Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs Cursor is a fight between two AI-first editors that took the same idea in different directions. Windsurf was renamed Devin Desktop on June 2, 2026, and this comparison has been updated to match. Both are VS Code-style editors rebuilt around AI. Cursor leans into a polished, interactive coding experience. Devin Desktop leans into agents, with a command center for managing local and cloud agents and the ability to run other vendors' agents inside the editor. Both have a free tier and paid plans from about $20/month, and both are genuinely good. This guide covers how they differ and which fits your workflow.
Short answer: Cursor if you want the most refined hands-on AI editor, Devin Desktop if you want stronger agent automation, one place to manage several agents, and the option to offload work to the cloud.
What each one is
Cursor is a fork of VS Code with AI wired into every surface: repo-aware tab completion, an inline edit command, and a Composer agent for multi-file edits, plus background agents and a PR Bugbot. It's known for a smooth, interactive experience where AI is always at hand.
Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf, an agentic AI editor owned by Cognition (the company behind Devin) and originally built by Codeium. According to Devin's FAQ it is the same IDE with the same features under the Devin brand. Its default surface is now the Agent Command Center, a Kanban view for managing every local and cloud agent. Its main local agent, Devin Local, is the successor to Cascade and makes coordinated multi-file changes across your codebase, while Devin Cloud handles long autonomous tasks on its own machine.
Pricing
On individual plans the two are close. Both have a free tier and start at $20/month, and both offer higher-usage tiers above that. Devin Desktop's free tier is notably generous, with unlimited Tab completions and inline edits plus a light agent quota, while Cursor's free Hobby tier has limited agent requests.
- Devin Desktop: Free ($0), Pro ($20/month), Max ($200/month) for heavy agent use, Teams ($80/month plus $40/month per full developer seat), and custom Enterprise pricing.
- Cursor: a free Hobby tier, individual plans from $20/month, Teams at $40 per user per month, and custom Enterprise pricing.
For teams the gap has widened: Cursor lists $40 per user per month, while Devin Desktop adds an $80 monthly base on top of $40 per developer seat. Both companies change their plans often, so confirm current numbers on their pricing pages.
Devin Desktop's standout features
- Agent Command Center. The default surface: a Kanban view of every local and cloud agent, with Spaces that group sessions, pull requests, files, and context so agents can share it.
- Devin Local. The successor to Cascade, and Devin's next-generation local agent, shared with the Devin CLI. Devin says it is up to 30% more token-efficient and adds subagent support and sandboxing.
- Devin Cloud. The headline delegation feature: an autonomous, long-running Devin agent that works on its own machine in the cloud. It is the successor to the "Devin handoff" this comparison used to lead with, and it is included on Pro and higher plans.
- Other agents through ACP. Through the open Agent Client Protocol, agents such as Codex, Claude Agent, and OpenCode can run inside Devin Desktop and show up in the same Kanban view.
- Own models. Devin offers its own SWE models, and its pricing page currently lists free use of SWE-2 Free on Pro through October 10, 2026, with frontier models from OpenAI, Claude, and Gemini available on paid plans.
Cursor's standout features
- Interactive polish. The tab completion, inline edits, and overall flow are widely regarded as the smoothest hands-on AI editing experience.
- Composer. A reliable multi-file agent for coordinated edits inside the editor.
- Background agents and automations. Cloud agent VMs, scheduled or event-triggered automations, and a Bugbot that fixes issues on pull requests.
- Model flexibility. Switch between Claude, GPT, and Gemini per task.
Which should you choose?
Both are excellent AI editors at a similar individual price, so the tiebreaker is what you value.
Choose Devin Desktop if you want the strongest agentic story: a command center for managing several agents at once, Devin Local for whole-codebase changes, and Devin Cloud if offloading long tasks appeals to you. It is also the more open option, since it can host agents from other vendors, and its generous free tier makes it easy to try in earnest.
Choose Cursor if you want the most refined interactive experience, where AI-assisted typing and editing feel effortless, plus its own solid set of background agents. If most of your time is spent actively coding rather than delegating, Cursor's polish tends to win, and for larger teams its lower listed seat price is worth weighing.
As with the other tools in this space, the honest move is to try both, both have free tiers, and keep the one whose default rhythm matches yours. For the full landscape, see the best AI coding tools guide, a deeper look at Devin Desktop in Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf), and the agent-first alternative in Claude Code vs Cursor.
Frequently asked questions
Is Devin Desktop the same as Windsurf?
Yes. Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf. Cognition renamed it on June 2, 2026, and according to Devin's FAQ it is the same IDE and the same features, with plans, pricing, extensions, and settings carried over.
Is Devin Desktop (Windsurf) better than Cursor?
Devin Desktop leans more agentic (the Agent Command Center, Devin Local, Devin Cloud), while Cursor leans more into a polished interactive editing experience. Both are strong at a similar individual price; the better one depends on whether you value automation or hands-on flow.
Is Devin Desktop cheaper than Cursor?
On individual plans they're close: both have a free tier and start at $20/month. For teams, Cursor lists $40 per user per month, while Devin Desktop charges $80 per month plus $40 per developer seat. Devin Desktop's free tier is more generous, with unlimited Tab completions and inline edits.
What happened to Windsurf's Devin handoff?
It lives on as Devin Cloud, the autonomous, long-running Devin agent that works on its own machine in the cloud. You can start a task locally and delegate it from the same editor, and it is included on Pro and higher plans.
Do Devin Desktop and Cursor use the same models?
Both support frontier models from Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google. Devin Desktop also offers its own SWE models, and Cursor lets you switch providers per task.
Sources: Devin's announcement, its FAQ and pricing page, and Cursor's pricing page, checked on September 20, 2026.
