Visual Studio Code vs Windsurf

Windsurf is an AI-native editor built around a single agent, whereas VS Code supports multi-agent workflows and a broader ecosystem.

Which to pick

AI-augmented code editing
A free, open-source tool
Integrations with GitHub Copilot or Git (on Visual Studio Code's list, not Windsurf's)

IDE with built-in multi-agent command center
AI-native IDE
Integrations with Slack, Linear or Notion (on Windsurf's list, not Visual Studio Code's)

What it is: Visual Studio Code:Visual Studio Code is a free, open-source code editor that supports AI-assisted multi-agent development across Linux, macOS and Windows.; Windsurf:Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) is an AI-native IDE that lets you manage local and cloud coding agents from a single interface.
Best for: Visual Studio Code:AI-augmented code editing; Windsurf:IDE with built-in multi-agent command center
Who it’s for: Visual Studio Code:Developers needing a lightweight, extensible editor with AI assistance.; Windsurf:Developers and teams who want AI agents integrated directly into their editor.
Pricing: Visual Studio Code:Open source; Windsurf:Freemium
Plans: Visual Studio Code:—; Windsurf:Free $0 · Pro $20 per month · Max $200 per month · Teams $80 per month
Open source: Visual Studio Code:Yes, 193,343 GitHub stars; Windsurf:—
Works with: Visual Studio Code:GitHub Copilot, Git; Windsurf:Slack, Linear, Notion, Sentry, Stripe, Vercel, Datadog, rust-analyzer

AI-assisted coding. Integrates AI agents that can plan, write, and debug code within the editor.
Cross-platform support. Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows with native installers.
Extensible marketplace. Install extensions for languages, debuggers, and tools.
Built-in Git integration. Manage source control directly from the editor.
Integrated terminal. Run commands without leaving the editor.
Open-source core. Source code is publicly available under an open-source license.

Agent Command Center. Manage fleets of local and cloud agents, delegate tasks, and review diffs without leaving the editor.
Full IDE Experience. Syntax highlighting, autocomplete, debugging tools and tab-completion built into the same window.
Spaces for Shared Context. Share Git worktrees and context across all agents to keep work coordinated.
Fast Context Retrieval. Find exact files and lines an agent needs in milliseconds.
Unlimited Model Access. Free access to SWE-2 and optional frontier models from OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, etc.
Extensible Integrations. Supports Slack, Linear, Notion, Sentry, Stripe, Vercel, Datadog, and many language servers (e.g., rust-analyzer, clangd).
Tab-Complete AI. Supercomplete predicts next thoughts and code edits, offering unlimited tab completions.
Enterprise Controls. SAML/OIDC SSO, VPC deployment, admin dashboards and dedicated account management for large teams.

Is Visual Studio Code or Windsurf free?+

Visual Studio Code is free and open source. Windsurf has a free plan; paid plans start at $20/month (Pro).

Which is cheaper, Visual Studio Code or Windsurf?+

Visual Studio Code is free, so it costs less. Windsurf starts at $20/month (Pro).

Is Visual Studio Code or Windsurf open source?+

Visual Studio Code is open source (microsoft/vscode on GitHub, MIT license). DevHunt has no public source repository on record for Windsurf.

Do Visual Studio Code and Windsurf integrate with the same tools?+

Their integration lists don't overlap: Visual Studio Code lists GitHub Copilot and Git; Windsurf lists Slack, Linear, Notion, Sentry and 6 more.

Visual Studio Code

Listed by DevHunt

Windsurf

Listed by DevHunt

Based on each tool's website and DevHunt data. Details may change; check the official sites.