Side-by-side

Cline vs Windsurf

ClineWindsurf

	Cline Open-source autonomous coding agent for VS Code that runs on your own model API keys. Visit	Windsurf Windsurf (now rebranded as Devin Desktop) is an AI-powered coding IDE that manages local and cloud agents for software development Visit
Votes	0	0
Pricing	Free	Freemium
Category	Coding	Coding
Tags	coding-agentvs-codeopen-source	write-code
Best for	Developers who want an autonomous agent inside VS Code Engineers who prefer to control and optimize their own model spend Teams wanting an open-source, self-hosted-friendly agent	Software developers who want AI agents integrated into a real IDE Engineering teams looking to orchestrate multiple coding agents Power users who delegate large coding tasks to cloud agents
Pros	Completely free and open-source with no subscription to the tool itself BYOK model gives full transparency and control over model choice and cost Supports 30+ providers plus local models for privacy Human-in-the-loop approval gates prevent destructive actions Plan & Act workflow separates strategy from execution	Combines a genuine full IDE — syntax highlighting, autocomplete, and debugging — with agent orchestration, so developers can trace and review every change rather than blindly accepting AI output. Unlimited inline edits and tab completions on every tier, including the free plan, lower the barrier to everyday AI-assisted editing. Broad model flexibility on paid plans, with first-class support for OpenAI, Claude, and Gemini frontier models plus the proprietary SWE 1.6 and open-source options. The agent command center gives a clear board/list view of running, in-review, and completed tasks, making it practical to delegate and supervise multiple agents at once. Strong enterprise posture with SAML/OIDC SSO
Cons	You pay for model tokens yourself, and costs can climb with frequent frontier-model use Requires setting up and managing your own API keys No built-in team collaboration or hosted account features Approval-gate workflow can feel slower than fully automated agents Quality and cost depend heavily on which model you choose	The credit-and-quota usage model makes spending harder to predict; heavy users can exceed included allowances and pay extra at API pricing, with cost-per-message varying by model and task complexity. The agent-fleet workflow introduces a learning curve, and getting good results depends on writing precise prompts and managing context carefully. The recent rebrand from Windsurf to Devin Desktop and absorption into Cognition's ecosystem means branding, plans, and features are in flux, requiring users to verify current details. Reliance on the proprietary Devin Cloud and SWE models for the fullest experience creates some platform lock-in for teams that standardize on it.

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