AI IDEFree start
Windsurf
Cognition
Windsurf is a desktop AI IDE, originally from Codeium. Cognition acquired it in 2025. It offers completions, inline edits, and an agent that can work through a task in the project. There is a free tier and paid plans. Confirm the current price on windsurf.com.
7.5
Preliminary
Editorial score out of 10. Not a benchmark.
What we tried
Installed the editor, opened a small repo, and asked for a copy change plus a new component. The edit landed in the file. First impression only.
Scores are preliminary editorial notes from a short hands-on pass. They are not benchmark results, not pass rates, and not for sale. A shared task suite is not published yet, so we do not print speed, cost, or success-rate figures.
Preliminary notes
- Setup8/10
- Editing8/10
- Agent work7/10
- Docs and control7/10
Good fit
- An editor-shaped alternative to Cursor
- Cascade-style tasks that stay inside one project
Limits
- Ownership and plan details changed after the Cognition acquisition, so recheck pricing
- Model choice changes how independent the agent feels