Cursor vs Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) in 2026

Windsurf is now Devin Desktop: Cognition renamed it on June 2, 2026 and replaced its Cascade agent with Devin Local, the same agent as its Devin CLI, which can hand a plan to Devin's cloud agent with one click. Cursor, owned by SpaceX since August 2026, remains the larger AI editor. Both start free and cost $20 a month for Pro. Cursor has the more mature agent tooling and team features; Devin Desktop has unlimited Tab completions on its free plan and can run Claude Code or Codex inside it. Cursor is losing OpenAI's models, with a proposed transition period to November 12, 2026.

Key takeaways

• Windsurf is Devin Desktop. It was renamed on June 2, 2026, and Cascade was removed on September 8, leaving Devin Local as its only built-in agent.
• Pricing: both have a free plan and Pro at $20. Max or Ultra is $200. For teams, Cursor charges $40 a seat and Devin $80 a month plus $40 a seat.
• Third-party agents: Devin Desktop runs Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode and Gemini CLI inside it. Cursor runs its own agent and lets other editors use it.
• Usage: in Stack Overflow's 2026 survey, 14.9% of developers used Cursor as an IDE against 3.2% for Windsurf.
• Lost in the switch: Windsurf's one-click app deploys, memories and workflows. Devin Desktop converts the last two into skills.

What happened to Windsurf?

Cognition, which makes the Devin agent, bought Windsurf in July 2025 and renamed it Devin Desktop on June 2, 2026 (Cognition). Since then:

• Devin Local replaced Cascade as the agent; Cascade was removed on September 8, 2026 (changelog).
• The Agent Command Center, a board of local and cloud agents, became the main view.
• Devin Cloud takes a plan from your editor and runs it in a cloud machine, on Pro and above.
• Windsurf's app deploys went away with Cascade, and memories and workflows were converted into skills.

Existing Windsurf installs migrate automatically. The Windsurf plugin for JetBrains is in maintenance mode, and Cognition recommends running Devin in JetBrains another way.

How much do Cursor and Devin Desktop cost?

Cursor (Cursor): Hobby is free with limited agent requests; Pro is $20, Pro+ $60 and Ultra $200; Teams is $40 a seat. Each plan has a pool for Cursor's own models and a pool for other companies' models at their API prices.

Devin Desktop (Devin): Free has a light quota and unlimited Tab completions; Pro is $20, with frontier models from several labs and Devin's cloud agent; Max is $200; Teams is $80 a month plus $40 a seat. Since September 29, 2026 you can sign in with ChatGPT so OpenAI model usage bills to a ChatGPT Plus or Pro plan.

How do their agents compare?

• Cursor: its agent runs in the editor, in the Agents Window that runs several local and cloud agents in parallel, in the Cursor CLI, and in cloud agents that can hand work back and forth with your machine. Projects, in beta, coordinate many subagents.
• Devin Desktop: Devin Local runs in the editor and the Devin CLI, and hands plans to Devin Cloud. Spaces group the sessions, files and pull requests for one task. By default it asks before every MCP tool call.

Neither appears on the independent agent leaderboards as an editor. Devin's CLI scores 62 on Artificial Analysis's coding-agent index, which doesn't list Cursor (the rankings).

Can you run Claude Code or Codex inside them?

Devin Desktop: yes. Through the Agent Client Protocol it runs Claude Code, Codex, OpenCode, JetBrains' Junie and Gemini CLI inside the editor, on Pro and above, billed by those providers (Devin).

Cursor: Claude Code and Codex install as editor extensions, and the Codex extension is OpenAI's suggested way to keep its models in Cursor after its contract winds down (Codex vs Cursor, Claude Code vs Cursor).

How do you switch between them?

• Into Devin Desktop: onboarding imports settings from VS Code or Cursor, and Cursor's rules carry over into Devin's.
• Into Cursor: a one-click import from VS Code; Cursor documents no Windsurf importer, but AGENTS.md files work in both.

Who uses which?

• Stack Overflow 2026, IDE question: Cursor 14.9%, Windsurf 3.2%. As a coding agent or assistant, Cursor 25.5% and Windsurf 6.5% (Stack Overflow).
• Ramp's spending data: Cursor at 35% of businesses that pay for coding agents, Windsurf at 3%, both well behind Claude Code at 87%.

Which should you choose?

• You want the most complete AI editor and team features: Cursor.
• You want unlimited free completions, Devin's cloud agent, or to run Claude Code inside your editor: Devin Desktop.
• You rely on OpenAI's models: check Cursor's plans after November 12, or use Devin Desktop's ChatGPT sign-in.
• A free, agent-first alternative: Google Antigravity, with a weekly free quota (Cursor alternatives).
• A team working with one agent: Poly (usepoly.co) runs Claude Code and Codex in a shared browser room where everyone sees each step and any member can approve a change before it happens. Free to start. What is Poly?