Sweep vs Windsurf: 2026 comparison
GitHub-native agent that turns issues into reviewed pull requests.
Sweep vs Windsurf — specs
| Spec | Sweep | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Agent Rank | 58 / 100 (B) | 78 / 100 (A) |
| Autonomy | Autonomous | Semi-autonomous |
| Pricing | Freemium · from $30 | Freemium · from $15 |
| Open source | Yes | No |
| Capabilities | Code, Tool use, Memory | Code, Tool use, Memory, Browser |
| Integrations | 1 apps | 2 apps |
| Verified | — | Verified |
| Released | Mar 2025 | Apr 2025 |
Agent Rank breakdown
- Autonomy fit
- 9
- Capabilities
- 6
- Integrations
- 2
- Pricing value
- 7
- Polish & maturity
- 5
- Verifiability
- 6
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
- +Issue-to-PR turnaround in minutes for well-described bugs
- +GitHub-native — authenticates as a GitHub App, no extension needed
- +Great on TypeScript / Python / Go codebases with reasonable test coverage
- −Struggles when issues are vague or codebase is messy
- −No interactive mode — you describe, it ships
- −Less effective on closed languages or proprietary frameworks
- +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
- +Up to 5 issue-to-PR runs/month
- +Public repos only
- +Unlimited runs
- +Private repos
- +Configurable rules
- +Self-hosted option
- +SAML SSO
- +Dedicated support
- +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 Sweep if you want the highest autonomy and the verification loop is in place or if auditability or self-hosting matters.
Try Sweep →Pick Windsurf if cost is the main constraint or if you want a vendor we've verified for accessibility and pricing accuracy.
Try Windsurf →Affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Frequently asked
Should I pick Sweep or Windsurf in 2026?+
Pick Sweep if you want the highest autonomy and the verification loop is in place or if auditability or self-hosting matters. Pick Windsurf if cost is the main constraint or if you want a vendor we've verified for accessibility and pricing accuracy. Most working teams running both can use Sweep for primary work and Windsurf for the workflows where its specific strengths matter.
What's the price difference between Sweep and Windsurf?+
Sweep starts at Freemium · from $30; Windsurf starts at Freemium · from $15. Windsurf 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, Sweep or Windsurf?+
Sweep is the more autonomous of the two (Autonomous vs Semi-autonomous). Higher autonomy ships throughput faster but requires verification loops in place — see our autonomous-vs-copilot framing for when each tier wins.