Windsurf vs Cline
Short answer: Windsurf is in AI IDEs; Cline is in IDE agent extensions, so they solve different parts of the job. We can't compare entry prices yet because Cline's paid price is not verified or not published. Both Windsurf and Cline have a free plan.
| Windsurf | Cline | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | AI IDEs | IDE agent extensions |
| Vendor | Cognition | Cline Bot Inc. |
| Status | Renamed: Renamed Devin Desktop on 2026-06-02 (devin.ai/blog/windsurf-is-now-devin-desktop); windsurf.com redirects to devin.ai/desktop | Active |
| Free plan | Yes (Light agent quota, unlimited inline edits and Tab completions.) | Yes (Open-source extension is free for individuals; pay only for model inference (BYOK or Cline provider).) |
| Paid plans from | $20/mo | Free |
| Plans | Free: Free · Pro: $20 · Max: $200 · Teams: $80 · Enterprise: — | Open Source: Free · Enterprise: — |
| Open source | Not verified yet | Yes |
| Editors named on vendor page | — | VS Code, JetBrains, terminal/CLI |
| Features named on vendor page | code review, code completion, background/cloud agents, Figma, refactoring, SSO/SAML | MCP, bring your own key, local models, refactoring, self-hosting, SSO/SAML |
| Model families named | Claude, OpenAI GPT, Gemini, Grok, open-weight models | Claude, OpenAI GPT, Gemini, open-weight models |
| Checked | Oct 26, 2026 | Oct 26, 2026 |
“Named on vendor page” means the phrase appears on the vendor's own page we captured; it is not a hands-on test. Unknown values are left blank rather than guessed.
FAQ
Is Windsurf cheaper than Cline?
We can't compare entry prices yet because Cline's paid price is not verified or not published. Prices are from each vendor's pricing page.
Do Windsurf and Cline have free plans?
Both Windsurf and Cline have a free plan.
What is the difference between Windsurf and Cline?
Windsurf is in AI IDEs; Cline is in IDE agent extensions, so they solve different parts of the job. Windsurf is made by Cognition; Cline is made by Cline Bot Inc.. See the table for plans, editors and features each vendor names.
Sources
- https://devin.ai/pricing
- https://devin.ai/blog/windsurf-is-now-devin-desktop
- https://cline.bot/pricing
- https://cline.bot/