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Rootly vs Windsurf

Rootly logo

Rootly

Logging

AI-native incident management with automation, on-call, and root cause analysis

From
$20/user-month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Windsurf logo

Windsurf

Software Development

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: Rootly pricing higher than some competitors for basic features; Windsurf recently rebranded to Devin Desktop, creating product identity confusion
  • They diverge on capability: Rootly covers AI SRE automation, Windsurf covers Cascade AI agent.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Rootly and Windsurf actually diverge.

Attributes where Rootly and Windsurf differ
AttributeRootlyWindsurf
Starting price$20/user-monthFree
Pricing modelsubscriptionUnknown
Free tierNoYes
PlatformsWeb, Mobile, Slack, Microsoft TeamsmacOS, Linux, Windows
CategoryLoggingSoftware Development
Founded20202021

Identical on both: 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 Rootly

  • AI SRE automation
  • Alert routing
  • On-call management
  • Incident response
  • Call routing
  • AI meeting bot
  • Status pages

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.

Rootly

  • Automate on-call and incident response workflowsnot Windsurf
  • Run root cause analysis with AI assistancenot Windsurf
  • Track and improve Mean Time to Mitigation (MTTR)not Windsurf
  • Coordinate response across distributed teamsnot Windsurf
  • Learn from post-incident retrospectivesnot Windsurf

Windsurf

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

Where each one falls short

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

Rootly

  • Pricing higher than some competitors for basic features
  • AI SRE features require separate contact-sales engagement
  • Learning curve for advanced automation features
  • Per-user pricing increases costs as team grows

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

Rootly

$20/user-month
  • Incident Response Essentials$20/user-month
    • Response with Slack integration
    • @Rootly AI Chat
    • AI Similar Incidents detection
  • Incident Response Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • All Essentials features
    • Custom forms and incident types
    • Private incidents
  • On-Call Essentials$20/user-month
    • Alert grouping and routing
    • Live call routing (1 phone number)
    • Schedules and escalation policies
  • On-Call Enterprise$undefined/custom
    • All Essentials features
    • 5 phone numbers for call routing
    • Unlimited schedules

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 Rootly if

  • You need ai sre automation.
  • You work on Web, Mobile, Slack, Microsoft Teams.
  • You also want alert routing.
Rootly 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 Rootly or Windsurf better?
Neither clearly leads. Rootly starts at $20/user-month and Windsurf at Free, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Rootly or Windsurf?
Windsurf has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at $20/user-month for Rootly and Free for Windsurf.
Does Rootly or Windsurf run on more platforms?
Rootly runs on Web, Mobile, Slack, Microsoft Teams. 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. Rootly starts at $20/user-month.
What is Rootly best used for?
Rootly is most often used for automate on-call and incident response workflows, run root cause analysis with ai assistance, track and improve mean time to mitigation (mttr), coordinate response across distributed teams. Of those, automate on-call and incident response workflows and run root cause analysis with ai assistance are not what Windsurf is typically brought in for.
What can Rootly do that Windsurf cannot?
Rootly covers AI SRE automation, Alert routing, On-call management, Incident response. Windsurf covers Cascade AI agent, Agentic programming, Context-aware assistance, Automated command execution.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Rootly: How much does Rootly cost?

Rootly charges $20/user/month for both Incident Response and On-Call Essentials plans. Enterprise plans require contacting sales. Startups under 100 employees with less than $50M raised get up to 50% discount.

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
Rootly: What is Rootly AI SRE?

AI SRE is an advanced feature that provides automated root cause analysis, alert correlation with system changes, impact analysis, and remediation suggestions. Pricing requires contact with sales.

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
Rootly: Does Rootly integrate with Slack?

Yes, Rootly natively integrates with Slack for incident response workflows, allowing teams to manage incidents directly in Slack.

Source
Rootly: Are there discounts for small companies?

Yes, startups under 100 employees or less than 25 employees can get special pricing up to 50% discount. Contact Rootly sales for details.

Source
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