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Windsurf

An AI-native code editor with an agentic "Cascade" mode designed for autonomous multi-step coding tasks.

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Overview

What it is

Windsurf is an AI-native code editor with a built-in agentic mode designed to handle multi-step coding tasks with less manual back-and-forth than a pure chat-based assistant.

Like Cursor, it's a full editor rather than a plugin, with AI woven into the core editing and review experience.

Who it's for

Is this the right tool for you?

  • Developers who want an agent-first workflow with a full editor around it
  • People comparing multiple AI-native editors before choosing one to standardize on
  • Teams handling multi-step tasks that benefit from an agent tracking its own progress
Capabilities

Main capabilities

  • An agentic mode that plans and executes multi-step coding tasks with visible progress
  • Inline suggestions and chat for smaller, faster edits
  • Awareness of the broader project when reasoning about changes
  • Support for multiple underlying AI models
Strengths

Where it excels

  • Agent workflow is designed to reduce manual re-prompting on longer tasks
  • Full editor experience means no context-switching between tools
  • Good option for comparing directly against Cursor when choosing an AI-native editor
Limitations

Where it falls short

  • Adopting a new primary editor is a bigger switch than adding an extension
  • As with any agent, longer autonomous runs need careful review before merging
  • Ecosystem of extensions and community plugins is smaller than VS Code's
Best use cases

What to use it for

  • Multi-step feature work you want an agent to drive with periodic check-ins
  • Teams evaluating AI-native editors head-to-head
  • Projects where reducing manual re-prompting meaningfully speeds up iteration
Getting started

How to get started

  1. Step 1

    Install Windsurf

    Download the editor and open your existing project.

  2. Step 2

    Try inline edits

    Get familiar with basic AI-assisted editing before using the agent mode.

  3. Step 3

    Delegate a multi-step task

    Describe a feature that spans multiple files and let Cascade plan and execute it.

  4. Step 4

    Review checkpoints

    Check in at each step rather than only reviewing the final diff.

Example workflow

A typical session

  1. 1Describe a feature that touches multiple files
  2. 2Let the agent propose a plan and start executing
  3. 3Review progress at checkpoints rather than only at the end
  4. 4Test the final result and request adjustments as needed
Try it

Example prompts

Prompt
Add a settings page that lets users update their email and password
Prompt
Migrate this component from class-based to functional with hooks
Prompt
Find and fix the source of this memory leak
FAQ

Windsurf — questions people ask

How is Windsurf different from Cursor?

Both are AI-native editors built for deep AI integration; the practical differences are in agent workflow design, model options and interface details — worth trying both on the same small task to compare.

Alternatives

Compare with related tools

Cursor

An AI-native code editor built on VS Code, with deep inline editing, chat, and agent capabilities.

View tool

Claude Code

A terminal-based agentic coding tool from Anthropic that reads, edits and runs code in your own repository.

View tool

GitHub Copilot

GitHub's AI pair programmer, available as an extension across major editors with autocomplete, chat and agent modes.

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Ready to try Windsurf?

Pair it with a prompt from the library and build your first real project this week.

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