Cursor vs Windsurf (Devin Desktop): Which AI Editor in 2026?
Cursor and Windsurf (renamed Devin Desktop in 2026) are both AI code editors built on VS Code. How they compare on agents, completions, models, cloud and parallel work, pricing approach and who owns them — and a simple way to choose.
Cursor and Windsurf have been the two best-known AI code editors for a couple of years. Both are VS Code forks with an agent and smart completions built in. In 2026 one big thing changed: Windsurf now ships as Devin Desktop, after Cognition (maker of the Devin agent) bought it and renamed it in June 2026.
Details as of October 2026. Both products ship weekly; check cursor.com/pricing and devin.ai/pricing.
Side by side
| Cursor | Windsurf / Devin Desktop | |
|---|---|---|
| Made by | Anysphere | Cognition |
| Base | VS Code fork | VS Code fork |
| Inline completions | Tab (multi-line, next-edit prediction) | Tab (multi-line, next-edit prediction) |
| Agent | Cursor agent; cloud agents; multi-agent Projects (beta) | Built-in agent; ties into Cognition's Devin |
| Models | Many providers plus Cursor's own | Many providers plus Cognition's own |
| Rules files | .cursor/rules |
Its own rules system |
| Remote control | iOS app can drive local agents | Varies by plan |
Where Cursor is ahead
Cursor has been shipping aggressively in 2026: cloud agents, self-hosted machines so agents run inside your own network, Projects where a coordinator agent splits a big job across parallel agents, and an iOS app that can control agents running on your computer. It also has the larger community, which means more shared rules, guides and answers. (What Is Cursor?)
Where Windsurf / Devin Desktop appeals
Many developers liked Windsurf's agent for how it gathers context across a codebase with less hand-holding. Under Cognition, the editor connects to the Devin agent for longer autonomous work, which suits teams that want both an editor and a "send it off and review the PR" agent from one company. (What Is Windsurf?)
Pricing approach
Both have a free tier and paid individual and team plans, with usage-based limits on the strongest models. The limits — not the headline price — are what you'll feel. Run a week of real work on each free tier before paying.
How to choose
- Pick Cursor if you want the most active product, the biggest community, and features like cloud agents and Projects.
- Pick Devin Desktop if you prefer how its agent works on your code, or your team is adopting Devin.
- Consider neither if you mainly want an agent rather than a new editor — Claude Code works in plain VS Code, JetBrains or the terminal. (Claude Code vs Cursor)
You can also combine them: run Claude Code inside either editor's terminal or as an extension. (Claude Code in Cursor)
The summary
- Both are AI editors built on VS Code; Windsurf is now Devin Desktop.
- Cursor leads on new features and community; Devin Desktop connects to Cognition's Devin.
- Test both free tiers on your real code — the usage limits decide more than the feature lists.
EasySpawn pairs well with either editor: Claude Code runs on a persistent server you reach over SSH, so long agent tasks keep going after you close the laptop. See how it works or join the waitlist.
Related: Cursor vs GitHub Copilot · Claude Code vs Windsurf · Best AI Coding Tools · Cursor Rules Explained
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