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AI · head to head

Modal vs Windsurf

Modal logo

Modal

AI

Cloud functions for AI and ML

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Windsurf logo

Windsurf

Software Development

The agentic IDE

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Each has a real cost: Modal the Team plan carries a $250 monthly base fee and returns only $100 of that as free credits, so $150 is a flat charge before any compute; Windsurf recently rebranded to Devin Desktop, creating product identity confusion
  • They diverge on capability: Modal covers Serverless GPUs, Windsurf covers Cascade AI agent.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Modal and Windsurf actually diverge.

Attributes where Modal and Windsurf differ
AttributeModalWindsurf
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsCloud, ApimacOS, Linux, Windows
CategoryAISoftware Development

Identical on both: starting price (Free), free tier (Yes), user rating (Not yet rated), founded (2021).

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 Modal

  • Serverless GPUs
  • Python functions
  • Auto-scaling
  • Fast cold starts
  • Python SDK
  • GitHub Actions
  • Cloud storage
  • Cloud support

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.

Modal

  • Running serverless GPU workloads for model inference and trainingnot Windsurf
  • Executing Python functions on cloud compute without managing serversnot Windsurf

Windsurf

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

Where each one falls short

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

Modal

  • The Team plan carries a $250 monthly base fee and returns only $100 of that as free credits, so $150 is a flat charge before any compute
  • Compute is billed per second across separate GPU and CPU meters, so total cost depends on execution time rather than any fixed rate
  • The Starter plan's $30 monthly free credit is the only allowance below the paid base fee
  • Enterprise volume discounts are custom and unpublished

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

Modal

Free
  • StarterFree
    • 3 seats
    • 100 containers
    • 10 GPU concurrency
  • Team$250/month
    • Unlimited seats
    • 5,000 containers
    • 50 GPU concurrency
  • Enterprise$null/custom
    • Custom seats, containers, and GPU concurrency

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 Modal if

  • You need serverless gpus.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Cloud, Api.
  • You also want python functions.
Modal 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 Modal or Windsurf better?
Neither clearly leads. Modal 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, Modal or Windsurf?
Modal starts at Free and Windsurf at Free.
Does Modal or Windsurf run on more platforms?
Modal runs on Cloud, Api. Windsurf runs on macOS, Linux, Windows.
Can I use Modal for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Modal best used for?
Modal is most often used for running serverless gpu workloads for model inference and training, executing python functions on cloud compute without managing servers. Of those, running serverless gpu workloads for model inference and training and executing python functions on cloud compute without managing servers are not what Windsurf is typically brought in for.
What can Modal do that Windsurf cannot?
Modal covers Serverless GPUs, Python functions, Auto-scaling, Fast cold starts. Windsurf covers Cascade AI agent, Agentic programming, Context-aware assistance, Automated command execution.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Modal: How much does Modal cost?

Modal uses pay-as-you-go pricing with Team plan at 250 USD/month base. Starter includes 30 USD/month free credits; Team includes 100 USD/month free credits. Compute charges per second for CPU cores, memory, and GPU instances.

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
Modal: Is there a free tier?

Yes, Starter plan is free plus 30 USD/month in compute credits included monthly for new users.

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
Modal: What are the seat limits?

Starter plan includes 3 seats; Team plan provides unlimited seats; Enterprise tier has custom seat allocations.

Source
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