GitHub Copilot vs Windsurf (Codeium): Pricing, Features, and Fit in Dec 2025

Quick Comparison (Dec 2025)

| Feature | GitHub Copilot Business | GitHub Copilot Enterprise | Windsurf Free | Windsurf Pro | Windsurf Teams | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | Price | $19/user/mo | $39/user/mo | $0 | $15/user/mo | $30/user/mo | | Credits / usage | No credits; SaaS usage included | Same | 25 prompt credits/mo + unlimited tab/inline | 500 prompt credits/mo + Fast Context | 500 credits/user/mo + Reviews/admin | | Models | GitHub-managed OpenAI (e.g., GPT-4o/4 Turbo) | Same + GitHub.com context | Frontier mix via credits | Same (more credits) | Same (team admin/analytics) | | Hosting | SaaS only | SaaS only | SaaS | SaaS | SaaS (Enterprise/VPC via sales) | | IDEs | VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio | VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio + GitHub.com chat/PRs | Windsurf app, VS Code/JetBrains extensions | Same | Same + admin | | Admin/SSO | Org policies, SSO/SAML | Org policies, SSO/SAML, GitHub.com features | No | No | Admin dashboard, priority support |

GitHub Copilot (Business vs Enterprise)

Pricing: Business $19/user/month; Enterprise $39/user/month. Copilot Pro (individual) remains $10/month or $100/year, with free access for verified students and OSS maintainers. Trials are typically 30 days.

What you get:

• Chat and completions in VS Code and JetBrains; Visual Studio support.
• Policy controls to block public code suggestions; SSO/SAML for orgs.
• Enterprise adds GitHub.com integrations (PR summaries, issue Q&A, repo-aware chat) and richer admin/audit options.
• Data from Business/Enterprise is not used to train foundation models (per GitHub policy); cloud-only hosting.

Where it fits: GitHub-centric teams that want zero setup, deep GitHub.com integration, and predictable per-seat pricing.

Windsurf (formerly Codeium)

Pricing (public):

• Free: $0 with 25 prompt credits/month; unlimited tab/inline edits.
• Pro: $15/user/month with 500 credits/month and full Fast Context.
• Teams: $30/user/month with 500 credits/user/month, Windsurf Reviews, admin dashboard, and priority support.
• Enterprise: contact sales; higher credits, SSO/RBAC, VPC/on-prem options.

What you get:

• Frontier-model prompt credits (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, xAI, others) plus Windsurf’s desktop app and VS Code/JetBrains extensions.
• Cascade/agent-style workflows, inline edits, and Fast Context for larger codebases (on paid plans).
• Admin features and centralized billing on Teams and above.

Where it fits: Teams wanting prompt-credit control, an IDE-centric experience, and optional enterprise/VPC deployment; developers wanting a free starter tier with limited credits but unlimited inline completions.

Head-to-Head: Picking the Right Fit

• Cost predictability: Copilot uses flat per-seat pricing; Windsurf meters prompt credits per user per month (tab/inline is unlimited).
• IDE coverage: Copilot uniquely supports Visual Studio; Windsurf leans on its own app plus VS Code/JetBrains.
• Ecosystem integration: Copilot Enterprise shines for GitHub.com-native reviews and PR workflows. Windsurf focuses on in-editor workflows and Fast Context.
• Deployment: Copilot is SaaS only. Windsurf offers SaaS by default with enterprise paths for VPC/on-prem.
• Model control: Copilot models are managed by GitHub (OpenAI). Windsurf allocates credits across multiple providers; model selection is abstracted but multi-provider.

Which Should You Choose?

• Choose Copilot Business if you’re all-in on GitHub, need SSO/policies, and want fixed per-seat pricing without credit management.
• Choose Copilot Enterprise if GitHub.com PR/issue chat and org-wide governance are essential.
• Choose Windsurf Pro/Teams if you want prompt-credit control, unlimited inline suggestions, and Fast Context in a dedicated AI IDE.
• Stay on Windsurf Free if you need occasional prompt calls plus unlimited inline completions without paying.

Sources (December 2025)

• GitHub Copilot plans and pricing: https://github.com/features/copilot/plans
• GitHub Copilot Enterprise overview: https://github.blog/ (Copilot Enterprise launch/feature posts)
• Windsurf (Codeium) pricing: https://codeium.com/pricing
• Windsurf product overview: https://codeium.com/

Need more options? Explore our full directory for additional AI coding assistants and deployment models.