Windsurf

VS Code fork with the Cascade agent and an unusually generous free tier.

By Windsurf (formerly Codeium, acquired by Cognition AI) Free + $15 Verified 2026-05-09
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Best for

  • Engineers who want a Cursor-style experience but need a free tier that's actually usable
  • Cascade-style "follow me around the codebase" agentic flows
  • Mixed VS Code and JetBrains shops

Weak at

  • Tab completion still trails Cursor in muscle-memory feel
  • Roadmap uncertainty post-acquisition (verify before committing a team)

Pricing

Tier Price Notes
Free $0 / month Limited monthly Cascade flows, generous completion
Pro $15 / month More flows, premium models
Teams $30 / seat Centralized billing, SSO

First-hand notes

TODO replace with first-hand notes. Suggested angles: how Cascade compares to Cursor Composer on a real task, the practical limits of the free tier, JetBrains plugin parity, and any post-acquisition changes you've noticed.

What it is

Windsurf (the renamed Codeium) is a VS Code-based AI coding tool with a flagship agent called Cascade. After a $3B OpenAI deal collapsed in mid-2025, Windsurf was acquired by Cognition AI. It runs as both a standalone fork and an extension across VS Code and JetBrains.

What it does well

The free tier is the most generous in the category — enough to cover a side-project workflow without paying. Cascade handles “follow me through this change” agentic edits well, and the JetBrains plugin keeps up reasonably with the VS Code experience.

Where it falls short

Tab completion is good but doesn’t feel as predictive as Cursor’s at the moment. Post-acquisition strategy is the open question — for solo work that’s fine; for committing a team, get clarity on roadmap first.

Verdict

Best free tier in the category. A credible Cursor alternative if you don't want to pay yet, or if you split time between VS Code and JetBrains. Watch for direction changes after the recent acquisition.

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