Windsurf (Devin Desktop)
The AI-native code editor that became Devin Desktop — and got a lot more powerful in the process.
By Shaun · Co-founder · ToolNav
Quick Verdict
**Windsurf is now Devin Desktop** (rebranded June 2, 2026 by Cognition AI) — and it remains the most approachable AI-native code editor for developers coming from VS Code. Same price as Cursor ($20/mo Pro), gentler onboarding, and now backed by Cognition's Devin platform for local + cloud agent workflows. Note the Cascade → Devin Local agent transition (underway) when evaluating. Download at devin.ai.
Windsurf was an AI-native code editor built by Codeium — a VS Code fork designed around agentic AI coding from the start, with a Cascade agent that could handle multi-step file edits and a reputation for the gentlest learning curve in the category. As of June 2, 2026, Windsurf has been officially rebranded as Devin Desktop following its acquisition by Cognition AI in July 2025. The product is actively maintained, ships regular updates (the rebrand itself arrived as an over-the-air update to existing installs), and the core IDE experience remains unchanged. The underlying agent is being upgraded from Cascade to Devin Local — a from-scratch Rust rewrite claimed to be 30% more token-efficient and capable of spinning up subagents. The rebrand also unlocks integration with Devin Cloud, Cognition's autonomous cloud-based software engineer, turning Devin Desktop into a local-plus-cloud hybrid platform rather than a standalone IDE. For developers evaluating the tool today, the key fact is that the Windsurf they've been reading about now ships as Devin Desktop — the code is the same, the pricing is the same ($20/mo Pro), and the download is at devin.ai.
Our Rating
8.2/10
Pricing
Free tier available · Pro $20/mo · check devin.ai/pricing for current rates
Best For
Developers new to AI coding tools who want an AI-native editor that feels less complex than Cursor, with a smooth VS Code transition
Category
AI Tools
Key Facts
| Rating | 8.2 / 10 |
| Name | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) — rebranded June 2, 2026 |
| Pricing | Free tier · Pro $20/mo · Max $200/mo |
| Based on | VS Code fork — extensions, keybindings, LSPs fully compatible |
| Agent | Devin Local (replacing Cascade; transition underway) |
| Proprietary model | SWE-1.6 — included free on all plans; third-party models (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini) on Pro+ |
| Cloud agent | Devin Cloud integration available on Pro plan |
| Best For | VS Code developers new to AI-native editors wanting a gentler Cursor alternative |
Pros & Cons
What works
- Gentlest onboarding among AI-native editors — VS Code users find the transition smoother than with Cursor
- SWE-1.6 proprietary model included free on all plans — per Cognition, fast at 200 tok/s standard and 950 tok/s in fast mode, purpose-built for coding
- Free tier is genuinely usable: unlimited Tab autocomplete on all plans; light daily/weekly agentic quota for evaluation
- Full VS Code backward compatibility — extensions, keybindings, LSPs, settings all work without reconfiguration
- Devin Desktop rebrand (June 2, 2026) adds Devin Cloud integration and Agent Command Center for managing local + cloud agents
- Up to $50 in usage credit for your first Devin Cloud session (promo — check the current offer) — lowers the cost of evaluating the paid agent capabilities
What doesn't
- Cascade agent being replaced by Devin Local (Rust rewrite in rollout) — transition may affect existing Cascade-based workflows until Devin Local is fully deployed
- Rebranded June 2, 2026 — some community documentation, tutorials, and third-party integrations still reference "Windsurf"; expect some terminology churn
- Devin Cloud integration (the headlining feature of the rebrand) requires a paid plan — the value of the unified Devin ecosystem is not fully accessible on Free
- VS Code fork only — not available for JetBrains, Xcode, or Neovim users
- SWE-1.6 benchmark claims come from Cognition's own published results; independent third-party validation of the model's real-world performance on SWE-Bench is limited
Pricing
| Plan | Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/month | Evaluating — unlimited Tab autocomplete, limited daily/weekly agent quota |
| Pro | $20/month | Individual developers — increased quotas, frontier model access (OpenAI, Claude, Gemini), Devin Cloud access |
| Max | $200/month | Power users needing the highest quota allowances |
| Teams | $80/mo base + $40/mo per developer seat | Small teams needing full model availability and Devin Cloud |
| Enterprise | Custom | Organisations needing VPC deployment, SAML/OIDC SSO, and dedicated account management |
Who It's For
Most gentle onboarding path among AI-native editors — familiar environment, no steep learning curve, Tab autocomplete works out of the box
Devin Desktop offers the same AI-native IDE category at a comparable price point but with a reputation for being easier to get started with
The Devin Desktop + Devin Cloud pairing (post-rebrand) lets you hand off local tasks to a cloud agent — unique in the IDE category
VS Code fork only — no native support for other editors (JetBrains plugin retains the Windsurf name and continues operating separately)
How It Compares
| Dimension | Windsurf / Devin Desktop | Cursor | GitHub Copilot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Installation | AI-native VS Code fork | AI-native VS Code fork | Plugin for existing IDE |
| Pricing entry | $0 free · Pro $20/mo | $0 free · Pro $20/mo | $0 free · Pro $10/mo |
| Codebase context | VS Code context + project indexing | Full repository indexing | Open file + recent context |
| Agent model | Devin Local (SWE-1.6 incl.) | Composer + Background Agents | Agent mode + cloud agent |
| Cloud agent | Devin Cloud via Pro plan | Background Agents (remote VMs) | GitHub cloud agent |
| Free tier | Yes — unlimited Tab autocomplete | Yes (limited) | Yes — 2,000 completions/mo |
Our Rating
Our Verdict
Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) earns its "Best for Beginners" designation honestly: it's the AI-native editor category with the lowest friction for VS Code developers who want agentic AI capabilities without switching to a tool that requires them to relearn their entire workflow. The June 2, 2026 rebrand to Devin Desktop and the Cascade → Devin Local agent upgrade (Cascade sunset underway) mark a real inflection point — the product is graduating from "gentler Cursor alternative" to a local-plus-cloud AI platform with its own proprietary model (SWE-1.6). Whether that transition strengthens or complicates the beginner-friendly proposition depends on how smoothly Devin Local ships. For developers evaluating it now: the core experience works, the price matches Cursor exactly at $20/mo Pro, and up to $50 in usage credit for your first Devin Cloud session (when available — check devin.ai for current promos) lowers the cost of evaluating paid agent features. The main honest caveats are the mid-transition agent situation (Cascade is leaving) and the fact that the SWE-1.6 benchmark claims come from Cognition, not independent evaluation.
Try Devin DesktopFrequently Asked Questions
Is Windsurf still available, or has it been discontinued?
Windsurf is still fully available — it was officially rebranded as Devin Desktop on June 2, 2026, following Cognition AI's acquisition of Windsurf (formerly Codeium) in July 2025. The rebrand delivered as an over-the-air update to existing installs. The product is actively maintained with regular releases. Download at devin.ai.
What happened to the Cascade agent in Windsurf / Devin Desktop?
Cascade is being replaced by Devin Local — a ground-up Rust rewrite of the local agent claimed to be 30% more token-efficient. Cascade is being retired and replaced by Devin Local; check devin.ai for current rollout status. Devin Local supports subagents and integrates with Devin Cloud. Existing Cascade workflows and `.windsurfrules` configurations auto-migrate.
How does Devin Desktop compare to Cursor?
Both are AI-native VS Code forks priced at $20/mo for Pro. Cursor is generally considered more powerful for whole-codebase reasoning (Composer mode, full repo indexing) and more established. Devin Desktop is seen as having the gentler learning curve and smoother onboarding for developers new to the category. Post-June 2026, Devin Desktop's differentiator is native Devin Cloud integration for local + cloud agent workflows. Neither has a meaningfully different free tier at the Pro entry point.
What is Cognition's relationship with Google and Windsurf?
In July 2025, Google agreed to a separate deal to hire Windsurf's CEO, co-founder, and approximately 40 employees, and license certain Windsurf technology. Three days later, Cognition acquired the remaining Windsurf company and its product; reported estimates put the deal around $250M, though financial terms were not officially disclosed. The result: Cognition owns the product and the windsurf.com domain (now redirecting to devin.ai); Google separately has some technology licenses and former Windsurf employees. The IDE product is under Cognition's control.
Does Windsurf/Devin Desktop work with JetBrains IDEs?
The main Devin Desktop application is a VS Code fork only. However, a JetBrains plugin continues operating under the Windsurf name. Confirm current JetBrains plugin availability and features at devin.ai or the plugin marketplace.
Ready to try Windsurf (Devin Desktop)?
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