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AI · head to head

Together AI vs Windsurf

Together AI logo

Together AI

AI

Open-source AI at scale

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: Together AI free tier limits not clearly specified in pricing documentation; Windsurf recently rebranded to Devin Desktop, creating product identity confusion
  • They diverge on capability: Together AI covers Open-source models, Windsurf covers Cascade AI agent.
  • Prices and features above were last checked on 30 August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Together AI and Windsurf actually diverge.

Attributes where Together AI and Windsurf differ
AttributeTogether AIWindsurf
Pricing modelusage-basedUnknown
PlatformsApi, CloudmacOS, Linux, Windows
CategoryAISoftware Development
Founded20222021

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 Together AI

  • Open-source models
  • Fine-tuning
  • Fast inference
  • Embeddings
  • REST API
  • Python SDK
  • OpenAI compatible
  • Api 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.

Together AI

  • LLM inference for production AI applicationsnot Windsurf
  • Content generation at scalenot Windsurf
  • Code execution and embeddingsnot Windsurf
  • Model fine-tuning and trainingnot Windsurf
  • Startup and enterprise AI deploymentnot Windsurf

Windsurf

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

Where each one falls short

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

Together AI

  • Free tier limits not clearly specified in pricing documentation
  • Pricing varies significantly by model and use case
  • Requires account setup for production access
  • Batch API discounts apply only to non-urgent workloads

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

Together AI

Free
  • Serverless Inference$0.03/1M input tokens
    • Chat and Vision models
    • Image generation
    • Video generation
  • Provisioned Throughput$21600/month
    • Up to 83% savings vs commercial alternatives
    • Reserved capacity
    • Guaranteed throughput
  • Dedicated Inference$5.49/hour
    • H100 GPU instance
    • Single-tenant deployment
    • No resource sharing
  • GPU Clusters$3.99/GPU-hour
    • On-demand capacity
    • Volume discounts available
    • Reserved options with up to 35% savings

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 Together AI if

  • You need open-source models.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on Api, Cloud.
  • You also want fine-tuning.
Together AI 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 Together AI or Windsurf better?
Neither clearly leads. Together AI 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, Together AI or Windsurf?
Together AI starts at Free and Windsurf at Free.
Does Together AI or Windsurf run on more platforms?
Together AI runs on Api, Cloud. Windsurf runs on macOS, Linux, Windows.
Can I use Together AI for free?
Both have a free tier, so you can try either at no cost before committing.
What is Together AI best used for?
Together AI is most often used for llm inference for production ai applications, content generation at scale, code execution and embeddings, model fine-tuning and training. Of those, llm inference for production ai applications and content generation at scale are not what Windsurf is typically brought in for.
What can Together AI do that Windsurf cannot?
Together AI covers Open-source models, Fine-tuning, Fast inference, Embeddings. Windsurf covers Cascade AI agent, Agentic programming, Context-aware assistance, Automated command execution.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Together AI: Does Together AI offer a free tier?

Yes, Together AI advertises 'Start for free, scale on demand,' but specific free tier usage limits are not detailed on the pricing page.

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
Together AI: What are Together AI's highest model prices?

Serverless inference pricing ranges from free for base models up to $4.40 per 1M input tokens for premium models. Video generation costs $0.14 to $3.20 per video depending on resolution.

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
Together AI: How much can I save with Provisioned Throughput?

Together AI offers up to 83% savings compared to commercial alternatives when using their Provisioned Throughput option with reserved capacity.

Source
Together AI: What is Together AI's fine-tuning pricing?

Standard fine-tuning costs $0.48 to $2.90 per 1M tokens depending on model size, with a minimum charge of $4.00 per job.

Source
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