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Machine Learning · head to head

Comet ML vs Windsurf

Comet ML logo

Comet ML

Machine Learning

Platform for tracking, comparing, and optimizing ML experiments

From
Free
Rated
-
Windsurf logo

Windsurf

Software Development

The agentic IDE

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Comet ML the free cloud tier caps data at 25,000 spans a month with 60 day retention; Windsurf recently rebranded to Devin Desktop, creating product identity confusion
  • They diverge on capability: Comet ML covers Experiment tracking, Windsurf covers Cascade AI agent.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Comet ML and Windsurf actually diverge.

Attributes where Comet ML and Windsurf differ
AttributeComet MLWindsurf
Pricing modelfreemiumUnknown
PlatformsWeb, Linux, Mac, WindowsmacOS, Linux, Windows
CategoryMachine LearningSoftware Development
Founded20172021

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 Comet ML

  • Experiment tracking
  • Code versioning
  • Model registry
  • Hyperparameter optimization
  • Production monitoring
  • PyTorch
  • TensorFlow
  • Keras

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.

Comet ML

  • LLM observability and monitoringnot Windsurf
  • AI agent testing and debuggingnot Windsurf
  • Experiment tracking for machine learningnot Windsurf
  • Model registry and version managementnot Windsurf
  • ML model training monitoringnot Windsurf

Windsurf

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

Where each one falls short

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

Comet ML

  • The free cloud tier caps data at 25,000 spans a month with 60 day retention
  • Retention stays at 60 days even on the paid Pro plan, and extending it is a $29 per 100k spans add on
  • Overage on Pro is $5 per additional 100,000 spans
  • The free MLOps tier is a single user with 100 GB of storage and training hours governed by a fair usage policy
  • Pro MLOps is $19 per user per month and caps the team at 10 users

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

Comet ML

Free
  • Free CloudFree
    • Up to 10 team members
    • 25,000 spans per month
    • 60-day data retention
  • Pro Cloud$19/month
    • Up to 50 team members
    • 100,000 spans per month
    • 60-day data retention
  • MLOps FreeFree
    • 1 user with fair usage policy
    • Experiment tracking
    • Dataset management
  • MLOps Pro$19/user/month
    • Up to 10 users
    • 1,500 training hours included
    • 500GB storage included

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 Comet ML if

  • You need experiment tracking.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Web, Linux, Mac, Windows.
  • You also want code versioning.

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.

Questions people ask

Is Comet ML or Windsurf better?
Neither clearly leads. Comet ML 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, Comet ML or Windsurf?
Comet ML starts at Free and Windsurf at Free.
Does Comet ML or Windsurf run on more platforms?
Comet ML runs on Web, Linux, Mac, Windows. Windsurf runs on macOS, Linux, Windows.
Can I use Comet ML for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Comet ML best used for?
Comet ML is most often used for llm observability and monitoring, ai agent testing and debugging, experiment tracking for machine learning, model registry and version management. Of those, llm observability and monitoring and ai agent testing and debugging are not what Windsurf is typically brought in for.
What can Comet ML do that Windsurf cannot?
Comet ML covers Experiment tracking, Code versioning, Model registry, Hyperparameter optimization. Windsurf covers Cascade AI agent, Agentic programming, Context-aware assistance, Automated command execution.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Comet ML: Does Comet.ml offer a free plan?

Yes, Comet.ml offers free tiers for both Opik (cloud observability) and MLOps platforms. Free Cloud Opik includes up to 10 team members and 25,000 spans/month. Free MLOps tier is limited to 1 user.

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
Comet ML: How many team members can use the free Comet.ml tier?

Free Cloud supports up to 10 team members. The Pro Cloud plan supports up to 50 team members at $19/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
Comet ML: What is a span in Comet.ml pricing?

A span represents a single tracked operation such as model requests or function calls. Free Cloud tier includes 25,000 spans per month.

Source
Comet ML: Does Comet.ml offer academic pricing?

Yes, a free Pro plan is available for academic users; verification is required via signup.

Source
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