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The best Windsurf alternatives, in our order, are Claude Code, Codex and Cursor, followed by GitHub Copilot, Gemini’s Antigravity, Grok Build, Tabnine and DeepSeek. We rank them by their scores in our reviews, and we break ties with each tool’s best entry on Artificial Analysis’s Coding Agent Index.
Windsurf scores 3.1 in our Windsurf review. It now ships as Devin Desktop, and its board runs several agents at once. However, it has no entry on the agent index, and it changed its name and local agent within two months in 2026.
Best Windsurf Alternatives: The Short Answer
Among the best Windsurf alternatives on this list, Claude Code ranks first on the tie-break: it scored 68 on the September index. Codex, however, scored 63 at about a third of Claude Code’s cost per task at that score, and Cursor is the closest match if you want another AI editor.
For the lowest price, by contrast, GitHub Copilot Pro costs $10 a month. If you mainly use Windsurf’s board to run Codex and Claude’s agent, though, you can run those agents directly.
The Alternatives at a Glance
| Alternative | Our score | Best index entry; plan to start |
|---|---|---|
| Claude Code | 3.6 | 68 (Sonnet 5.5); Claude Pro $20/mo |
| Codex (ChatGPT) | 3.6 | 63 (GPT-6.1 Sol); Plus $20/mo |
| Cursor | 3.6 | 62 in May; Pro $20/mo |
| GitHub Copilot | 3.5 | No entry; Pro $10/mo |
| Gemini (Antigravity) | 3.4 | 41.9 via BenchLM; CLI free |
| Grok Build | 3.3 | 56; SuperGrok Lite $10/mo, reported |
| Tabnine | 3.1 | No entry; $39 per user, yearly |
| DeepSeek in Codex | 3.0 | 43.1 via BenchLM; API from $0.15 per 1M |
How We Ordered These Windsurf Alternatives
This list of the best Windsurf alternatives follows our review scores, highest first, as in our list of Claude Code alternatives. Where scores tie, the best entry on the September version of the agent index decides.
As a result, Claude Code sits above Codex, and Cursor, whose only entry comes from May, follows. Two entries, moreover, come from BenchLM’s mirror of the index, and we say so.
Why Developers Leave Windsurf
First, Windsurf has no entry on the agent index, so its own agent has no independent score. Second, it became Devin Desktop in June 2026 and replaced Cascade with Devin Local in July, so workflows shifted twice.
On the other hand, leaving has a cost. Windsurf’s board runs local and cloud sessions, plus Codex and Claude’s agent, in one place, and its quotas refresh daily and weekly.
1. Claude Code: Top of the Agent Index
First, Claude Code with Sonnet 5.5 scored 68 on the September index, the top entry, at $14.19 a task on maximum effort. It comes with Claude Pro at $20 a month, and, moreover, it runs inside Cursor.
What you give up, though: it costs far more per task than Codex, and personal plans train unless you opt out. Our Claude Code review covers its effort settings and security record.
2. Codex: Close Score, Much Lower Cost
Codex with GPT-6.1 Sol, by contrast, scored 63 at $1.04 a task, against $3.33 for Claude Code at the same score. It comes with every ChatGPT plan, with a trial on Free, and its sandbox starts with network access off.
What you give up, however: its limits come as ranges shared with ChatGPT, and personal plans train by default. Our guide to ChatGPT for coding covers each allowance.
3. Cursor: The Closest Editor
Cursor, like Windsurf, is a full AI editor built on VS Code, and Pro costs $20 a month, as our Cursor review covers. Its own Composer 2.5, moreover, scored 62 on the May version of the index at $0.07 a task.
What you give up, though: Cursor has no multi-agent board like Windsurf’s, and heavy months can cost $60 to $100. Our Cursor vs Windsurf comparison goes deeper.
4. GitHub Copilot: The Cheapest Seat
Copilot Pro, meanwhile, costs $10 a month and works inside VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Visual Studio, Xcode and Eclipse. It also lists Claude and GPT models, and GitHub lists Claude and Codex as third-party agents in preview.
What you give up, however: it has no index entry, and personal plans train by default. Our GitHub Copilot vs Windsurf comparison covers both.
5. Gemini: Antigravity at a Low Price
Google’s Antigravity with Gemini 3.8 Flash, for its part, scored 41.9 on BenchLM’s mirror of the index, and Antigravity CLI is free for Google accounts with a quota.
What you give up, though: its score sits far below the leaders, and Gemini ties training to Keep Activity. Our Gemini review covers the plans.
6. Grok Build: A Cheaper Frontier Option
Grok Build with Grok 4.7 scored 56 on the September index, according to an Artificial Analysis post. SuperGrok Lite, in addition, is reported at $10 a month.
What you give up, however: its prices come from third-party readings. Our Grok vs Cursor comparison explains how SpaceXAI also owns Cursor.
7. Tabnine: Private Deployment
Tabnine, however, keeps no customer code and can run on your own servers or in an air-gapped network. It also works as a plugin in several editors, as our Tabnine review explains.
What you give up, though: plans start at $39 per user on yearly contracts, and it has no index entry. Our Windsurf vs Tabnine comparison weighs both.
8. DeepSeek: Cheapest Tokens, Data in China
Finally, DeepSeek’s API plugs into Codex, where V4 Pro scored 43.1 on BenchLM’s mirror. Its V4.1 Flash costs $0.15 per million input tokens off-peak, with open weights.
What you give up, however: its hosted service stores data in China. Our guide to DeepSeek for coding explains self-hosting.
Which Alternative for Which Reason
If evidence matters most, therefore, take Claude Code or Codex. If you want another AI editor, take Cursor, and if price matters most, Copilot.
Code that must stay on your servers, however, points to Tabnine. If you love Windsurf’s board, though, staying may be simplest. Our list of the best AI for coding ranks agents by index score alone.
How We Research
This list draws on our reviews of each tool and Artificial Analysis’s Coding Agent Index, September version, read on September 30, 2026. One example source is Cognition’s Devin Desktop announcement.
We run no tests of our own, and our about page explains the criteria. Our guide to AI benchmarks explained covers the index.
Best Windsurf Alternatives FAQ
On this list, Claude Code ranks first: it ties on our top score of 3.6 and led the September agent index at 68. Codex scored 63 at a much lower cost per task.
Cursor: it is also a full AI editor built on VS Code, with Pro at $20 a month.
Yes. GitHub Copilot Pro costs $10 a month, and Antigravity CLI is free for Google accounts with a quota.
Yes, as Devin Desktop. Cognition renamed it on June 2, 2026.
Tabnine, which offers on-premises and air-gapped deployment, from $39 per user on yearly contracts.
The Verdict
The best Windsurf alternatives trade a multi-agent board for independent scores, a familiar editor or a lower price. Claude Code and Codex lead on evidence, Cursor is the closest editor, and Copilot is cheapest.
Windsurf, however, still runs several agents in one place. So leave for evidence or stability, and stay if that board is central to your work.