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Software Development · head to head

Windsurf vs Amp

Windsurf logo

Windsurf

Software Development

The agentic IDE

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
A

Amp

Software Development

Amp is the frontier agent

From
On request
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Windsurf has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Windsurf recently rebranded to Devin Desktop, creating product identity confusion; Amp purchased credits expire 12 months after purchase and subscription usage expires monthly, and Enterprise workspaces are billed at a 50 percent markup over individual and team rates, as of August 2026.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Windsurf and Amp actually diverge.

Attributes where Windsurf and Amp differ
AttributeWindsurfAmp
Starting priceFreeOn request
Pricing modelUnknownusage-based
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsmacOS, Linux, WindowsWeb
Founded2021Unknown

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated), category (Software Development).

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 Windsurf

  • Cascade AI agent
  • Agentic programming
  • Context-aware assistance
  • Automated command execution
  • Multi-file understanding
  • Intelligent code generation
  • Real-time debugging
  • Integrated terminal

Only in Amp

Nothing recorded that Windsurf does not also cover.

What people use each for

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

Windsurf

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

Amp

No use cases recorded yet. See the Amp review.

Where each one falls short

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

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

Amp

  • Purchased credits expire 12 months after purchase and subscription usage expires monthly, and Enterprise workspaces are billed at a 50 percent markup over individual and team rates, as of August 2026.

Pricing, plan by plan

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

Amp

On request

No published plan breakdown. See the Amp review.

Which should you pick?

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

Choose Amp if

Nothing in the data separates Amp from Windsurf on the points above - pick on price and on how each one feels to use.

Amp review

Questions people ask

Is Windsurf or Amp better?
Neither clearly leads. Windsurf starts at Free and Amp at On request, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Windsurf or Amp?
Windsurf has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Windsurf and On request for Amp.
Does Windsurf or Amp run on more platforms?
Windsurf runs on macOS, Linux, Windows. Amp runs on Web.
Can I use Windsurf for free?
Yes. Windsurf has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Amp starts at On request.
What is Windsurf best used for?
Windsurf is most often used for agentic development, ai-assisted coding, complex project management, automated coding tasks. Of those, agentic development and ai-assisted coding are not what Amp is typically brought in for.
What can Windsurf do that Amp cannot?
Windsurf covers Cascade AI agent, Agentic programming, Context-aware assistance, Automated command execution.

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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