2024-2025 could be called the golden era of AI code editors. We have GitHub Copilot which is already mainstream, Cursor which is on the rise, and now there’s a pretty interesting new player: Windsurf.

If you’re looking for a Cursor alternative that’s more budget-friendly (or even free), this article is perfect for you. Let’s thoroughly discuss Windsurf!

What Is Windsurf?

Windsurf is an AI-powered code editor developed by Codeium — a company previously known for their free AI autocomplete extension. Windsurf was launched in November 2024 and immediately caught the attention of the developer community.

What makes Windsurf interesting is their “agentic” IDE concept. This means the AI in Windsurf doesn’t just help with autocomplete or answer questions, but can act like a real “coding partner” who truly understands your project context.

Windsurf is built on top of VS Code (similar to Cursor), so if you’re already familiar with VS Code, the transition will be very smooth.

Windsurf vs Cursor: Head-to-Head Comparison

Before we deep dive into Windsurf’s features, let’s do a quick comparison:

Aspect	Windsurf	Cursor
Base Editor	VS Code Fork	VS Code Fork
Free Tier	✅ Generous (unlimited basic)	⚠️ Limited (2 weeks trial)
Agentic Features	Cascade (built-in)	Composer (Pro)
Multi-file Edit	✅ Yes	✅ Yes
Codebase Context	✅ Automatic indexing	✅ Manual + Auto
Model Options	GPT-4, Claude, etc	GPT-4, Claude, etc
Pricing	$15/month (Pro)	$20/month (Pro)

Overall, Windsurf has an edge in pricing and a more generous free tier. But Cursor still wins in maturity and community size.

How to Install and Setup Windsurf

Step 1: Download Windsurf

Visit windsurf.com and download the installer for your OS (Windows, macOS, or Linux).

Step 2: Install and Run

Standard installation process — next, next, finish. After installing, open Windsurf and you’ll be greeted with an onboarding screen.

Windsurf uses a Codeium account. If you already have a Codeium account (from their extension), just sign in. If not, create a new account — it’s free.

Step 4: Import Settings from VS Code

This is cool — Windsurf can import settings, extensions, and keybindings from your VS Code. So the transition is seamless.

# Windsurf will automatically detect VS Code installation
# and offer to import settings

Step 5: Open Project and Start Coding

Open your project folder, and Windsurf will start indexing the codebase automatically. This process is important so AI can understand your project context.

Main Features of Windsurf

1. Cascade — The Star Feature

Cascade is the agentic AI feature in Windsurf that could be called the main selling point. Cascade isn’t just ordinary AI chat — it can:

Read and understand your entire codebase
Create and edit multiple files at once
Run terminal commands
Browse documentation if needed

It’s easy to use — press Cmd/Ctrl + L to open the Cascade panel, then describe what you want.

Example prompts you can try:

"Create an API endpoint for user authentication using JWT. 
Include route, controller, and middleware. Use patterns that 
are consistent with other files in this project."

Cascade will:

Analyze existing code patterns in your project
Create the necessary new files
Give you a preview of changes before applying

2. AI Chat (Cmd/Ctrl + I)

Besides Cascade, there’s also inline AI chat that’s lighter. Good for:

Quick questions about code
Explain this code
Suggest refactoring

The difference from Cascade: Chat is more for Q&A, while Cascade is more for “do something for me”.

3. Smart Autocomplete

Windsurf’s autocomplete (powered by Codeium) is among the most responsive in its class. Features:

Context-aware suggestions — understands imports, types, and patterns in your project
Multi-line completion — can suggest multiple lines at once
Low latency — doesn’t make the typing experience laggy

Pro tip: Press Tab to accept suggestion, or Escape to dismiss.

4. Terminal Integration

Windsurf has an integrated terminal that’s also AI-powered. You can:

Ask AI to generate commands
Debug error messages directly from terminal
Run suggested commands with one click

Demo: Building a Feature with Windsurf

Let’s do a quick demo. Say we want to build a simple todo list feature in a React project.

Step 1: Open Cascade

Press Cmd + L and type:

Create a TodoList component with features:
- Add new todo
- Mark todo as complete
- Delete todo
- Persist to localStorage

Use React hooks and style with Tailwind CSS.
Match the coding style in this project.

Step 2: Review Changes

Windsurf will generate several files:

components/TodoList.tsx
components/TodoItem.tsx
hooks/useTodos.ts

Review each file in the preview panel. You can:

Accept all if everything looks good
Accept partially if you want to pick and choose
Reject and refine your prompt

Step 3: Iterate

If something’s missing, just chat again:

Add a filter feature (All, Active, Completed) 
and fade animation when adding/removing todo

Windsurf will edit existing files without breaking existing code.

Tips and Tricks to Maximize Windsurf

1. Be Specific with Context

Bad prompt:

Make a login form

Good prompt:

Make a login form in src/components/auth/ with:
- Email and password fields
- Validation using react-hook-form + zod
- Styling consistent with other components in this folder
- Handle loading state and error messages

2. Use @ Mentions

In Cascade, you can mention specific files:

Refactor @src/utils/api.ts to use axios interceptor
and handle refresh token automatically

3. Use Cascade for Big Changes, Chat for Quick Questions

Major refactoring? → Cascade
“What does this hook do?” → Chat
Implement new feature? → Cascade
“Fix typo on line 42” → Chat or manual edit

4. Review Before Accept

Don’t just accept all without reviewing. AI can:

Use patterns that don’t match your preference
Introduce subtle bugs
Over-engineer simple solutions

5. Leverage Terminal AI

If you get an error message, copy paste to terminal and ask AI:

Explain this error and give me the solution:
[paste error message]

Pricing Comparison

Let’s break down Windsurf vs Cursor pricing:

Windsurf

Plan	Price	Features
Free	$0	Unlimited autocomplete, limited Cascade credits
Pro	$15/mo	Unlimited everything, priority support
Enterprise	Custom	SSO, admin controls, dedicated support

Cursor

Plan	Price	Features
Free	$0	2 weeks trial, then limited
Pro	$20/mo	Unlimited AI features
Business	$40/mo	Team features, admin controls

Verdict: Windsurf wins decisively on value for money. Free tier is more generous, and Pro plan is $5 cheaper than Cursor.

When to Choose Windsurf vs Cursor?

Choose Windsurf If:

✅ Limited budget or want to try for free first
✅ Like the Codeium autocomplete experience
✅ Want agentic features without paying premium
✅ New project and not heavily invested in Cursor

Choose Cursor If:

✅ Already comfortable and productive in Cursor
✅ Need larger community support
✅ Your team has already standardized to Cursor
✅ Prefer the mature Composer workflow

Or… Use Both?

Honestly, nothing’s stopping you from installing both. Some developers use:

Cursor for main projects (because they’re already familiar)
Windsurf for side projects or experiments (because free tier is generous)

Conclusion

Windsurf is a very solid Cursor alternative, especially if you:

Budget-conscious — Windsurf’s free tier is much more generous
Curious about agentic AI — Cascade experience is quite impressive
VS Code user — Transition is super smooth

Will Windsurf “kill” Cursor? Probably not in the near future. But this competition is good for us as end users — pricing becomes more competitive and features keep developing.

My recommendation: Try Windsurf for a week for daily coding. Feel the workflow, explore Cascade, and see if it fits your coding style. It’s free anyway, nothing to lose.

Have questions about Windsurf or other AI code editors? Drop them in the comments or reach out via Twitter. Happy coding! 🚀