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Software · head to head

Dashlane vs Windsurf

Dashlane logo

Dashlane

Software

Password management made easy for businesses

From
$4.99/month
Rated
-
Windsurf logo

Windsurf

Software

The agentic IDE

From
Free
Rated
-

The short version

  • Only Windsurf has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Dashlane highest pricing among major password managers at $60/year with no monthly subscription option; Windsurf recently rebranded to Devin Desktop, creating product identity confusion
  • They diverge on capability: Dashlane covers Password manager, Windsurf covers Cascade AI agent.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Dashlane and Windsurf actually diverge.

Attributes where Dashlane and Windsurf differ
AttributeDashlaneWindsurf
Starting price$4.99/monthFree
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser ExtensionsmacOS, Linux, Windows
Founded20092021

Identical on both: pricing model (Unknown), 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 Dashlane

  • Password manager
  • Digital wallet
  • Dark web monitoring
  • VPN for WiFi protection
  • Two-factor authentication
  • Password generator
  • Secure sharing
  • Security dashboard

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.

Dashlane

  • Password managementnot Windsurf
  • Identity protectionnot Windsurf
  • Secure credential sharingnot Windsurf
  • Compliance requirementsnot Windsurf
  • VPN protectionnot Windsurf

Windsurf

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

Where each one falls short

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

Dashlane

  • Highest pricing among major password managers at $60/year with no monthly subscription option
  • Restricted free tier with only 25 passwords on single device compared to Bitwarden's unlimited free tier
  • No traditional desktop application, users must rely on browser extension or mobile apps
  • Closed-source code prevents independent security verification unlike open-source competitors
  • Limited 2FA options supporting only authenticator apps, not biometric or SMS authentication

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

Dashlane

$4.99/month
  • Premium$4.99/month
    • Secure vault
    • Password generation

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 Dashlane if

  • You need password manager.
  • You work on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser Extensions.
  • You also want digital wallet.

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 Dashlane or Windsurf better?
Neither clearly leads. Dashlane starts at $4.99/month and Windsurf at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Dashlane or Windsurf?
Windsurf has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $4.99/month for Dashlane and Free for Windsurf.
Does Dashlane or Windsurf run on more platforms?
Dashlane runs on Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, Browser Extensions. 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. Dashlane starts at $4.99/month.
What is Dashlane best used for?
Dashlane is most often used for password management, identity protection, secure credential sharing, compliance requirements. Of those, password management and identity protection are not what Windsurf is typically brought in for.
What can Dashlane do that Windsurf cannot?
Dashlane covers Password manager, Digital wallet, Dark web monitoring, VPN for WiFi protection. Windsurf covers Cascade AI agent, Agentic programming, Context-aware assistance, Automated command execution.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Dashlane: What happened to Dashlane's free plan?

Dashlane discontinued its free plan in September 2025. The entry-level plan now starts at $4.99/month (billed annually) for Premium, or businesses can use a 30-day money-back guarantee to test the service.

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
Dashlane: What platforms does Dashlane support?

Dashlane is available on Windows, macOS, iOS, Android, and Chromebook. Browser extensions work with Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera, and Brave. However, Dashlane no longer has a traditional desktop application.

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
Dashlane: Does Dashlane support SSO integration?

Yes, Dashlane integrates with SAML 2.0 Identity Providers for SSO, plus SCIM for user provisioning and deprovisioning. However, the Safari browser extension does not support self-hosted SSO due to Apple limitations.

Source

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