need to review code and run project tests.

Cursor vs Windsurf: the main differences

Decision point	Cursor	Windsurf / Devin Desktop
Product identity	Cursor coding editor and agents	Devin Desktop is the new Windsurf name
Agent workflow	Agent can edit files and execute terminal commands	Cascade offers Code and Chat modes; Devin Local is also available
Task organization	Projects can coordinate larger work	Agent Command Center organizes agent sessions
Code exploration	Agent searches and reads repository files	Cascade works with codebase context and selected editor or terminal text
Repository guidance	Project rules in .cursor/rules and AGENTS.md	Workspace rules in .devin/rules, legacy .windsurf/rules, and AGENTS.md
Personal guidance	User rules	Global rules and local memories
Shared guidance	Team rules managed through the dashboard	Repository rules can be shared; enterprise system rules support IT deployment
Tool extension	MCP, skills, and hooks	MCP and Agent Client Protocol support
Recovery	Agent checkpoints are separate from Git	Named checkpoints and reverts
Free entry	Hobby with limited Agent requests	Free with a light agent quota and unlimited Tab completions
Individual entry price	Pro: US$20/month	Pro: US$20/month
Team entry model	Standard: US$40/user/month	US$80/month base plus US$40/month per full developer seat

The product details above come from Cursor’s Agent documentation and the Devin Desktop Cascade documentation. These are capability comparisons, not measured speed or code-quality rankings.

What happened to Windsurf?

The official Devin Desktop page identifies Desktop as Windsurf’s new name. It says existing settings, extensions, workflows, and plans carry over through the standard update. Its FAQ also says legacy Windsurf Enterprise pricing is retained.

That continuity statement concerns existing subscriptions. A new buyer should budget against today’s Devin plans rather than assuming an older Windsurf price applies. The desktop product now emphasizes managing multiple agents, while retaining a full IDE. Windsurf for JetBrains remains available according to the same page.

Pricing: individual plans and team costs

Pricing last checked on October 11, 2026. The following US-dollar figures are monthly rates. A subscription’s included model usage is different from unlimited access to every model.

Product	Plan	Monthly price	Relevant condition
Cursor	Hobby	Free	Limited Agent requests
Cursor	Pro	US$20	Individual plan
Cursor	Pro Plus	US$60	Higher individual tier
Cursor	Ultra	US$200	Higher individual tier
Cursor	Teams Standard	US$40/user	Central billing and team controls
Cursor	Teams Premium	US$120/user	Five times Standard Agent limits
Cursor	Enterprise	Custom	Sales agreement
Devin	Free	US$0	Light agent quota; limited model availability
Devin	Pro	US$20	Higher quota and cloud-agent access
Devin	Max	US$200	Higher quotas than Pro
Devin	Teams	US$80 base + US$40/full seat	Up to 200 users
Devin	Enterprise	Contact sales	Dedicated deployment and enterprise controls

Sources: Cursor pricing, Cursor plan and usage documentation, and Devin pricing.

Cursor’s usage pools reset monthly, and additional on-demand usage is billed separately. Its listed prices exclude applicable tax. Devin describes daily and weekly allowance resets, with extra paid usage consumed at API pricing. Both models make your choice of model and task size relevant to the final bill.

Example budget: five Cursor Standard seats cost US$200 per month before tax and additional usage. Five full Devin seats plus the team base cost US$280 per month before any extra usage. This arithmetic compares the listed subscription components; it does not mean the plans include identical quotas or controls.

Project instructions: what a team can reuse

Cursor rules can encode repository conventions, use file patterns, and be committed with the project. Cursor also supports user and team rules. That provides several places for instructions, so establish which level owns coding standards before copying the same guidance into every location.

Devin’s memories and rules documentation distinguishes local automatic memories from shared repository rules. Memories do not automatically travel to another developer’s machine. For team knowledge, use version-controlled rules or AGENTS.md. The preferred rules directory is .devin/rules, with .windsurf/rules retained for compatibility.

For either editor, useful instructions describe actual constraints: where generated files live, which command runs the tests, how database migrations are reviewed, and which modules should be left alone. A vague instruction to write excellent code gives a reviewer little to verify. Keep examples short and revise them when the project changes.

A practical comparison on your own repository

Use the same repository snapshot and a small, realistic task in both products. For example, ask each agent to add validation to one form, update its tests, and explain the affected files. This is a proposed evaluation exercise, not a report of testing performed for this article.

1. Define acceptance criteria. List the permitted behavior, edge cases, and files that should remain untouched.
2. Supply the same context. Use equivalent project instructions, model choices where possible, and starting code.
3. Review the diff. Look for unrelated changes, missing validation, duplicated logic, and unnecessary dependencies.
4. Run the project checks. Record actual results from tests, linting, and the relevant screen or API.
5. Track the whole task. Include corrections and review time, not only time to the first response.
6. Record usage. Note the plan, model, allowance consumption, and any additional billable usage.

Repeat with a debugging task and a small refactor before committing a team. A tool that handles a new component well may need more guidance in unfamiliar legacy code. Keep the evaluation narrow enough that someone can read every changed line.

Strengths, limitations, and who should choose each

Shortlist Cursor when shared project instructions and centrally managed team features matter. Its Standard seat model is straightforward to budget before extra usage. Its checkpoints can help recover an agent edit, but the documentation explicitly separates them from Git; keep commits as your durable project history.

Shortlist Devin Desktop when session organization and working with several agents are central to your process. Existing Windsurf users can assess the updated interface with their current setup. Its team base fee matters for small groups, and local memories should not be mistaken for shared team instructions.

Avoid choosing either solely from a demo. Agent editing and terminal execution can affect more files than the original request implies. Review permissions and proposed commands, work on recoverable branches, and retain an accountable reviewer. Neither vendor’s feature page proves your application is correct, secure, or ready to deploy.

If your decision also involves a hosted app-building environment or an assistant in an existing IDE, our Replit vs GitHub Copilot comparison covers that different choice. For prompt-driven application builders, see Lovable vs Bolt.

Questions developers ask

Is Cursor better than Windsurf for beginners?

Neither is established as universally easier by this documentation comparison. Start with a small project you can understand and review. Choose the editor in which you can inspect changes, understand errors, and undo mistakes with the least friction. Avoid delegating a large unfamiliar codebase as your first task.

Can I use a free plan to compare them?

Yes. Cursor has Hobby and Devin has Free. Both limit agent access, so a free trial of the workflow may not represent sustained paid-plan use. Record when a quota limits your evaluation instead of interpreting that interruption as a coding failure.

Do existing Windsurf users need a new subscription?

The Devin Desktop FAQ says current plans and pricing carry over, including legacy enterprise plans. That is different from today’s offer for a new account. Review your own subscription details before changing plans.

Are local memories enough for team standards?

No. Devin’s automatic memories are local to the workspace and machine. Put shared standards in repository rules or AGENTS.md, review changes to those files, and make sure another developer can use them. Cursor also offers project and team rule mechanisms.

Final recommendation

Put both on a shortlist when you want an editor with coding agents. Start with Cursor for a team prioritizing reusable instructions and central administration; start with Devin Desktop for a team prioritizing agent-session management or continuing an existing Windsurf setup. Make the final decision from reviewed changes, actual project checks, and total usage cost. Keep the product that needs less correction in your own work.