Jun 23, 2026 · 4 min read

Last updated on Apr 19, 2026

Windsurf Complete Guide: Codeium's AI-Powered IDE (2026)

Windsurf is an AI-first code editor built on VS Code, created by Codeium and now acquired by OpenAI for ~$3 billion. Its standout feature is Cascade — an AI agent that handles multi-file refactors autonomously and learns your codebase over time through its Memories system.

At $15/month for Pro, it undercuts Cursor ($20/month) while offering features no competitor matches.

Install

Download from windsurf.com. It’s a standalone app (VS Code fork), not an extension. Your VS Code extensions, themes, and settings transfer automatically.

Key features

Cascade (AI agent)

Cascade is Windsurf’s agentic AI. Unlike simple autocomplete, it can:

Read and modify multiple files in a single operation
Run terminal commands and interpret results
Create new files and project structures
Understand your codebase context automatically

You: "Add user authentication with JWT to this Express app"
Cascade: Creates auth middleware, user model, login/register routes,
         updates package.json, adds environment variables, writes tests

Cascade uses Windsurf’s proprietary SWE-1.5 model alongside Claude and GPT models. It ranked #1 in the LogRocket AI Dev Tool Power Rankings in February 2026.

Memories

Windsurf learns your codebase over time. It remembers:

Your coding patterns and conventions
Project structure and architecture decisions
Previous conversations and solutions
Team-specific terminology

This means the AI gets better the longer you use it on a project. Cursor has a similar feature with its codebase indexing, but Windsurf’s Memories persist across sessions more effectively.

Codemaps

Visual representation of your codebase that Cascade uses for navigation. It understands file relationships, import chains, and dependency graphs — so when you ask it to refactor something, it knows what else needs to change.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Credits/month	Models
Free	$0	25 Cascade flows	SWE-1.5, limited
Pro	$15/mo	500 Cascade flows	SWE-1.5, Claude, GPT
Teams	$30/user/mo	1,000 flows	All models + admin
Enterprise	$60/user/mo	Unlimited	All + SSO, audit

The credit system: each Cascade “flow” (a multi-step AI operation) costs 1 credit. Simple autocomplete doesn’t use credits. 500 credits/month is enough for most individual developers.

Windsurf vs Cursor vs VS Code + Copilot

Feature	Windsurf	Cursor	VS Code + Copilot
Price	$15/mo	$20/mo	$10/mo (Copilot)
AI agent	Cascade (multi-file)	Composer (multi-file)	Chat only
Codebase learning	✅ Memories	✅ Indexing	❌
Custom models	Limited	✅ Any model	❌
Free tier	25 flows/mo	Limited	Limited
Open source	❌	❌	Copilot: ❌
MCP support	✅	✅	❌

Choose Windsurf if: You want the cheapest full-featured AI IDE and don’t need custom model selection.

Choose Cursor if: You want more model flexibility and are willing to pay $5 more.

Choose VS Code + Copilot if: You only need autocomplete and basic chat.

Choose Claude Code if: You prefer terminal-based workflows and need Routines for automation.

The OpenAI acquisition

OpenAI acquired Windsurf (Codeium) for ~$3 billion in early 2026. This means:

Windsurf will likely integrate deeply with GPT-5.4 and Codex
The standalone product continues for now
Long-term, it may merge with OpenAI’s coding tools

For developers, this is good news — more competition between Windsurf/OpenAI, Cursor, and Claude Code means better tools and lower prices.

Getting started

Download from windsurf.com
Sign in (Google, GitHub, or email)
Open a project
Press Cmd+L to open Cascade
Ask it to do something: “Explain this codebase and suggest improvements”

Start with the free tier (25 flows/month) to evaluate. If you like it, Pro at $15/month is the best value AI IDE on the market.

FAQ

Is Windsurf free?

Windsurf offers a free tier with 25 flows per month, which is enough to evaluate the tool. Paid plans start at $15/month for Pro with unlimited flows and access to premium models.

How does Windsurf compare to Cursor?

Windsurf’s Cascade feature provides deeper agentic capabilities with multi-step reasoning, while Cursor offers a more polished editing experience. Windsurf is cheaper at $15/month vs Cursor’s $20/month, but Cursor currently has a larger community and more extensions.

Is Windsurf the same as Codeium?

Windsurf is the AI IDE product built by Codeium (now acquired by OpenAI for ~$3 billion in 2026). Codeium was the company name and free autocomplete extension, while Windsurf is their full-featured AI-native code editor.

Does Windsurf support local models?

Windsurf primarily uses cloud-based models through its own infrastructure and does not natively support connecting to local models like Ollama. For local model support in an IDE, consider Continue.dev or Cursor with OpenAI-compatible endpoints.