Cursor vs Windsurf: What is the best IDE IA?

Cursor and Windsurf are, at present, the most advanced native IA IA on the market. They accelerate development through an integrated agent approach.

The time when programs were developed in a simple text editor is over. With recent progress in artificial intelligence, IDEs now incorporate new features to generate code more quickly and effectively. If Visual Studio Code is still mainly used by senior developers, two new ones have appeared: Cursor and Windsurf. The latter were designed to use generative AI natively to simplify the generation of code. Their use has been exploding since this year. Comparative.

Very close features

Cursor and Windsurfs are both based on the Source code of VS code (open source). The two software therefore supports the majority of VS code extensions, themes and shortcuts. The interface is quite similar: a code editor, a terminal below and on the left part, an agency chatbot.

The two tools have agents capable of generating code, modifying and creating files or executing automatically (or not, depending on the parameters) BASH commands. Finally, the two FDIs offer intelligent code completions allowing to advance faster in a simple structure. The two interfaces being similar, the learning curve is quite equal. The main difference lies in the supported models and the proposed subscription formulas.

What are the supported models?

This is one of the main differences: Windsurf supports much fewer models than Cursor, at least natively. Since his takeover by Openai, Windsurf has seen his relations with Anthropic deteriorate. The American publisher of Claude has indeed cut access to its models in Windsurf. Officially, Anthropic claims to have capacity constraints and prefers to focus on more sustainable partnerships. Behind the scenes, it is rumored that Anthropic prefers not to provide its models to a company held by Openai, for fear of strengthening a direct competitor. In fact, it is no longer possible to use all Claude models with Windsurf. The only solution proposed by the IDE consists in informing his own key of API Claude and therefore paying for use in addition to the subscription to Windsurf. A real black point knowing that Claude 4 is the best agentic model for the code of the moment.

Really different pricing

On the Pricing part, the two FDIs are clearly different. Cursor relies on an “unlimited” approach which can seduce by its simplicity, but actually hides unusual use limits for the moment (the offer has been updated on June 17). If you exceed these hidden thresholds, the publisher will spend your requests in slow mode. Cursor is therefore the FDI to choose primarily if you plan to massively use the internal agent. For users with moderate use, Cursor’s pro subscription at 20 euros per month remains attractive. For users with intensive needs, Cursor offers an ultra formula at 200 euros per month, offering 20 times more fast queries than the PRO offer, which makes it possible to avoid flow limitations.

Windsurf uses a transparent credits system: 500 credits per month in pro, with the possibility of buying additional credits ($ 10 for 250 credits). Once the credits have been exhausted, the user must wait for the monthly renewal or buy additional credits. Positive point: Windsurf offers unlimited its owner model SWE-1. It is specially developed for software engineering with performances close to OpenAi or Google models.

Windsurf for Openai aficionados, Cursor for others

Cursor stands out as the ideal FDI for developers seeking versatility at a lower cost. With its exhaustive support of the models, in particular the native access to Claude 4 without additional cost and a truly unlimited agental mode, it is the most attractive solution for those who want a powerful IA tool without constraints of credits. Its “unlimited” approach will particularly appeal to intensive developers who wish to maximize their productivity without spending more than the initial formula.

For its part, Windsurf is positioned as a strategic alternative, especially for developers attracted by OpenAi technologies. Its owner model SWE-1, usable without limit, remains its main asset. In addition, his recent takeover by Openai suggests potentially exclusive future innovations.