Windsurf vs Cursor - which is the better AI code editor?
AI Summary
Wind Surf vs. Cursor AI IDE Comparison
Wind Surf
- Built-in agent called Cascade, similar to Cursor’s agent mode.
- Cleaner, simpler UI, considered more polished.
- Cheaper starting price at $15 per seat.
- Supports AI-driven auto-completions, chatting with codebase, and multi-file editing.
- Inline editing of code with AI.
- Uses Claw 3.5 Sonet for complex tasks.
- Simple, easy-to-use, beginner-friendly.
- Agentic mode by default, indexes and pools code as needed.
- Runs commands without cluttering UI with buttons and code diffs.
- AI generations written to disk before approval, allowing real-time dev server updates.
- Customizable UI with a revert button for easy rollback.
- Supports vs code extensions.
Cursor
- More manual control with a default to normal composer mode.
- Shows inline code diffs.
- Supports multi-tabbing for related code changes.
- AI button for various features like error fixing and debugging.
- Hijacks command K in the terminal, which can be inconvenient.
- Robust context management with the ability to include documentation, web pages, branches, commits, and web searches.
- Automatically generates commit messages, customizable with cursor rules.
- Experimental bug finder feature with usage-based pricing.
- Supports vs code extensions.
Common Features
- Both IDEs use smaller models for minor edits and inline completions.
- Both allow custom rules for completions.
- Both support full terminal functionality with syntax highlighting.
Personal Preference
- Wind Surf: Simpler, more intuitive, polished UI, lower starting price, better for beginners or those who prefer UI polish.
- Cursor: Loaded with power features, more robust at context management, preferred for those who value these features despite potential UI glitches.
Additional Notes
- Both IDEs are forks of vs code and support vs code extensions.
- The author’s full in-depth review is available on their blog.
- The author invites readers to participate in the state of AI survey and share their favorite AI IDEs.
Conclusion
- Both Wind Surf and Cursor are capable AI IDEs with their own strengths.
- Choice between the two may depend on user preference for simplicity and UI polish (Wind Surf) or advanced features and robust context management (Cursor).