Cline vs Windsurf: 2026 comparison
Open-source autonomous coding agent that lives in your IDE.
Cline vs Windsurf — specs
| Spec | Cline | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Agent Rank | 77 / 100 (A) | 78 / 100 (A) |
| Autonomy | Semi-autonomous | Semi-autonomous |
| Pricing | Free · OSS | Freemium · from $15 |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Capabilities | Code, Tool use, Browser | Code, Tool use, Memory, Browser |
| Integrations | 2 apps | 2 apps |
| Verified | Verified | Verified |
| Released | May 2025 | Apr 2025 |
Agent Rank breakdown
- Autonomy fit
- 8
- Capabilities
- 6
- Integrations
- 4
- Pricing value
- 10
- Polish & maturity
- 8
- Verifiability
- 10
Auto-computed from autonomy, capabilities, integrations, pricing, maturity and editorial verification. Updated every deploy. How is this computed?
- Autonomy fit
- 8
- Capabilities
- 8
- Integrations
- 4
- Pricing value
- 8
- Polish & maturity
- 9
- Verifiability
- 10
Auto-computed from autonomy, capabilities, integrations, pricing, maturity and editorial verification. Updated every deploy. How is this computed?
Pros & cons
- +Full transparency — every tool call and reasoning step visible
- +Bring-your-own model key keeps proprietary code on your network
- +Active OSS community, weekly releases
- −You manage the API key + token spend ($40–120/mo at daily use)
- −Less polished editor UX than Cursor
- −Plan-then-execute mode requires manual gating each turn
- +Cascade agent flows are the strongest "watch it work" UI in any IDE-native agent
- +Cheapest Pro tier in the category at $15/month
- +Codeium has a deep model team — completion quality consistently leads
- −Smaller ecosystem of extensions than Cursor
- −Pro Ultimate ($60) is opaque on which models are actually premium
- −Memory feature less mature than Cursor + Claude Code memories
Pricing
- +Full extension free under MIT
- +BYO model API key
- +All tools and approval modes
- +Self-host friendly
- +Limited Cascade flow runs
- +Standard models
- +Editor + chat
- +Unlimited Cascade flows
- +All Pro models
- +Background agents
- +Memories
- +Highest model priority
- +Premium models included
- +Higher concurrency
- +SSO + admin
- +Usage analytics
- +Shared memories
Which one should you pick?
Pick Cline if cost is the main constraint or if auditability or self-hosting matters.
Try Cline →Pick Windsurf if its specific capabilities (Code, Tool use) match what you need.
Try Windsurf →Affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked
Should I pick Cline or Windsurf in 2026?+
Pick Cline if cost is the main constraint or if auditability or self-hosting matters. Pick Windsurf if its specific capabilities (Code, Tool use) match what you need. Most working teams running both can use Cline for primary work and Windsurf for the workflows where its specific strengths matter.
What's the price difference between Cline and Windsurf?+
Cline starts at Free · OSS; Windsurf starts at Freemium · from $15. Cline is the cheaper entry option. For team deployments the TCO can differ — use the AI Agent Rank TCO calculator for your specific volume.
Which is more autonomous, Cline or Windsurf?+
Both Cline and Windsurf are Semi-autonomous agents — neither has a meaningful autonomy advantage over the other. The decision should hinge on capabilities and pricing instead.