Windsurf vs GitHub Copilot
Windsurf and GitHub Copilot side by side: what each one is, what it costs to start, and whether you can try it free. Everything below comes from the vendors' own sites and other public sources, not from hands-on testing.
At a glance
| Windsurf | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Code & Dev Tools | Code & Dev Tools |
| Starting price | Free; paid plans from $20/mo | Free; paid plans from $10/mo (checked October 2026) |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Profile | Read profile | Read profile |
Prices are in US dollars unless shown otherwise. Confirm the current price on the vendor's site before you buy.
Key differences
Both list a free tier, so you can try each before paying.
GitHub Copilot has the lower starting price ($10/mo against $20/mo for Windsurf). The cheapest plan rarely has the same limits or features, so compare plans before choosing on price.
Both are in our Code & Dev Tools category.
About each tool
Windsurf
AI coding editor from Cognition, renamed Devin Desktop in June 2026 per the vendor. Runs local and cloud agents in a VS Code-compatible IDE. Free plan; Pro is $20 a month.
Who it is for
Developers and software teams who want an AI-assisted editor that can run agents inside it. The vendor also sells a Teams plan and an Enterprise plan for organizations.
Strengths
- The vendor says the editor stays backwards-compatible with Windsurf and VS Code extensions, and installed extensions are copied over when you migrate
- It supports third-party agents through the open Agent Client Protocol; the vendor names Codex, Claude Agent and OpenCode as examples
- An Agent Command Center (a Kanban view) manages local and cloud agents, and Spaces share context between agents
- The quota docs say free models are not counted against the usage quota
Limitations
- Usage is metered by a daily and a weekly token-based quota, and the docs publish no specific numbers
- Free plan users wait for the next daily or weekly reset when they hit the limit. Paid users can buy extra usage billed at API list prices
- Priority and speed model variants use more of the quota or more extra usage
- The Windsurf JetBrains plugin is in maintenance mode, and the vendor recommends switching to Devin over the Agent Client Protocol
GitHub Copilot
GitHub's AI coding assistant: completions, chat, code review and agents in VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Xcode and on GitHub. Free plan; Pro is $10 a month.
Who it is for
Individual developers, students, and teams or enterprises that want AI help inside their editors and GitHub workflows. GitHub sells separate individual, Business and Enterprise plans, with admin budgets and pooled credits for organizations.
Strengths
- A free plan is available, with 2,000 code completions a month and limited chat and agent use
- GitHub's feature matrix lists VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains IDEs, Xcode, Neovim and Eclipse, plus GitHub.com, GitHub Mobile and the command line
- On paid plans, code completions and next edit suggestions do not use AI credits
- Copilot Student is free for verified students, and GitHub says verified teachers and popular open-source maintainers may be eligible for free Copilot Pro
- Business and Enterprise plans pool credits across the organization, with admin budgets at enterprise, cost-center and user level
Limitations
- Usage is metered in AI credits (1 credit equals $0.01) based on token use. Included credits reset monthly and do not carry over
- On individual plans, Copilot pauses once the included credits run out unless you turn on paid additional usage and set a budget
- Annual Pro and Pro+ subscribers stay on the older premium-request system until the plan expires (300 and 1,500 requests a month, $0.04 per extra request), then move to Free
