CursorAI code editor; Cursor 3 adds an agents window to run parallel agents.Claude CodeAnthropic's agentic coding tool: delegate engineering tasks from your terminal.LovableBuild and publish full-stack web apps by chatting with AI.Bolt.newPrompt, run, edit and deploy full-stack apps entirely in your browser.v0Vercel's prompt-to-app builder with Design Mode and one-click deploy.ReplitBrowser IDE whose Replit Agent builds and deploys apps from a description.WindsurfAgentic IDE with Cascade; now part of Cognition (Devin Desktop).ZedOpen-source Rust editor at 120fps with an agent panel and parallel agents.GitHub CopilotCopilot agent mode in VS Code: edits files, runs commands, fixes its own errors.Codex CLIOpenAI's open-source coding agent that runs locally in your terminal.Gemini CLIGoogle's open-source terminal agent; free tier moved to Antigravity CLI in 2026.Base44Describe an app, get a working app with auth, database and hosting. Owned by Wix.n8nVisual workflow automation with AI agent nodes; self-host free.LangSmith Agent BuilderLangChain's no-code agent builder: describe the job, it writes its own instructions.DifyOpen-source platform for LLM apps: visual workflows, RAG and agents.RunwayGen-4.5 video generation with consistent characters and worlds.Kling AIKuaishou's video model: 15s clips, native audio, multi-shot storyboards.Google VeoGoogle DeepMind's video model with native sound, in Flow and the Gemini app.PikaPlayful text/image-to-video with effects like Pikaffects.HeyGenTurn one recording into a realistic AI avatar that presents any script.MidjourneyDistinctive art-quality images, now animated with V1 video.IdeogramImage generator famous for clean, accurate text in logos and posters.RecraftDesign-grade images and real vector SVGs, logos and brand styles.ClineOpen-source coding agent in VS Code with Plan/Act modes; bring any model.DevinCognition's autonomous AI software engineer, in the cloud or locally.KiroSpec-driven agentic IDE: turns prompts into specs, then code.Google AntigravityGoogle's agent-first IDE: agents plan, build and verify apps in a browser.WarpAgentic development environment: a modern terminal with built-in coding agents.Luma Dream MachineRay3 video model with HDR and fast Draft Mode.Adobe FireflyAdobe's commercially-safe image, video and vector generator.
Home / Compare / Windsurf vs Zed

Windsurf vs Zed

Two AI code editors, side by side. Facts below link to their sources; last checked 2026-10-17.

WindsurfZed
TypeAI code editorAI code editor
PricingFrom $20/monthFrom $10/month
Free tierYesYes
Open sourceNoYes
Latest release——
Windsurf official demo

Windsurf

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

Key dates

  • Nov 13, 2024 — Codeium launches the Windsurf Editor source
  • Jul 14, 2025 — Cognition (maker of Devin) agrees to acquire Windsurf source
  • Mar 19, 2026 — Credits replaced by daily/weekly usage quotas; new Max plan source

Status

  • Free tier: $0: light agent quota, unlimited Tab completions and inline edits source
  • Paid from: Pro $20/month; Max $200/month source
  • Latest version: TBD

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Zed official demo

Zed

High-performance open-source code editor written in Rust. The agent discovers context, edits files and keeps going until the task is done; you can also plug in external agents like Codex or Claude Code. source

Key dates

  • Jan 24, 2024 — Zed becomes open source (GPL editor, AGPL server) source
  • May 7, 2025 — Agentic editing launches (Agent Panel) source

Status

  • Free tier: Editor free; bring your own API keys or external agents source
  • Paid from: Pro $10/month incl. $5 of tokens, then API price +10% source
  • Free trial: 14-day Pro trial, no card required source

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FAQ

What is the difference between Windsurf and Zed?

Windsurf: Agentic IDE with Cascade; now part of Cognition (Devin Desktop). Zed: Open-source Rust editor at 120fps with an agent panel and parallel agents.

Which is cheaper, Windsurf or Zed?

Windsurf: From $20/month (free tier available). Zed: From $10/month (free tier available). Prices change often; confirm on the official pricing pages.