Two AI code editors, side by side. Facts below link to their sources; last checked 2026-10-17.
| Windsurf | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | AI code editor | AI code editor |
| Pricing | From $20/month | From $10/month |
| Free tier | Yes | Yes |
| Open source | No | No |
| Latest release | — | — |

VS Code-based agentic IDE. Its Cascade agent understands the codebase, uses tools and tracks your actions to make multi-file edits. source

GitHub's AI pair programmer. Agent mode in VS Code analyzes code, edits multiple files, runs permitted terminal commands, detects errors and iterates until the task is done. source
Windsurf: Agentic IDE with Cascade; now part of Cognition (Devin Desktop). GitHub Copilot: Copilot agent mode in VS Code: edits files, runs commands, fixes its own errors.
Windsurf: From $20/month (free tier available). GitHub Copilot: From $10/month (free tier available). Prices change often; confirm on the official pricing pages.