Cursor and Windsurf are both forks of VS Code running locally on your computer. They share many similarities like extensions, settings & integrations. However, they do have some notable differences.

Intelligence:
- Context awareness:
- Cursor allows tagging specific files for context but you can also make a request for cursor to search the entire codebase. Sometimes it formats response differently or has trouble identifying relevant files.
- Windsurf is better at identifying relevant files on its own without needing them tagged
- Output quality:
- Both receive a score of 7/10, with Cursor's autocomplete being more reliable and working well. But if dealing with large files, they may forget context and get confused.
- Windsurf has worse output quality compared to Cursor

Autonomy (Agentic capabilities):
- Cursor: 2/10
- Windsurf: 6/10 (Windsurf excels here, able to find relevant files, pull in additional context, run terminal commands, etc. while keeping the developer in the loop)

Acceleration:
- Both score well on iteration size (7/10) - best at feature-level changes across multiple files
- Cursor has faster iteration speed with output code sooner
- Cursor wins for autocomplete efficiency in the weeds of modifying code
- Cursors capabilities edge out Windsurf, especially around customizing models & docs

Experience:
- Flexibility: 7/10 (Cursor)
- Ease of use: 5/10 (Cursor), 6/10 (Windsurf)
- Reliability: 8/10 (Cursor), 5/10 (Windsurf)

Pricing & Value:
- Both have free tiers but require Pro Plan for most users
- Cursor $20/mo, Windsurf $10/mo
- Good value given time saved, especially at Cursor's $20 price point

In summary, Cursor is slightly better overall due to higher reliability and autocomplete effectiveness. But Windsurf offers competitive autonomous capabilities that may be worth the lower price point of $10/month. Both are strong tools in an increasingly crowded but still emerging AI code editor space.