Windsurf alternatives in 2026: Windsurf is now Devin Desktop. Stay or switch?

Updated 2026-10-17 · 8 min read

Verdict: Windsurf wasn't shut down. It was renamed Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) on June 2, 2026, and Devin says plans and pricing didn't change. If the rename is your only reason to leave, you probably don't need to. If you do want to switch: Cursor for the closest AI editor ($8 Plus, but Claude/GPT cost extra), Google Antigravity for $0, GitHub Copilot ($10 Pro) to stay in VS Code or JetBrains, Claude Code if you want Claude models on a flat plan, Kiro for specs first, and Cline to choose your own model.

Tool	What it is	Pricing	Usage limits	Link
Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) checked 2026-10-17	AI code editor + agent manager (IDE); renamed from Windsurf on 2 Jun 2026. The former Windsurf editor, now with an agent command center for local and cloud Devin agents. Friendly for people moving up from no-code.	Free $0 (light quota) · Pro $20 · Max $200 per month · Teams from $80/mo (existing Windsurf Pro $15 grandfathered) source (opens in a new tab)	Daily + weekly quota (token-based; free models don't count). Pro: ~7–27 premium-plus, 8–101 premium or 47–190 lightweight messages/day (Mar 2026 estimate); Max: bigger weekly quota, no daily cap. source (opens in a new tab)	Visit Devin Desktop (opens in a new tab)
Cursor checked 2026-10-17	AI code editor (IDE). The VS Code-style editor with a strong built-in agent. Best all-rounder if you already read code.	Free $0 (limited) · Plus $8 (Grok models only) · Premium $30 · Super $100 · Ultra $200 per month source (opens in a new tab)	Usage pool shared with Grok that refreshes weekly: Plus = base (Grok models only), Premium 4x, Super 15x, Ultra 50x Plus. No per-message numbers published. source (opens in a new tab)	Visit Cursor (opens in a new tab)
Google Antigravity checked 2026-10-17	Agent IDE + Antigravity CLI (replaced Gemini CLI for free/AI Pro/Ultra users on 18 Jun 2026). Zero-cost agent IDE and CLI from Google. Gemini CLI stopped serving free and Google AI Pro/Ultra users on 18 Jun 2026; Antigravity CLI replaces it.	Free $0 (basic weekly limits) · paid tiers with higher limits (prices not listed when checked) source (opens in a new tab)	Free: 'basic weekly rate limits'; paid tiers get more plus a flexible AI credit pool. No numbers published. source (opens in a new tab)	Visit Google Antigravity (opens in a new tab)
GitHub Copilot checked 2026-10-17	AI assistant in VS Code/JetBrains + coding agent. Cheapest paid entry from a big vendor and works inside the editor you already use.	Free $0 (2,000 completions) · Pro $10 · Pro+ $39 · Max $100 per month; overage $0.01/AI credit source (opens in a new tab)	Free: 2,000 completions/mo + limited chat/agent. Pro: 1,500 AI credits/mo · Pro+: 7,000 · Max: 20,000. source (opens in a new tab)	Visit GitHub Copilot (opens in a new tab)
Claude Code checked 2026-10-17	Terminal/IDE coding agent. A powerful agent that works across a whole repo from your terminal or desktop app. Great for agents and big refactors.	Included in Claude Pro $20 ($17/mo annual) · Max from $100 (5x or 20x Pro) source (opens in a new tab)	Rolling 5-hour session limit + weekly limit, shared with Claude chat. Pro ≈ 10–40 Claude Code prompts per 5h (older Anthropic estimate); Max 5x/20x more per session. source (opens in a new tab)	Visit Claude Code (opens in a new tab)
Kiro checked 2026-10-17	Spec-driven agentic IDE + CLI (AWS). Writes a spec and task plan before coding, which helps keep bigger projects on track.	Free (50 credits) · Pro $20 (1,000) · Pro+ $40 · Pro Max $100 · Power $200 source (opens in a new tab)	Monthly credits, used fractionally per request: Free 50 (rate-limited, weekly quota), Pro 1,000, Pro+ 2,000, Pro Max 5,000, Power 10,000. source (opens in a new tab)	Visit Kiro (opens in a new tab)
Cline checked 2026-10-17	Open-source VS Code agent (bring your own key). Full control over which model you use and what you spend. Ideal for tinkerers and agent builders.	Free open-source extension; you pay only for model usage (or bring your own API key) source (opens in a new tab)	No plan limits: you pay your model provider per token (or use Cline's inference). Limits are your budget and provider rate limits. source (opens in a new tab)	Visit Cline (opens in a new tab)

What actually changed with Windsurf

The name: on June 2, 2026, Windsurf became Devin Desktop, delivered as a normal update. Devin calls it the same IDE and editor, with the same features, under the Devin brand. The Agent Command Center (Spaces, Kanban view, multi-agent management) is now the main view, and the classic editor is still there. Devin Desktop FAQ (opens in a new tab)
Pricing: Devin says your current plan keeps working and pricing is unchanged, including legacy Windsurf Enterprise plans. Devin Desktop FAQ (opens in a new tab)
The agent: Cascade is being replaced by Devin Local, which Devin says has an improved harness, up to 30% better token efficiency, subagents and sandboxing. Cascade stays available through July. Devin Local keeps the same pricing model as Cascade.
Settings and rules: Windsurf settings move across automatically. .windsurfrules and .windsurf/rules/ are still read, and .devin/rules/ is the new preferred location. It also reads AGENTS.md and can import .cursor/rules.
The terminal command: surf is replaced by devin-desktop, and the old command still ships for backward compatibility.
JetBrains: the Windsurf JetBrains plugin is in maintenance mode. Devin recommends switching to Devin over ACP. Devin Desktop FAQ (opens in a new tab)

Devin Desktop's plans (checked 2026-10-17)

Plan	Price	Usage
Free	$0	Limited usage
Pro	$20/month	Daily and weekly quota covering Devin sessions, CLI and Desktop, plus pay-as-you-go on-demand credits
Max	$200/month	A much larger weekly quota with no daily cap
Teams	$80/month minimum; full seats $40/month	Full seats get a Pro-equivalent quota and Desktop. Flex seats are free but have no Desktop access. Up to 200 members.

Purchased on-demand credits never expire. If you have an eligible ChatGPT Go, Plus or Pro plan, you can use it to pay for GPT model usage so it doesn't count against your Devin allowance. Devin pricing (opens in a new tab) Devin plans docs (opens in a new tab) Devin Desktop Teams vs other team plans.

Pick an alternative by reason

“I want the most similar AI editor”: Cursor

Plus is $8/month with Cursor's own Grok and Composer models only. Premium is $30, and on Premium and up Claude, GPT and Gemini are available at API list price from prepaid credit. Usage comes as a weekly pool shared with Grok apps. Cursor docs (opens in a new tab) Details: Cursor pricing explained.

“I want $0”: Google Antigravity

The $0 individual plan includes a variety of agent models, unlimited Tab completions, unlimited Command requests and basic weekly rate limits. Google Antigravity pricing (opens in a new tab)

“I'm on JetBrains or VS Code and want to stay”: GitHub Copilot

Free gives 2,000 completions a month. Pro is $10/month with 1,500 AI credits, and Pro+ is $39. GitHub Copilot plans (GitHub Docs) (opens in a new tab) Devin's own JetBrains route is now ACP rather than the old plugin.

“I want Claude models on a flat plan”: Claude Code

It comes with Claude Pro ($20/month, or $17/month billed annually) and runs in the terminal, VS Code, Cursor and other forks, and JetBrains. Claude Help Center (opens in a new tab) Details: Claude Code pricing explained.

“I want specs and plans first”: Kiro

Free has 50 credits. Paid plans are Pro $20, Pro+ $40, Pro Max $100 and Power $200, and Kiro works with ACP-compatible IDEs. Kiro pricing (opens in a new tab)

“I want to pick my own model”: Cline

The extension and CLI are free for individuals. You bring your own API keys or buy inference through Cline. Cline pricing (opens in a new tab)

Who should just stay on Devin Desktop

Stay if you liked Windsurf's editor, which is still there, or if you want local and cloud agents in one command center. Stay too if you also use Devin's cloud agents or Devin Review, since Teams full seats are $40/month and cover usage across all Devin products. Devin Desktop FAQ (opens in a new tab)

Switching checklist

Move rules into AGENTS.md. Devin Desktop, Codex and Antigravity CLI read it. Antigravity CLI docs (opens in a new tab)
Copy your MCP config. Devin keeps it at ~/.codeium/mcp_config.json.
Use up or keep your on-demand credits. They don't expire, so there's no rush.

The gamer angle

Devin Desktop supports MCP servers Devin Desktop docs (opens in a new tab), but it isn't on Roblox Studio's MCP quick-connect list. Cursor, Claude Code, Codex CLI and Antigravity are. Roblox MCP docs (opens in a new tab) For Unity and Godot, any agent that edits project files works. See how to make a game with AI.

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FAQ

Is Windsurf shutting down?

No. On June 2, 2026 Windsurf was renamed Devin Desktop. Devin says it's the same IDE with the same features, and that plans and pricing are unchanged.

Did Windsurf pricing change with the Devin Desktop rename?

Devin's FAQ says no. Current self-serve plans: Free, Pro $20/month, Max $200/month, Teams from $80/month (full seats $40) (checked 2026-10-17).

What replaced Cascade?

Devin Local, which Devin says has up to 30% better token efficiency, subagents and sandboxing. Cascade remains available through July.

What is the best free Windsurf alternative?

Google Antigravity's $0 individual plan, or GitHub Copilot Free (2,000 completions a month) if you want to stay in VS Code or JetBrains.

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