What Is Windsurf?
Windsurf is an AI-powered code editor developed by Codeium. Its flagship feature, Cascade, acts as an autonomous coding agent that can plan tasks, read and write files, run terminal commands, and iterate on errors — all within the editor environment.
Windsurf vs. Cursor
| Feature | Windsurf | Cursor |
|---|---|---|
| Agentic feature | Cascade | Composer |
| Pro price | $15/month | $20/month |
| Free plan | More generous | Limited |
| Autocomplete model | Codeium (proprietary) | cursor-small |
| Terminal execution | Yes | Yes |
Cascade: Agentic Coding
Open Cascade with Cmd+L and describe your task: "Add a user settings page that lets users update their email and password. Use the existing Supabase auth setup and match the styling of existing dashboard pages."
Cascade will: read your existing files → plan the implementation → create or modify files → run necessary commands → report the result.
Flows: Pre-Built Workflows
Access via Cmd+Shift+P → Windsurf: Flows. Available flows include: Create React Component, Add REST API Endpoint, Write Unit Tests for File, Refactor to TypeScript.
Conclusion
Windsurf is a serious alternative to Cursor, particularly for developers who want a more autonomous agent for long tasks. The free plan is the most generous of any AI editor — try it for a week alongside Cursor to discover your preference.
