Side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right tool
Cursor excels as a highly productive AI coding assistant with broad model support and a strong free tier, making it excellent for individual developers and students. Windsurf, while also a capable AI coding tool, emphasizes enterprise readiness with specific compliance and advanced agent features, making it more suited for businesses prioritizing security and workflow automation.
We've analyzed Cursor, Windsurf, and dozens of other tools to find the top performers for your specific needs.
Quick recommendations based on your use case
Cursor
Cursor's generous freemium offering and comprehensive AI coding assistance make it highly accessible and beneficial for students learning to code.
Windsurf
Windsurf's explicit mention of SOC2 and GDPR compliance, along with enterprise-grade security and features like MCP support, positions it as a stronger choice for businesses.
Cursor
Cursor offers a robust freemium tier with extensive AI coding features and support for multiple leading AI models, making it ideal for individual developers.
| Specification | Cursor | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| model | GPT-5, Claude Sonnet 4.5, Claude Opus 4.5, Gemini 3 Pro, Grok | GPT 5.2, Opus 4.5, SWE-1.5 |
| users | Millions of professional developers | 1M+ |
| security | Enterprise | Enterprise, SOC2, GDPR |
| platforms | Web, Mac, Windows | Web, Windows, JetBrains IDEs |
| context window | N/A | N/A |
| gdpr compliant | N/A | ✓ Yes |
| soc2 compliant | N/A | ✓ Yes |
| enterprise features | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
| free tier allowance | N/A | N/A |