So you're trying to decide between Cursor and Windsurf. Welcome to the most heated debate in developer Twitter right now—and honestly, I get it. Both tools promise to make you a 10x developer with AI superpowers. Both cost roughly the same. Both have passionate fans who'll argue to the death about their favorite.
But here's the thing most comparison articles won't tell you: the "best" AI IDE depends entirely on how you actually code. Not what features look cool in a demo. Not what the marketing page says. How you work.
I've spent the last few months switching between both for frontend work, and I'm going to give you the real breakdown—including the stuff that'll actually help you decide.
The TL;DR If You're in a Hurry
Pick Cursor if: You want tight VS Code muscle memory, love manual control over AI suggestions, and work on smaller to mid-sized projects where you know exactly what you want the AI to do.
Pick Windsurf if: You're handling large codebases, want the AI to "figure it out" more autonomously, or need better enterprise security compliance.
Still here? Good. Let's dig into the details.
What Are Cursor and Windsurf, Anyway?
Cursor: The VS Code Power-Up
Cursor is essentially VS Code with AI steroids. It's a fork of Microsoft's beloved editor, which means if you've used VS Code for any length of time, Cursor feels immediately familiar. All your extensions work. Your keybindings stay the same. It's like upgrading your car's engine without changing how you drive.
The pitch? Keep your workflow, add AI completion, chat, and a feature called Composer that lets you make multi-file edits through conversation. Cursor has been around since 2023 and has built up serious momentum—they're reportedly pulling in around $300 million in annual recurring revenue.
Windsurf: The Agentic Newcomer
Windsurf takes a different approach. While it's also VS Code-based, it leans hard into what they call "agentic" AI. Instead of you telling the AI exactly what to do, Windsurf's Cascade feature tries to understand your intent and execute multi-step tasks autonomously. It'll edit files, run shell commands, and chain together actions without you micromanaging every step.
The big news? Cognition (the company behind Devin, the "AI software engineer" that broke the internet in 2024) acquired Windsurf in July 2025. That acquisition happened in dramatic fashion—Google had just poached Windsurf's CEO and co-founder in a $2.4 billion deal, and Cognition swooped in to buy the remaining team and tech.
What does this mean for you? Windsurf now has the engineering firepower behind Devin, plus full access to Claude models again. It's a different beast than it was six months ago.
Head-to-Head Feature Comparison
Let's cut through the marketing speak. Here's what actually matters:
| Feature | Cursor | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Base | VS Code fork | VS Code-based |
| AI Approach | Manual control, suggestions | Agentic, autonomous execution |
| Multi-file Editing | Composer feature | Cascade agent |
| IDE Compatibility | Cursor only | 40+ IDEs (JetBrains, Vim, etc.) |
| Context Window | Large context support | Fast Context + AI Codemaps |
| Proprietary Models | Uses OpenAI, Anthropic | SWE-1.5 (13x faster than Sonnet 4.5) |
| Enterprise Security | SOC 2 | SOC 2, HIPAA, FedRAMP, ITAR |
| Free Tier | 2,000 completions + 50 requests/mo | Unlimited completions + read-only Cascade |
That IDE compatibility point is bigger than it sounds. If you're a JetBrains devotee or refuse to leave Vim, Windsurf plays nicer with your existing setup. Cursor is all-in on their fork—take it or leave it.
Pricing Breakdown: The December 2025 Reality
Here's where things get interesting. Windsurf just changed their pricing on December 6, 2025, so most comparison articles are already outdated.
| Plan | Cursor | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Free | 2,000 completions, 50 requests | Unlimited completions, limited Cascade |
| Pro/Individual | $20/month | $15/month |
| Teams | $40/user/month | $30/user/month |
| Enterprise | Custom | $60/user/month |
Windsurf is 25% cheaper across the board. That's not nothing—especially for teams. A 10-person dev team saves $1,200/year choosing Windsurf over Cursor.
But here's my hot take: don't choose based on $5/month. If the more expensive tool saves you even one hour of debugging per month, it's paid for itself. The real question is which tool actually makes you more productive.
Frontend Development: Which Handles React and Tailwind Better?
Alright, this is where I have opinions. Strong ones.
For frontend work specifically—building React components, writing Tailwind classes, creating responsive layouts—both tools are genuinely capable. But the way they help differs significantly.
Cursor's Frontend Strengths
Cursor shines when you know exactly what you want. Its tab completion is lightning fast and eerily accurate for Tailwind class suggestions. If you're the type who thinks in code and just wants the AI to accelerate your typing, Cursor feels like a natural extension of your brain.
The Composer feature is solid for refactoring. Need to rename a component across five files? Describe what you want in plain English, review the diff, accept or reject. It's controlled, predictable, and rarely does something unexpected.
Windsurf's Frontend Strengths
Windsurf's Cascade agent is genuinely impressive for larger frontend tasks. "Add a dark mode toggle that persists to localStorage and updates all components" isn't just a prompt—it's a mission Cascade will actually attempt to complete across your codebase.
Their AI Codemaps feature deserves mention too. For navigating complex component hierarchies or understanding how data flows through your app, having a visual map that the AI also understands is surprisingly useful.
The Honest Truth
Both will generate decent React components from prompts. Both understand Tailwind. Both can scaffold landing pages and dashboards.
The difference? Cursor wants you in the driver's seat. Windsurf is happy to take the wheel.
If you're working on frontend projects and want to leverage vibe coding best practices, either tool can get you there. But your workflow preference matters more than feature checklists.
Which IDE is Better for Vibe Coding?
Speaking of vibe coding—let's address the elephant in the room.
Vibe coding (describing what you want in natural language and letting AI generate the code) works differently in each tool:
Cursor's vibe coding flow: You write a prompt, Cursor suggests code, you accept/reject/modify, repeat. You're reviewing every step. This is great if you want to learn what the AI is doing or if you're worried about vibe coding mistakes slipping through.
Windsurf's vibe coding flow: You write a prompt, Cascade takes over, executes multiple steps, and presents you with the finished result. You review the outcome, not every step. This is faster when it works—and occasionally frustrating when it doesn't.
My take? If you're new to vibe coding, Cursor's more controlled approach helps you learn. If you're experienced and want maximum speed, Windsurf's agentic approach can be incredible.
And hey—if you want to try vibe coding without installing anything, tools like 0xMinds let you generate React components directly from prompts in your browser. No IDE setup required.
Want to try this yourself?
Pros and Cons Summary
Cursor ✅
Pros:
- Familiar VS Code experience (zero learning curve)
- Precise, predictable AI suggestions
- Excellent tab completion speed
- Strong community and ecosystem
- Better for learning AI-assisted coding
Cons:
- Cursor-only (can't use other IDEs)
- $5/month more expensive
- Less autonomous—you do more work
- Limited enterprise compliance options
Windsurf ✅
Pros:
- Cheaper at every tier
- Works with 40+ IDEs
- Truly agentic AI that executes multi-step tasks
- Superior enterprise security (HIPAA, FedRAMP)
- Backed by Cognition (Devin team)
- Proprietary SWE-1.5 model is blazing fast
Cons:
- More unpredictable—agent can go off-rails
- Steeper learning curve for Cascade
- Recent acquisition means uncertain future direction
- Intense work culture at Cognition (80+ hour weeks reported)
The Verdict: Which Should You Actually Choose?
Here's my honest recommendation after months of using both:
Choose Cursor if:
- You're a VS Code power user and don't want to change habits
- You prefer reviewing AI suggestions before they hit your code
- You work on smaller projects (under ~50 files)
- You want predictability over speed
- You're learning AI-assisted development
Choose Windsurf if:
- You work with large, complex codebases
- You trust AI to execute multi-step tasks autonomously
- Your company requires HIPAA/FedRAMP compliance
- You want to use JetBrains or other IDEs with AI features
- You're comfortable with occasional AI mistakes for faster throughput
Or consider neither for quick frontend generation. If you just need a landing page, dashboard, or React component and don't want to set up a whole IDE, vibe coding platforms like 0xMinds, v0, or Lovable generate production-ready frontend code from prompts in seconds. Different tool for a different job.
Final Thoughts
The Cursor vs Windsurf debate will rage on through 2025 and beyond. Both tools are genuinely excellent—we're living in an incredible time for AI-assisted development.
But here's what I've learned: the best AI IDE is the one you'll actually use. Download both free tiers. Spend a week with each. Pay attention to which one makes you feel more productive, not just which one has more features.
And remember—Cursor vs Windsurf is a 2025 problem. Who knows what we'll be comparing this time next year. The AI coding space moves fast. Don't overthink it; pick one and start shipping.
Whatever you choose, understanding context engineering will make you more effective with any AI coding tool. The models are only as good as the context you give them.
Now stop reading comparisons and go build something.
Still exploring AI frontend tools? Check out our Figma to Code guide for design-to-development workflows, or see our Google AI Studio tutorial for another powerful vibe coding option.