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Cursor vs Windsurf: hands-on test and plan costs

Official prices and published usage limits for Cursor and Windsurf, side by side. Every number links back to the vendor’s own page and shows when we last checked it.

Cursorfrom $8/mopaid plans shown below, USD excl. tax
Windsurffrom $20/mopaid plans shown below, USD excl. tax

Prices and limits side by side

Cursor

Cursor: plans, prices (USD, excl. tax) and published usage limits
PlanMonthlyAnnual (per month)
FreeSame subscription as Grok “X Subscription Free”
  • AI usage: Limited
  • Sold as: The X Subscription (one subscription for Grok, Cursor and X)
$0Billed monthly only
PlusSame subscription as Grok “X Subscription Plus”
  • AI usage pool multiplier: Base (1x) relative to Plus
  • Model access: Only Grok/Cursor models (Grok 4.7, 4.6, 4.5, Composer 2.5) at fixed settings; no third-party models, Cloud Agents, Bugbot or own API keys.
  • Sold as: The X Subscription (one subscription for Grok, Cursor and X)
$8$7Billed $80/yr (≈$6.67/mo); monthly figures rounded.
PremiumSame subscription as Grok “X Subscription Premium”
  • AI usage pool multiplier: 4x Plus relative to Plus
  • Model access: Adds Cloud Agents, Automations, Origin, Bugbot; third-party models at API list price from prepaid credit (not included in pool).
  • Sold as: The X Subscription (one subscription for Grok, Cursor and X)
$30$25$300 billed yearly
UltraSame subscription as Grok “X Subscription Ultra”
  • AI usage pool multiplier: 50x Plus relative to Plus
  • Model access: Earliest access to products & models; third-party models billed separately at API list price.
  • Sold as: The X Subscription (one subscription for Grok, Cursor and X)
$200$167Billed $2,000/yr (≈$166.67/mo); monthly figures rounded.
TeamsSame subscription as Grok “X Subscription for Teams”
  • AI usage pool multiplier: Matches the seat's tier (4x–50x Plus) relative to Plus
  • Seat pool vs premium: Super 3.75x Premium; Ultra 12.5x Premium relative to Premium seat
  • Sold as: The X Subscription (one subscription for Grok, Cursor and X)
  • Premium seat: $30 per user/mo, billed monthly
  • Super seat: $100 per user/mo, billed monthly
  • Ultra seat: $200 per user/mo, billed monthly
Annual price not published
Last checked (Re-check due)Source: cursor.com ↗

Windsurf

Windsurf: plans, prices (USD, excl. tax) and published usage limits
PlanMonthlyAnnual (per month)
Free
  • Agent quota: Light quota
  • Quota reset: daily and weekly
  • Tab completions: Unlimited completions
$0Billed monthly only
Pro
  • Agent quota: Increased quotas incl. frontier models; free SWE-2
  • Quota reset: daily and weekly
  • Concurrent sessions: up to 10 sessions
$20Annual price not published
Max
  • Agent quota: Significantly higher quotas than Pro
  • Quota reset: weekly (no daily cap)
  • Concurrent sessions: up to 10 sessions
$200Billed monthly only
Teams
  • Members: 200 users (max per team)
  • Full seat quota: Pro-equivalent quota
  • Flex seat: Free; shared on-demand credits only; no Devin Desktop
$40Billed monthly only
Last checked (Re-check due)Sources: docs.devin.ai ↗, devin.ai ↗, windsurf.com ↗

Compare the team cost of these plans in the subscription cost calculator →

Hands-on test

Verified prices (USD)

Plan Cursor Windsurf
Pro $20/mo Pro ~$15/mo typical*
Team Business Teams

*cursor.com/pricing; windsurf.com/pricing — re-verify. Checked 2026-11-06.

Pricing methodology · Calculators

Methodology label: desk research. We have not yet run a recorded hands-on test for this pair, so this page contains no scores, timings, or win rates. Instead, here are the concrete tasks we will use when we do test, and which you can run yourself on the free tiers or trials:

  1. Add a new REST endpoint with input validation and a unit test to an existing repo
  2. Rename a function used across 15 files and fix all call sites
  3. Explain an unfamiliar 500-line module and produce a short README section
  4. Find and fix a failing test from its error output
  5. Set up a new small web project from an empty folder

For each task, note how long setup takes, how many retries you need, and whether the output is usable without manual fixes. Run the same input on both tools so the comparison is fair. We will update this section with real results once testing is complete.

Which should you choose?

  • Choose if you want the lowest paid entry and are happy with Grok and Cursor models: Cursor Plus.
  • Choose if you need third-party models, Cloud Agents, or automated code review: Cursor Premium or above.
  • Choose if you prefer quota-based usage with a $20 middle tier: Windsurf Pro.
  • Choose if you run a small team and want to predict cost: compare Cursor’s per-seat tiers with Windsurf’s platform fee plus seats using our calculator.

In short: pick Cursor for a deep agent and review toolset in The X Subscription; pick Windsurf for a straightforward quota ladder and simple team billing. If you are unsure, start with whichever free tier or trial is available and run the tasks from the hands-on section on your own material before upgrading.

Sources

Full plan details: Cursor pricing · Windsurf pricing.