Chat-based AI software engineer that builds full-stack web apps and sites from prompts.
Devin vs Windsurf
Features, pricing, strengths and trade-offs — and which one fits your situation.
The verdict
Summary
Devin is best for engineering teams delegating well-scoped tasks to autonomous cloud agents that open pull requests, while Windsurf is best for developers wanting an AI code editor with fast tab completion and local plus cloud agents. Both Devin and Windsurf offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which should you choose?
Choose Devin if…
- You need engineering teams delegating well-scoped tasks to autonomous cloud agents that open pull requests
- You're one of: engineering teams with large backlogs, teams running framework or language migrations, organisations automating ci failure triage
- Can run many tasks in parallel without a developer watching
Choose Windsurf if…
- You need developers wanting an AI code editor with fast tab completion and local plus cloud agents
- You're one of: professional developers, former windsurf and codeium users, teams already using devin cloud agents
- Fast, context-aware tab completion
At a glance
| Devin | Windsurf | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Engineering teams delegating well-scoped tasks to autonomous cloud agents that open pull requests | Developers wanting an AI code editor with fast tab completion and local plus cloud agents |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Starting price | From $20/mo | From $20/mo |
| Learning curve | Medium | Medium |
| Platforms | Web, macOS, Windows, Linux, API | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Ideal for | Engineering teams with large backlogs, Teams running framework or language migrations, Organisations automating CI failure triage | Professional developers, Former Windsurf and Codeium users, Teams already using Devin cloud agents |
Feature comparison
| Devin | Windsurf | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Agent (cloud) + IDE | IDE (now Devin Desktop) |
| Inline code completion | Via Devin Desktop | Yes |
| Multi-file agent | Yes | Yes |
| Builds full apps from prompts | Yes | Yes |
| Hosting / deploy included | No | No |
| Backend / database | No | No |
| GitHub integration | Yes | Yes |
| Choice of AI models | Limited | Yes |
| Export / own the code | Yes | Yes |
IncludedLimited / higher plansNot available— Not confirmed
Security & enterprise
| Devin | Windsurf | |
|---|---|---|
| Business / enterprise plan | Yes | Yes |
| SSO (SAML / OIDC) | Enterprise (custom IdP) | Enterprise plan |
| SCIM user provisioning | — | Enterprise plan |
| SOC 2 | Type II | Type II |
| ISO 27001 | — | — |
| HIPAA (BAA available) | — | — |
| GDPR DPA | — | — |
| Data residency options | — | — |
| No training on your data | Yes | Opt-out enables ZDR |
| Audit logs | Enterprise | — |
| Admin controls | Enterprise | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud, VPC | Cloud, hybrid, FedRAMP High |
From each vendor's security documentation. "—" = not confirmed. What to ask vendors · Compare all tools
What each tool does
Devin
Devin, from Cognition, is an autonomous AI software engineer that works in its own cloud environment with a shell, editor and browser, then delivers changes as pull requests. Tasks can be assigned from Slack, Microsoft Teams, Linear, Jira or the web app, and the product family also includes Devin Desktop (the former Windsurf editor), a CLI, Devin Review for pull request review and DeepWiki for codebase documentation. It is used mainly by engineering teams for migrations, upgrades, bug fixes and CI triage.
Key features- Autonomous cloud agents that run tasks in parallel and open PRs
- Task assignment from Slack, Teams, Linear and Jira
- Devin Review for automated bug and vulnerability review
- DeepWiki auto-generated codebase documentation
- Devin Desktop editor and CLI for local work
- Mix of in-house SWE models and third-party frontier models
Windsurf
Windsurf, the AI code editor formerly from Codeium, was acquired by Cognition and renamed Devin Desktop in June 2026; windsurf.com now redirects to it and existing plans and settings carried over. The editor keeps its Supercomplete tab completion, while the Cascade agent was replaced by Devin Local in July 2026, alongside handoff to Devin cloud agents and a free SWE-2 model. A Windsurf-branded plugin for JetBrains IDEs remains available.
Key features- Supercomplete tab completion
- Devin Local agent for multi-file edits (replaced Cascade)
- Handoff between local and Devin cloud agents
- Free access to Cognition's SWE-2 model plus other models
- MCP integrations such as Slack, Linear, Figma and Stripe
- JetBrains plugin
Pricing
Devin
Free plan; Pro $20/mo; Max $200/mo; Teams $80/mo + $40/seat
Windsurf
Free plan; Pro $20/mo (raised from $15 in 2026); Teams/Max tiers
Prices last checked September 2026. Plans change often — confirm on each vendor's site.
Pros and cons
Devin
Strengths- Can run many tasks in parallel without a developer watching
- Fits into existing ticket and chat workflows
- Strong at repetitive work such as migrations and upgrades
- Local and cloud work share one product
- Usage-based compute billing makes costs hard to predict on complex tasks
- Output still needs careful review by someone who can read the code
- Weaker fit for ambiguous feature design or fast prototyping
- Priced mainly for teams rather than hobbyists
Not ideal for: Non-developers and solo builders who want to create an app from scratch with hosting included should use an AI app builder instead.
Windsurf
Strengths- Fast, context-aware tab completion
- In-house model available at no extra cost
- Local and cloud agents managed from one app
- Has a free plan
- The Windsurf brand and Cascade agent have been retired, creating migration churn
- Product direction now tied to Cognition's Devin roadmap
- Heavy use of frontier third-party models draws on paid quotas
- Requires switching from the user's current editor unless using the JetBrains plugin
Not ideal for: Users who want a stable, long-standing product identity or a hosted no-code app builder should look at other options.
Integrations
Devin
Windsurf
FAQ
What is the main difference between Devin and Windsurf?
Devin is built for engineering teams delegating well-scoped tasks to autonomous cloud agents that open pull requests; Windsurf is built for developers wanting an AI code editor with fast tab completion and local plus cloud agents.
Is Devin or Windsurf cheaper?
Devin starts from $20/mo and Windsurf starts from $20/mo (as of September 2026). Always confirm current pricing on each vendor's site.
Do Devin and Windsurf have free plans?
Both Devin and Windsurf offer a free plan, so you can try each before paying.
Which is easier to use, Devin or Windsurf?
Both have a medium learning curve.
What are good alternatives to Devin and Windsurf?
Other coding & apps tools worth comparing include Lovable, Base44 and v0.
