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Greenhouse vs Windsurf

Greenhouse logo

Greenhouse

Software

Hiring software for growing companies

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Windsurf logo

Windsurf

Software

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: Greenhouse core plan lacks talent discovery and contact lookups; Windsurf recently rebranded to Devin Desktop, creating product identity confusion
  • They diverge on capability: Greenhouse covers Applicant tracking, Windsurf covers Cascade AI agent.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Greenhouse and Windsurf actually diverge.

Attributes where Greenhouse and Windsurf differ
AttributeGreenhouseWindsurf
Starting priceOn requestFree
Pricing modelquoteUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Ios, Android, ApimacOS, Linux, Windows
Founded20122021

Identical on both: 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 Greenhouse

  • Applicant tracking
  • Interview scheduling
  • Scorecard system
  • Job board posting
  • Candidate CRM
  • Reporting & analytics
  • Offer management
  • EEO compliance

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

Both cover

  • Data encryption

What people use each for

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

Greenhouse

  • Applicant tracking system for structured hiringnot Windsurf
  • AI-powered interview notetaking and sourcingnot Windsurf

Windsurf

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

Where each one falls short

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

Greenhouse

  • Core plan lacks talent discovery and contact lookups
  • Core plan lacks email automation and applicant texting
  • Plus plan lacks resume anonymisation and application limits
  • Plus plan lacks audit logging and developer tools
  • Pricing customised by hiring volume and company size, not published
  • Only Pro tier offers audit logs and developer sandbox

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

Greenhouse

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Greenhouse 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 Greenhouse if

  • You need applicant tracking.
  • You work on Web, Ios, Android, Api.
  • You also want interview scheduling.
Greenhouse 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 Greenhouse or Windsurf better?
Neither clearly leads. Greenhouse 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, Greenhouse or Windsurf?
Windsurf has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at On request for Greenhouse and Free for Windsurf.
Does Greenhouse or Windsurf run on more platforms?
Greenhouse runs on Web, Ios, Android, Api. 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. Greenhouse starts at On request.
What is Greenhouse best used for?
Greenhouse is most often used for applicant tracking system for structured hiring, ai-powered interview notetaking and sourcing. Of those, applicant tracking system for structured hiring and ai-powered interview notetaking and sourcing are not what Windsurf is typically brought in for.
What can Greenhouse do that Windsurf cannot?
Greenhouse covers Applicant tracking, Interview scheduling, Scorecard system, Job board posting. Windsurf covers Cascade AI agent, Agentic programming, Context-aware assistance, Automated command execution. Both handle Data encryption.

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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Related pages

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