12 alternatives to Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) that we cover: Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Cline, Kiro, Claude Code, Codex CLI, Amazon Q Developer, Augment Code, Devin, Qodo, Warp, Zed. The table shows the evidence behind each entry and whether its pricing has been verified.
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Windsurf was renamed Devin Desktop on June 2, 2026: a full IDE with an Agent Command Center for managing local and cloud coding agents.
On June 2, 2026 Cognition renamed Windsurf as Devin Desktop, delivered as an over-the-air update. Per Cognition's FAQ it is the same IDE with the same features, now with an Agent Command Center (Spaces and a Kanban view for managing local and cloud agents) as the default view. windsurf.com now redirects to devin.ai/desktop.
What it does well: Free tier with unlimited Tab completions and inline edits; Plans carried over from Windsurf without price changes, per the vendor FAQ; Cloud agent access included from Pro.
Where it falls short: The product was renamed in June 2026, so older guides and MDM allowlists that say Windsurf are out of date; Free-tier agent quota is described only as light; Max plan quota is described only as significantly higher, with no number.
Latest version we cover: none recorded (Jun 2, 2026). Vendor: Cognition (Devin).
When to look beyond Windsurf (now Devin Desktop)
Skip Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) if:
You want a fully open-source editor (it is proprietary; see Zed or Kilo)
You need predictable flat pricing: extra usage is billed at API pricing
When Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) is still the right pick
Stay with Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) if:
Developers already using Windsurf who want the same editor under the Devin brand
People who want one place to manage local and cloud coding agents
Teams that want centralized billing and an admin dashboard (Teams plan)
Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): Official page, dated. Plan prices read from devin.ai/pricing on 2026-10-25. The rename FAQ says existing Windsurf plans and pricing did not change. Extra usage is billed at API pricing. Evidence: Reported (not run by us).
Before you switch, note what we could not verify about Windsurf (now Devin Desktop):
Quota sizes per plan (vendor gives none)
Real-world agent quality (not tested)
Whether Devin Cloud availability matches the plan page in your region
Evidence labels: Reported means written from official sources; Tested means a small smoke test with its scope stated. See methodology. Pricing status shows how well we could verify prices; open each tool page for the note.
Verdict: Worth a look if you run agents on several repos or want one place for editor, cloud agents and Git hosting; the October changes are mostly for teams.
Pick Cursor if: Teams that want cloud agents with shared, scriptable environments; Developers who like an editor-first workflow with an agent built in.
For AI coding agents: Cursor is #4, Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) is not ranked.
For vibe coding: Cursor is #6, Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) is not ranked.
Latest release we cover: Cursor (no version recorded) on Oct 16, 2026. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) (no version recorded) on Jun 2, 2026.
Evidence: Cursor: Reported (not run by us). Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): Reported (not run by us).
Strength: Cursor: Frequent, dated changelog entries. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): Free tier with unlimited Tab completions and inline edits.
Main caveat: Cursor: Premium and above list third-party models billed separately at API list price, so total cost is hard to predict. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): The product was renamed in June 2026, so older guides and MDM allowlists that say Windsurf are out of date.
Verdict: A sensible default if your team already lives on GitHub; check which plan you need for new models.
Pick GitHub Copilot if: Teams already on GitHub who want AI in editor, CLI and code scanning fixes; Enterprise admins who need model policy controls.
For AI coding agents: GitHub Copilot is #5, Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) is not ranked.
Latest release we cover: GitHub Copilot (no version recorded) on Oct 15, 2026. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) (no version recorded) on Jun 2, 2026.
Evidence: GitHub Copilot: Reported (not run by us). Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): Reported (not run by us).
Strength: GitHub Copilot: Many surfaces: IDEs, CLI, GitHub.com, agent app. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): Free tier with unlimited Tab completions and inline edits.
Main caveat: GitHub Copilot: Newest models are gated to higher plans. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): The product was renamed in June 2026, so older guides and MDM allowlists that say Windsurf are out of date.
Verdict: A good open-source pick if you want an agent inside your IDE or a CLI and an SDK to embed it; the October notes are incremental.
Pick Cline if: IDE users who want an open-source agent; Teams that want to embed an agent through the SDK.
For AI coding agents: Cline is #7, Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) is not ranked.
Latest release we cover: Cline SDK v0.0.95 on Oct 17, 2026. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) (no version recorded) on Jun 2, 2026.
Evidence: Cline: Reported (not run by us). Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): Reported (not run by us).
Strength: Cline: Apache-2.0 license, large community. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): Free tier with unlimited Tab completions and inline edits.
Main caveat: Cline: Several packages release separately, so version numbers differ by surface. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): The product was renamed in June 2026, so older guides and MDM allowlists that say Windsurf are out of date.
Runs on: Kiro: IDE and CLI (installer at cli.kiro.dev/install). Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): macOS, Windows and Linux (FAQ lists Devin.app, Devin.exe and a Linux binary); download page we read offered macOS.
Verdict: Update now if you use the sandbox or run Claude Code on a cloud provider; skip if you wanted flashy new features, this is a hardening release.
Pick Claude Code if: Anyone relying on the Bash sandbox or permission rules (the 2.1.309 fixes close real gaps); Teams running Claude Code through Bedrock, Vertex or Foundry.
For AI coding agents: Claude Code is #1, Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) is not ranked.
For vibe coding: Claude Code is #1, Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) is not ranked.
Latest release we cover: Claude Code v2.1.310 on Oct 23, 2026. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) (no version recorded) on Jun 2, 2026.
Evidence: Claude Code: Tested (smoke test, 2026-10-25, local Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct, not vendor models). Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): Reported (not run by us).
Strength: Claude Code: Very frequent releases with detailed notes. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): Free tier with unlimited Tab completions and inline edits.
Main caveat: Claude Code: These notes are long and mixed together; hard to tell which fixes affect you. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): The product was renamed in June 2026, so older guides and MDM allowlists that say Windsurf are out of date.
Verdict: A quality-of-life release: worth updating if you re-type the same prompts or switch models a lot, not a reason to switch tools.
Pick Codex CLI if: People who already use Codex and repeat the same setup prompts (presets save the typing); Teams that connect Codex to enterprise MCP servers and want fewer sign-in hurdles.
For AI coding agents: Codex CLI is #2, Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) is not ranked.
For vibe coding: Codex CLI is #2, Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) is not ranked.
Latest release we cover: Codex CLI 0.164.0 on Oct 23, 2026. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) (no version recorded) on Jun 2, 2026.
Evidence: Codex CLI: Tested (smoke test, 2026-10-25, local Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct, not vendor models). Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): Reported (not run by us).
Strength: Codex CLI: Open source under Apache-2.0 (per the GitHub repository metadata). Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): Free tier with unlimited Tab completions and inline edits.
Main caveat: Codex CLI: Release notes do not explain how to use several new features; expect to read the in-app help. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): The product was renamed in June 2026, so older guides and MDM allowlists that say Windsurf are out of date.
Verdict: AWS's AI coding assistant for IDEs and the CLI, with a free tier and a $19 Pro tier; IDE plugin support ends April 30, 2027.
Pick Amazon Q Developer if: AWS-centric teams already using Q Developer; Teams that need IP indemnity (Pro).
For AI coding agents: neither Amazon Q Developer nor Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) has an editorial rank in this category.
Pricing model: Amazon Q Developer is Freemium; Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) is Freemium.
Free tier: Amazon Q Developer: Free tier: 50 agentic requests per month and 1,000 lines of code per month (Java upgrades). Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): Free: $0, light agent quota, limited models, unlimited inline edits and Tab completions.
Runs on: Amazon Q Developer: IDE plugins and CLI; also general Q&A in the AWS Console. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): macOS, Windows and Linux (FAQ lists Devin.app, Devin.exe and a Linux binary); download page we read offered macOS.
Verdict: Coding agent and 'Cosmos' platform with a Context Engine, CLI and cloud agents; plans are flat team prices with usage included.
Pick Augment Code if: Small teams that want flat pricing across seats; Teams working on large codebases (Context Engine focus).
For AI coding agents: neither Augment Code nor Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) has an editorial rank in this category.
Pricing model: Augment Code is Paid (usage-based); Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) is Freemium.
Free tier: Augment Code: No free plan shown on the pricing page. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): Free: $0, light agent quota, limited models, unlimited inline edits and Tab completions.
Runs on: Augment Code: CLI, cloud agents and a platform called Cosmos (platform list not read). Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): macOS, Windows and Linux (FAQ lists Devin.app, Devin.exe and a Linux binary); download page we read offered macOS.
Verdict: Cognition's autonomous software engineer: a cloud coding agent that tests in its own browser and aims to hand back a mergeable pull request.
Pick Devin if: Teams that want to delegate whole tickets to a cloud agent and review PRs; Engineers who want tasks to keep running after they close their laptop.
For AI coding agents: neither Devin nor Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) has an editorial rank in this category.
Pricing model: Devin is Freemium; Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) is Freemium.
Free tier: Devin: Free plan: $0 (light quota; Devin Cloud is not listed under Free). Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): Free: $0, light agent quota, limited models, unlimited inline edits and Tab completions.
Runs on: Devin: Cloud agent; Devin Desktop and Devin CLI also listed on the site. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): macOS, Windows and Linux (FAQ lists Devin.app, Devin.exe and a Linux binary); download page we read offered macOS.
Verdict: AI code review platform with 15+ agentic workflows for IDEs, pull requests and security, priced by team credits.
Pick Qodo if: Teams that want review automation on every pull request.
For AI coding agents: neither Qodo nor Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) has an editorial rank in this category.
Pricing model: Qodo is Trial then paid (credit-based); Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) is Freemium.
Free tier: Qodo: Free 14-day trial, no credit card; page also says 'Free to Start'. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): Free: $0, light agent quota, limited models, unlimited inline edits and Tab completions.
Runs on: Qodo: IDE, pull-request and CLI workflows (per site). Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): macOS, Windows and Linux (FAQ lists Devin.app, Devin.exe and a Linux binary); download page we read offered macOS.
Runs on: Warp: Terminal app and Warp Agent CLI (platforms not read). Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): macOS, Windows and Linux (FAQ lists Devin.app, Devin.exe and a Linux binary); download page we read offered macOS.
Verdict: High-performance, multiplayer code editor from the creators of Atom and Tree-sitter, open source with AI optional.
Pick Zed if: Developers who want a fast editor and optional AI; Teams that want org-wide AI controls (Business).
For AI coding agents: neither Zed nor Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) has an editorial rank in this category.
Pricing model: Zed is Freemium; Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) is Freemium.
Free tier: Zed: Personal: $0 forever, bring your own keys or no AI. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): Free: $0, light agent quota, limited models, unlimited inline edits and Tab completions.
Runs on: Zed: macOS confirmed on the pages we read; other platforms not checked. Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): macOS, Windows and Linux (FAQ lists Devin.app, Devin.exe and a Linux binary); download page we read offered macOS.
License: Zed: GPL-3.0 for the editor (per GitHub; some components use other licenses). Windsurf (now Devin Desktop): Proprietary (no open-source license stated).
FAQ
What are the best alternatives to Windsurf (now Devin Desktop)?
Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Cline, Kiro, Claude Code, Codex CLI, Amazon Q Developer, Augment Code, Devin, Qodo, Warp, Zed. Each is covered with a verdict on this site.
When should I use something other than Windsurf (now Devin Desktop)?
Skip Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) if: You want a fully open-source editor (it is proprietary; see Zed or Kilo); You need predictable flat pricing: extra usage is billed at API pricing.
