Why Cursor Is Better Value Than Windsurf - Pricing Update

In the dynamic world of AI-powered coding tools, Cursor and Windsurf are two prominent contenders. Both aim to enhance developers' productivity, but which one truly delivers better value and performance?

Performance in Coding Tasks:

During extensive testing, Cursor consistently outperformed Windsurf in coding tasks. Cursor's code autocompletion is faster and more accurate, which significantly boosts productivity. Developers reported fewer errors and more relevant suggestions with Cursor, making it the clear choice for more complex coding projects.

Pricing Tiers and Value for Money

Cursor offers three pricing tiers:

  • Hobby (Free):

    • Pro two-week trial

    • 2000 completions

    • 50 slow premium requests

  • Pro (£20/month):

    • Unlimited completions

    • 500 fast premium requests per month

    • Unlimited slow premium requests

    • 10 oil-mini uses per day

  • Business (£40/user/month):

    • Enforce privacy mode org-wide

    • Centralised team billing

    • Admin dashboard with usage stats

    • SAML/OIDC SSO

Windsurf also offers three pricing tiers:

  • Free:

    • Access to the Windsurf Editor

    • Codium Extensions

    • Unlimited AI autocomplete

    • Unlimited in-editor AI chats

    • Unlimited AI command instructions

    • Basic context awareness

    • Limited indexing limits

  • Pro (£10/month):

    • 500 premium model User Prompt credits

    • 1,500 premium model Flow Action credits

    • Can purchase more premium model credits (£10 for 300 additional credits)

    • Priority access to Cascade Base model

    • Expanded context lengths and advanced context awareness

    • Increased indexing limits

  • Pro Ultimate (£60/month):

    • Infinite premium model User Prompt credits

    • 3,000 premium model Flow Action credits

    • Can purchase more premium model credits (£10 for each 400 additional credits)

    • Priority support

Key Advantages of Cursor

  • Unlimited Completions: Unlike Windsurf, Cursor's Pro plan offers unlimited completions, providing consistent performance without additional costs.

  • Fast and Reliable: Cursor’s fast premium requests ensure quick response times, enhancing coding efficiency and overall workflow.

Contextual Understanding and User Experience:

While Windsurf excels in contextual understanding, especially with larger codebases, Cursor maintains an edge in overall performance and reliability. Cursor's user interface is intuitive and user-friendly, making it easier for developers to integrate AI tools into their workflow seamlessly.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Cursor emerges as the superior AI code editor, offering better value for money and superior performance in coding tasks. Its robust features, reliable performance, and user-friendly interface make it the go-to choice for developers looking to enhance their productivity and streamline their development process.