App Comparison · category peers
Cursor vs Windsurf
Systematic comparison of Cursor and Windsurf across deployment, access, interfaces, automation, and sourced product capabilities. Green highlights mark stronger normalized product-surface values; qualitative tradeoffs remain neutral.
Product Surface
Side-by-Side App Facts
| Field | Cursor | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Developer | Anysphere | Windsurf |
| Category | Coding agent | Coding agent |
| Lifecycle | Active | Active |
| Released | Unknown | Unknown |
| Access | Proprietary | Proprietary |
| License | Unknown | Unknown |
| Self-hostable | No | No |
| Local execution | Yes | Yes |
| Cloud execution | Yes | Yes |
| Platforms | macOS, Windows, Linux, Web, iOS, Android | macOS, Windows, Linux |
| Interfaces | IDE, CLI, Web, Mobile | IDE, CLI |
| Model access | Cursor-managed and supported frontier models | Windsurf-managed and supported frontier models |
| Automation | Background agents, parallel agents, and command-line runs | Cascade workflows, rules, memories, and tool calls |
| Multi-agent | Yes | Unknown |
| Persistent memory | Yes | Yes |
| MCP support | Yes | Yes |
| Pricing | Free and paid individual and business plans | Free and paid individual and team plans |
14 comparable fields · 6 material differences · Editorially curated pair with developer-owned primary sources
Decision Notes
- Local deployment
- Cursor: local execution documented support, self-hosting recorded as unsupported. Windsurf: local execution documented support, self-hosting recorded as unsupported. Running locally does not imply that the complete product can be self-hosted; unknowns are not evidence of support or lack of support. View evidence →
- Workflow fit
- For your workflow, check the documented interfaces that differ: Cursor, Web, Mobile; Windsurf, no additional interface recorded. Absence from the sourced list does not prove an interface is unavailable. View evidence →
- Billing constraints
- Cursor: Free and paid individual and business plans. Windsurf: Free and paid individual and team plans. These plan descriptions do not establish a comparable cost per task. Check credit limits, included models and billing terms in the developer sources before choosing. View evidence →
Shared Surface
Overlapping Documented Capabilities
Developer Evidence
Sources and Freshness
Questions
Cursor vs Windsurf FAQs
Is Cursor or Windsurf better for coding?+
Model Markets does not currently publish a normalized coding-quality benchmark for apps. Cursor documents 7 capabilities and Windsurf documents 6; compare their shared capabilities, interfaces, execution modes, and model access rather than treating feature count as coding quality.
Can Cursor or Windsurf run locally?+
Both document support.
Does Cursor or Windsurf support MCP?+
Both document support.
Which supports multi-agent workflows and persistent memory?+
Multi-agent: Cursor is the only one currently documented with support. Persistent memory: Both document support.
Is Cursor or Windsurf open source?+
Cursor uses a proprietary access model; Windsurf uses a proprietary access model.
Which platforms support Cursor and Windsurf?+
Cursor: macOS, Windows, Linux, Web, iOS, and Android. Windsurf: macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Can Cursor and Windsurf run in the cloud?+
Both document cloud execution.
How can I interact with Cursor and Windsurf?+
Cursor documents IDE, CLI, Web, and Mobile; Windsurf documents IDE and CLI.
Which has more integrations, Cursor or Windsurf?+
Cursor has 3 documented integrations; Windsurf has 3. Integration count measures sourced breadth, not depth or reliability.
How does pricing differ between Cursor and Windsurf?+
Cursor: Free and paid individual and business plans. Windsurf: Free and paid individual and team plans. These qualitative plan descriptions are not ranked as if they were equivalent prices.