Softwr

Software Development · head to head

Cline vs Windsurf

C

Cline

Software Development

The Open Coding Agent

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Windsurf logo

Windsurf

Software Development

The agentic IDE

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Windsurf has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Cline enterprise tier pricing is gated behind a sales contact; only the open source free tier and usage based inference credits are self serve, as of August 2026.; Windsurf recently rebranded to Devin Desktop, creating product identity confusion

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cline and Windsurf actually diverge.

Attributes where Cline and Windsurf differ
AttributeClineWindsurf
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWebmacOS, Linux, Windows
FoundedUnknown2021

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Software Development).

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 Cline

Nothing recorded that Windsurf does not also cover.

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.

Cline

No use cases recorded yet. See the Cline review.

Windsurf

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

Where each one falls short

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

Cline

  • Enterprise tier pricing is gated behind a sales contact; only the open source free tier and usage based inference credits are self serve, as of August 2026.

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

Cline

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Cline review.

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 Cline if

Nothing in the data separates Cline from Windsurf on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Cline 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 Cline or Windsurf better?
Neither clearly leads. Cline starts at On request and Windsurf at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Cline or Windsurf?
Windsurf has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Cline and Free for Windsurf.
Does Cline or Windsurf run on more platforms?
Cline runs on Web. Windsurf runs on macOS, Linux, Windows.
Can I use Windsurf for free?
Yes. Windsurf has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Cline starts at On request.
What can Cline do that Windsurf cannot?
Windsurf covers Cascade AI agent, Agentic programming, Context-aware assistance, Automated command execution.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

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
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
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