Softwr

Software · head to head

Cody vs Windsurf

Cody logo

Cody

Software

AI coding assistant powered by code search

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Windsurf logo

Windsurf

Software

The agentic IDE

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Cody sourcegraph now publishes a single Enterprise plan starting at $16K, with no free or individual Pro tier listed on the pricing page; Windsurf recently rebranded to Devin Desktop, creating product identity confusion

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Cody and Windsurf actually diverge.

Attributes where Cody and Windsurf differ
AttributeCodyWindsurf
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWebmacOS, Linux, Windows
Founded20132021

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

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 Cody

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.

Cody

  • AI code assistance with context drawn from a whole private codebasenot Windsurf
  • Code search and navigation across many repositoriesnot Windsurf
  • Large scale code migrations and modernisation with Batch Changesnot Windsurf

Windsurf

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

Where each one falls short

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

Cody

  • Sourcegraph now publishes a single Enterprise plan starting at $16K, with no free or individual Pro tier listed on the pricing page
  • sourcegraph.com/cody redirects to the documentation rather than a Cody product or pricing page
  • AI features are metered as credits included per user, and exceeding the allocation requires buying a higher volume bucket
  • Volume credit buckets are sold as an add-on rather than included
  • A customer success manager and premium support are optional paid extras on top of the Enterprise plan
  • Standard support is 24x5 rather than 24x7, with round-the-clock coverage sold as an upgrade
  • The published $16K figure is a starting price that scales with team size, so the actual cost is quoted rather than listed

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

Cody

Free

No published plan breakdown. See the Cody 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 Cody if

  • You want to start without paying.
Cody 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 Cody or Windsurf better?
Neither clearly leads. Cody 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, Cody or Windsurf?
Cody starts at Free and Windsurf at Free.
Does Cody or Windsurf run on more platforms?
Cody runs on Web. Windsurf runs on macOS, Linux, Windows.
Can I use Cody for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Cody best used for?
Cody is most often used for ai code assistance with context drawn from a whole private codebase, code search and navigation across many repositories, large scale code migrations and modernisation with batch changes. Of those, ai code assistance with context drawn from a whole private codebase and code search and navigation across many repositories are not what Windsurf is typically brought in for.
What can Cody 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
ShareXLinkedInRedditWhatsAppEmail

Related pages

More on Cody

More on Windsurf

Keep looking

Other head to heads