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Airbrake vs Windsurf

Airbrake logo

Airbrake

Logging

Error Tracking and Performance Monitoring

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Windsurf logo

Windsurf

Software Development

The agentic IDE

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Airbrake data retention is 30 days on every plan, including the $799 a month Business tier; Windsurf recently rebranded to Devin Desktop, creating product identity confusion
  • They diverge on capability: Airbrake covers Error tracking, Windsurf covers Cascade AI agent.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Airbrake and Windsurf actually diverge.

Attributes where Airbrake and Windsurf differ
AttributeAirbrakeWindsurf
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
PlatformsWeb, ApimacOS, Linux, Windows
CategoryLoggingSoftware Development
Founded20082021

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Airbrake

  • Error tracking
  • Performance monitoring
  • Deploy tracking
  • Custom notifications
  • API
  • Webhooks
  • REST
  • Web support

Only in Windsurf

  • Cascade AI agent
  • Agentic programming
  • Context-aware assistance
  • Automated command execution
  • Multi-file understanding
  • Intelligent code generation
  • Real-time debugging
  • Integrated terminal

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Airbrake

  • Error and exception monitoring for web applicationsnot Windsurf
  • Performance monitoring alongside error trackingnot Windsurf
  • Alerting a team when a deploy introduces a spike in errorsnot Windsurf
  • Tracking errors across multiple projects in one accountnot Windsurf

Windsurf

  • Agentic developmentnot Airbrake
  • AI-assisted codingnot Airbrake
  • Complex project managementnot Airbrake
  • Automated coding tasksnot Airbrake
  • Learning new codebasesnot Airbrake

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Airbrake

  • Data retention is 30 days on every plan, including the $799 a month Business tier
  • The entry plan at $19 a month covers 25,000 errors and 7,500 events
  • Errors beyond the plan quota are billed on demand
  • Audit logs and spike forgiveness require the Pro tier
  • The lowest tier is limited to 1 user and 1 team

Windsurf

  • Recently rebranded to Devin Desktop, creating product identity confusion
  • Cascade agent reached end-of-life on July 1, 2026, requiring migration to Devin Local
  • Free tier quota runs out quickly for active developers, within a couple days of coding
  • Pricing increased significantly in March 2026 overhaul, moving from credit-based to daily/weekly quotas
  • OpenAI acquisition raises concerns about long-term product direction diverging from Codeium's vision

Pricing, plan by plan

Airbrake

Free
  • Tier 1 (Dev + errors)$19/month
    • 25,000 errors per month
    • 1 user
    • 1 team
  • Tier 2 (Basic + errors)$38/month
    • 100,000 errors per month
    • Unlimited users
    • 3 teams
  • Pro$76/month
    • Unlimited users
    • Unlimited teams
    • Unlimited projects
  • Tier 5 (Growth)$299/month
    • 1 million errors per month

Windsurf

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Light daily and weekly quotas
    • Unlimited tab autocomplete
    • Access to Cascade AI agent
  • Pro$20/month
    • Standard quotas
    • Windsurf proprietary SWE model
    • Cloud sessions for background work
  • Max$200/month
    • Heavy daily quotas
    • Long agent sessions
    • Frontier third-party models
  • Teams$40/month-per-user
    • All Pro features
    • Centralized billing
    • Usage analytics

Which should you pick?

Choose Airbrake if

  • You need error tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want performance monitoring.
Airbrake review

Choose Windsurf if

  • You need cascade ai agent.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on macOS, Linux, Windows.
  • You also want agentic programming.
Windsurf review

Questions people ask

Is Airbrake or Windsurf better?
Neither clearly leads. Airbrake starts at Free and Windsurf at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Airbrake or Windsurf?
Airbrake starts at Free and Windsurf at Free.
Does Airbrake or Windsurf run on more platforms?
Airbrake runs on Web, Api. Windsurf runs on macOS, Linux, Windows.
Can I use Airbrake for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Airbrake best used for?
Airbrake is most often used for error and exception monitoring for web applications, performance monitoring alongside error tracking, alerting a team when a deploy introduces a spike in errors, tracking errors across multiple projects in one account. Of those, error and exception monitoring for web applications and performance monitoring alongside error tracking are not what Windsurf is typically brought in for.
What can Airbrake do that Windsurf cannot?
Airbrake covers Error tracking, Performance monitoring, Deploy tracking, Custom notifications. Windsurf covers Cascade AI agent, Agentic programming, Context-aware assistance, Automated command execution.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Airbrake: What is the lowest-cost Airbrake plan and what does it include?

Tier 1 costs $19 per month and includes 25,000 errors per month, 1 user seat, 1 team, and unlimited projects. This plan targets individual developers. A 10% discount applies when paying annually ($17.10 per month).

Source
Windsurf: Does Windsurf support MCP (Model Context Protocol) integrations?

Yes. Windsurf supports MCP with integrations for 21 third-party tools for extending functionality and connecting to external systems.

Source
Airbrake: Which Airbrake plan is marked as the best value?

The Pro plan at $76 per month is marked as Best Value. It includes unlimited users, unlimited teams, unlimited projects, audit logs, and spike forgiveness. Annual billing provides a 10% discount ($68 per month).

Source
Windsurf: What is Windsurf's current status as of 2026?

Windsurf rebranded to Devin Desktop in June 2026 and is backed by OpenAI after its 2025 acquisition. Cascade reached end-of-life on July 1, 2026, with Devin Local as the Rust-rewritten successor.

Source
Airbrake: How many errors per month does each Airbrake tier allow?

Tier 1 allows 25,000 errors per month at $19/month. Tier 2 allows 100,000 errors at $38/month. Tier 4 allows 300,000 errors at $129/month. Tier 5 allows 1 million errors at $299/month. Tier 6 allows 5 million errors at $799/month.

Source
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