Cursor vs Windsurf: Which AI IDE is Better for 2025?

Quick Comparison Table

| Feature | Cursor | Windsurf | |---------|--------|----------| | Pricing (Free) | 2,000 completions/month | 25 credits (≈100 prompts/month) | | Pricing (Pro) | $20/month | $15/month | | Base Technology | Fork of VS Code | Fork of VS Code | | Key AI Feature | Composer Mode | Cascade Technology | | AI Models | GPT-4.1, Claude Opus 4, Gemini 2.5 Pro | GPT-4.1, o4-mini, Claude 3.7 | | Context Window | Up to 1M tokens | Up to 1M tokens | | Best For | Multi-file editing, rapid prototypes | Deep contextual awareness, team collaboration | | Free Tier Limits | 2,000 completions, 50 slow premium requests | Unlimited Cascade, 25 prompt credits | | Enterprise Plans | Ultra ($200/mo) | Enterprise ($60/user/mo) |

Introduction

The battle for the best AI-powered IDE in 2025 has come down to two heavyweights: Cursor and Windsurf. Both are built on VS Code and leverage cutting-edge large language models, but they take dramatically different approaches to AI-assisted coding.

Cursor, with its Composer mode and rapid iteration capabilities, has captured the attention of individual developers and startups. Windsurf (formerly Codeium), with its revolutionary Cascade technology and generous free tier, is making waves as the "agentic IDE" that understands your entire codebase.

In this comprehensive comparison, we'll break down pricing, features, performance, and real-world use cases to help you decide which AI IDE deserves a place in your development workflow.

Pricing Breakdown: Which Offers Better Value?

Cursor Pricing (2025)

Cursor has undergone significant pricing changes in 2025, moving from request limits to compute limits:

Free/Hobby Plan: $0/month

• 2,000 code completions per month
• 50 slow premium requests (using older AI models)
• Unlimited basic completions
• No credit card required

Pro Plan: $20/month

• At least $20 worth of model inference at API prices
• Unlimited "Auto" model access
• All tool call limits lifted
• 500 fast agent requests per month
• Access to GPT-4.1, Claude Opus 4, Gemini 2.5 Pro

Pro+ Plan: $60/month

• 1,500 fast agent requests per month
• Everything in Pro
• Priority support

Ultra Plan: $200/month

• 5,000 fast agent requests per month
• 20x more usage than Pro
• For power users and teams
• Maximum performance

Key Update: Starting September 15, 2025, the "Auto" model contributes to monthly usage at competitive token rates, making pricing more transparent and usage-based.

Windsurf Pricing (2025)

Windsurf has positioned itself as the more affordable alternative with an expanded free tier:

Free Plan: $0/month

• 25 prompt credits per month (equivalent to 100 prompts with GPT-4.1)
• Unlimited Cascade (their flagship feature)
• Unlimited Fast Tab Completions
• Unlimited Command mode
• Unlimited interactive app Preview
• 1 App deploy per day
• No credit card required

Pro Plan: $15/month

• Enhanced prompt credits
• Priority access to new features
• Faster response times

Teams Plan: $30/user/month

• Team collaboration features
• Shared context and prompts
• Admin controls

Enterprise Plan: $60/user/month

• Self-hosted options
• SSO/SAML authentication
• Advanced security controls
• Dedicated support

Winner for Pricing: Windsurf takes the crown here. At $15/month for Pro vs Cursor's $20/month, it's 25% cheaper. The free tier is also more generous with unlimited Cascade access, while Cursor caps free users at 2,000 completions (about a week of regular development).

Core Features: Composer vs Cascade

Cursor's Composer Mode

Composer is Cursor's flagship AI feature, designed for multi-file editing and rapid prototyping:

What Composer Does:

• Edit multiple files simultaneously with a single prompt
• Create new files and folders on the fly
• Understand and modify entire codebases
• Generate boilerplate code across your project
• Refactor code while maintaining consistency

Example Use Case:

"Create a new React component with TypeScript, add it to the routing file, create a corresponding API endpoint, and write tests for both."

Composer can execute all of this in a single operation, understanding the relationships between files and maintaining your coding style.

Strengths:

• Excellent for greenfield projects
• Fast iteration cycles
• Great for refactoring large codebases
• Intuitive UI with clear file previews

Limitations:

• Can sometimes make overly aggressive changes
• Premium models required for complex tasks
• May struggle with very large enterprise codebases

Windsurf's Cascade Technology

Cascade is Windsurf's answer to contextual AI coding, described as "agentic IDE" technology:

What Cascade Does:

• Deep contextual awareness of your entire codebase
• Real-time monitoring of developer actions
• Proactive suggestions based on coding patterns
• Advanced code graph understanding
• Seamless multi-repo support

How Cascade Works: Cascade continuously analyzes your codebase, building a comprehensive understanding of architecture, dependencies, and coding patterns. When you make edits, it understands the ripple effects across your project.

Example Use Case:

You start refactoring a database schema. Cascade automatically identifies all the API endpoints, ORM models, and frontend components affected by the change and suggests coordinated updates.

Strengths:

• Unmatched contextual understanding
• Excellent for large, complex codebases
• Proactive rather than reactive
• Unlimited in free tier (major advantage)

Limitations:

• Steeper learning curve
• Requires initial indexing time for large projects
• Some developers find it "too helpful" at times

Winner for Core Features: Tie. Cursor's Composer excels at rapid, explicit multi-file edits. Windsurf's Cascade wins on contextual awareness and proactive assistance. Your preference depends on workflow: do you want to tell the AI what to do (Cursor) or have it understand what you need (Windsurf)?

AI Model Access: Who Has Better Models?

Cursor's Model Lineup

Cursor 2.0 provides access to the latest and most powerful AI models:

• GPT-4.1 (OpenAI) - 1M token context window
• Claude Opus 4 (Anthropic) - Superior reasoning and code quality
• Gemini 2.5 Pro (Google) - Excellent for large-context refactors
• Cursor's proprietary "Auto" model - Optimized for speed and cost

Model Selection: Users can choose which model to use for each request, with premium models requiring Pro or higher subscriptions.

Windsurf's Model Lineup

Windsurf also offers top-tier model access:

• GPT-4.1 (OpenAI) - 1M token context
• o4-mini (OpenAI) - Fast, cost-effective reasoning
• Claude 3.7 Sonnet (Anthropic) - Current generation Claude
• Gemini models (Google) - Available in some regions

Model Democratization: Windsurf made waves by temporarily offering GPT-4.1 and o4-mini for free to all users during a 2-week promotion in early 2025, showcasing their commitment to accessibility.

Winner for Model Access: Cursor - Slightly ahead with access to Claude Opus 4 (the most capable coding model as of 2025) and their optimized Auto model. However, both provide excellent model selection.

Performance Benchmarks

Based on community testing and developer feedback from early 2025:

Setup Speed

• Cursor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) - Instant, inherits VS Code settings
• Windsurf: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) - Quick, requires initial codebase indexing

Code Completion Quality

• Cursor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) - Excellent with premium models
• Windsurf: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) - Contextually superior in large projects

Multi-File Editing

• Cursor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) - Composer is best-in-class
• Windsurf: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) - Strong but less explicit control

Large Codebase Performance

• Cursor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5) - Good, can slow with 100k+ LOC
• Windsurf: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) - Cascade excels with enterprise scale

Free Tier Usability

• Cursor: ⭐⭐⭐ (3/5) - 2,000 completions ≈ 1 week of dev
• Windsurf: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5) - Unlimited Cascade is game-changing

Use Cases: Which Tool for Which Developer?

Choose Cursor If You:

✅ Build rapid prototypes and MVPs

• Composer excels at generating entire features from prompts
• Fast iteration is Cursor's superpower

✅ Work on greenfield projects

• Starting from scratch? Cursor can scaffold entire applications
• Perfect for solo developers and small teams

✅ Prefer explicit control over AI suggestions

• Composer mode gives you clear "approve/reject" workflow
• Less automated, more manual precision

✅ Want the latest, most powerful AI models

• Access to Claude Opus 4 and cutting-edge models
• Willing to pay for premium performance

✅ Are migrating from VS Code

• Familiar interface and extensions
• Minimal learning curve

Choose Windsurf If You:

✅ Work on large, complex codebases

• Cascade's contextual awareness shines in enterprise scenarios
• Understands relationships across hundreds of files

✅ Value a generous free tier

• Unlimited Cascade access for $0
• 100 GPT-4.1 prompts free monthly
• Perfect for students, hobbyists, and budget-conscious teams

✅ Want proactive AI assistance

• Cascade suggests improvements you haven't thought of
• More automated, less manual intervention

✅ Work in teams

• Better collaboration features at lower price points
• Teams plan at $30/user vs Cursor's higher tiers

✅ Prioritize cost-effectiveness

• $15/mo Pro plan vs Cursor's $20/mo
• Better value for most developers

The Verdict: Which is Better?

For Solo Developers & Indie Hackers

Winner: Windsurf 🏆 The free tier alone makes Windsurf unbeatable for developers on a budget. Unlimited Cascade means you can code all day without hitting limits.

For Startups & Small Teams

Winner: Cursor 🏆 Composer's multi-file editing is perfect for rapid product iteration. The $20/month Pro plan is worth it when shipping speed matters.

For Enterprise & Large Codebases

Winner: Windsurf 🏆 Cascade's contextual awareness scales better with codebase size. Enterprise plan at $60/user provides serious security features.

For Rapid Prototyping

Winner: Cursor 🏆 Nothing beats Composer for going from idea to working code in minutes.

For Budget-Conscious Developers

Winner: Windsurf 🏆 $15/month Pro vs $20/month, plus a far superior free tier.

Final Recommendation

Both Cursor and Windsurf are excellent AI IDEs in 2025, and you honestly can't go wrong with either. Here's the simple decision framework:

Try Windsurf first if:

• You're budget-conscious or want to test AI IDEs for free
• You work on established codebases with lots of files
• You prefer AI that "gets" your project automatically

Choose Cursor if:

• You're building new projects from scratch frequently
• You want explicit control over multi-file edits
• Budget isn't a concern and you want the absolute best models

Pro tip: Both offer free tiers. Try Windsurf's unlimited Cascade for a week, then test Cursor's Composer with your 2,000 free completions. See which workflow feels more natural to you.

The AI IDE wars are heating up, and as developers, we win either way. 🚀

Sources & Further Reading

This comparison was based on current 2025 pricing and features. For the latest updates:

• Cursor Pricing Updates (June 2025)
• Cursor Official Pricing
• Windsurf Pricing Page
• Windsurf Free Tier Expansion
• Cursor 2.0 Pricing Guide
• Windsurf Review 2025

Have you tried both Cursor and Windsurf? Share your experiences in the AI Coding Tools Directory. We track updates to all major AI IDEs so you always have current information.