Windsurf Review 2025: Wave 13 Makes SWE-1.5 Free (Is the $15 Cursor Alternative Worth It?)

🆕 Latest Update (December 24, 2025): Wave 13 launched with free SWE-1.5 model for 3 months, parallel agents, Git worktrees, and multi-pane Cascade interface.

The Bottom Line

Windsurf just dropped Wave 13 on Christmas Eve, making their flagship SWE-1.5 model free for three months. This agentic IDE, now owned by Cognition (the team behind Devin), offers deep codebase understanding at $15/month versus Cursor’s $20. The Cascade agent automatically analyzes your entire project before suggesting code, something Cursor requires manual tagging to achieve.

The catch? You’re locked into the Windsurf ecosystem with no open API access. And while Cognition brings stability after a chaotic acquisition saga, the tool is still evolving. Best for developers who want hands-off context management and don’t mind a slight speed trade-off for better codebase awareness. Skip if you need rock-solid stability or prefer Cursor’s manual control approach. Check our Cursor 2.0 review for a comparison.

🚀 What Windsurf Actually Does

Windsurf is an AI-powered code editor that works more like a coding teammate than a fancy autocomplete. Think of it as VS Code that actually understands your entire project, not just the file you have open. You describe what you want in plain English, and Windsurf’s Cascade agent breaks it down, edits multiple files, runs terminal commands, and even debugs failures automatically.

Here’s what sets it apart: when I opened a React project with 50+ components, Windsurf analyzed the entire codebase in seconds and knew that my authentication logic lived in three different files. When I asked it to add a new protected route, it modified all three files correctly without me tagging anything. In Cursor, you’d need to manually select those files first.

The tool launched in November 2024 as a spinoff from Codeium, which had already built a massive user base with its free autocomplete extension. In July 2025, after a dramatic acquisition saga involving OpenAI’s $3 billion offer falling through and Google hiring the original founders for $2.4 billion, Cognition (the Devin team) acquired Windsurf. Today, it has 350+ enterprise customers, hundreds of thousands of daily active users, and $82 million in ARR.

🆕 Wave 13: What Just Changed (December 2025)

Wave 13, dubbed the “Shipmas Edition,” dropped on December 24, 2025, and it’s the most significant update yet. The headline: SWE-1.5 is now free for all users for three months. This is Windsurf’s frontier model that achieves near-Claude 4.5 performance at 13x the speed. Previously, you needed a paid plan to access it.

But the real game-changer is parallel agents with Git worktrees. You can now run multiple Cascade sessions on different branches simultaneously without file conflicts. Each agent works in its own isolated workspace while sharing Git history. It’s like having five junior developers working on five different bugs at once, each on their own branch.

Key Wave 13 features:

• SWE-1.5 Free: Full intelligence at standard throughput, no credits required for 3 months
• Parallel Agents: Run multiple Cascade sessions side-by-side with multi-pane interface
• Git Worktrees: Each agent works on a separate branch without conflicts
• Dedicated Terminal: New zsh shell profile for more reliable command execution
• Context Window Indicator: Monitor context usage and anticipate limits
• Cascade Hooks: Run custom commands at key workflow points

🔍 REALITY CHECK

Marketing Claims: “True parallel agents that work simultaneously on complex tasks”

Actual Experience: Parallel agents work as advertised, but PR review time increased 91% according to the DORA 2025 report. You’re generating code faster, but you still need to review everything. The bottleneck shifts from writing code to reviewing AI-generated code.

Verdict: Powerful for senior developers who can supervise multiple agents. Beginners may struggle with the cognitive overhead.

⚡ Getting Started: Your First 15 Minutes

Getting Windsurf running takes about 3 minutes. Download the editor from windsurf.com (available for Mac, Windows, and Linux), install it, and sign in with GitHub or email. No credit card required for the free tier.

When you open your first project, Windsurf immediately starts indexing your codebase. This is the “Fast Context” feature in action. It reads your entire project structure, understands dependencies, and builds a mental map of how your code connects. For a medium-sized Next.js project (about 100 files), this took roughly 8 seconds on my M2 MacBook.

The Cascade panel sits in the sidebar. Here’s what I tried in my first session:

Test 1: Simple refactor. I typed: “Rename the user authentication function to useAuth and update all imports.” Cascade found 7 files that referenced the function, showed me the proposed changes, and applied them after I clicked “Accept All.” Time: 12 seconds.

Test 2: Feature creation. I asked: “Add a dark mode toggle to the settings page with localStorage persistence.” Cascade created a new component, added the toggle logic, modified the settings page, and set up localStorage handling. It even added appropriate TypeScript types. Time: 45 seconds, though I needed one iteration to fix the styling.

Test 3: Bug debugging. I pasted an error message and asked Cascade to fix it. It traced the issue to a missing null check in a nested data structure, proposed a fix, and tested it by running the dev server. Time: 30 seconds.

🤖 Cascade: The AI Agent That Gets It

Cascade is Windsurf’s core differentiator. Unlike Cursor’s Composer, which waits for you to select context, Cascade proactively understands your codebase before you ask anything. It maintains a “shared timeline” of your development work, meaning it knows what you’ve been doing and can pick up where you left off.

Flow Awareness: This is Windsurf’s term for understanding the complete picture. Cascade watches your actions in real-time. If you’re editing a component, it automatically pulls in related files, tests, and styles. When I edited a Button component, Cascade already knew about the three places it was used and the CSS module that styled it.

Write vs Chat Mode: Toggle between modes with one click. Write mode makes direct code changes. Chat mode discusses approaches without modifying files. This distinction feels cleaner than Cursor’s single-mode approach where you’re constantly clarifying “don’t change anything yet.”

Supercomplete: Goes beyond line completion to predict your intent. If I start typing a function definition, Supercomplete generates the entire function body based on the function name, surrounding code, and project patterns. It correctly predicted that my validateEmail function needed the exact regex pattern I’d used elsewhere in the project.

Auto-lint Fixing: When Cascade generates code that fails linting, it automatically fixes the errors without you asking. This eliminates the annoying back-and-forth of “now fix the ESLint errors.”

Image-to-Code: Drop a screenshot into Cascade and it generates matching HTML/CSS/JavaScript. I tested this with a Dribbble design and got a reasonable starting point in about 30 seconds. Not pixel-perfect, but 70% there.

🔍 REALITY CHECK

Marketing Claims: “Cascade will automatically detect and fix lint errors that it generates”

Actual Experience: Works about 80% of the time. Complex TypeScript errors or project-specific ESLint rules sometimes stump it. You’ll still manually fix edge cases.

Verdict: Significantly reduces friction, but don’t expect perfection.

🧠 SWE-1.5: Windsurf’s Secret Weapon

Windsurf’s proprietary SWE (Software Engineering) models are why power users choose it over competitors. Unlike Cursor or GitHub Copilot, which rely entirely on third-party models (Claude, GPT, Gemini), Windsurf trained their own models specifically for software engineering tasks.

SWE-1.5: The flagship model, now free for 3 months. Achieves 40.08% on SWE-Bench Pro (near Claude Sonnet 4.5’s 43.60%) but runs at 950 tokens per second. That’s 13x faster than Sonnet and nearly 4x faster than Cursor’s Composer model (250 tok/s). Partnered with Cerebras for inference.

SWE-1: The original agentic model, comparable to Claude 3.5 Sonnet in tool-call reasoning. More cost-efficient than frontier models.

SWE-1-lite: Free unlimited access for all users. Powers the mid-tier experience.

SWE-1-mini: Ultra-fast model powering Tab autocomplete. Runs in real-time with near-zero latency.

The speed difference is noticeable. When I ran the same refactoring task on Windsurf with SWE-1.5 versus Cursor with Claude Sonnet 4.5, Windsurf finished while I was still watching Cursor think. For iterative development where you’re constantly asking follow-up questions, this compounds into significant time savings.

Cognition trained SWE-1.5 using reinforcement learning in “tens of thousands of concurrent, high-fidelity environments” including code execution and web browsing. They claim this approach creates tighter integration between model and IDE than generic models adapted for coding.

💰 Pricing Breakdown: What You’ll Actually Pay

Windsurf uses a credit-based system that can get confusing. Here’s the breakdown:

Free Plan – $0/month:

• 25 prompt credits per month
• Unlimited SWE-1-lite and SWE-1-mini (0 credits)
• 1 app deploy per day
• 14-day Pro trial with 100 credits
• BYOK (Bring Your Own Key) for API access

Pro Plan – $15/month:

• 500 prompt credits per month
• SWE-1.5 model access (currently free for 3 months)
• Unlimited Tab autocomplete
• 5 app deploys per day
• Add-on credits: $10 for 250

Teams Plan – $30/user/month:

• 500 credits per user (not pooled)
• Admin controls and billing management
• Priority support
• Add-on credits: $40 for 1000 (pooled)

Enterprise Plan – $60/user/month:

• Everything in Teams
• SOC 2, HIPAA, FedRAMP compliance
• SSO and RBAC
• Custom deployment options
• 24/7 support

How credits actually work: 1 credit = $0.04. Different models consume credits at different rates. SWE-1 models cost 0 credits (unlimited). Claude Sonnet 4 costs about 90 credits per 1M input tokens. GPT-5.1 costs vary. The math gets complex quickly.

Student discount: 50% off Pro with a .edu email. That’s $7.50/month.

💡 Swipe left to see all features →

🔍 REALITY CHECK

Marketing Claims: “$15/month for unlimited AI coding”

Actual Experience: The 500 credits can run out fast if you use premium third-party models. Heavy GPT-5.1 users report hitting limits mid-month. However, the unlimited SWE-1 models provide excellent value if you stick with them.

Verdict: Great value if you use Windsurf’s own models. Budget carefully if you need Claude Opus 4.5 or GPT-5.1 frequently.

⚔️ Windsurf vs Cursor: Head-to-Head Comparison

This is the comparison everyone asks about. Both are VS Code forks with AI superpowers, but they approach the problem differently. Cursor gives you precision control. Windsurf gives you automatic context understanding.

Context Handling: Windsurf automatically analyzes your entire codebase with Fast Context. Cursor requires manual file tagging or relies on basic embedding search. Reddit users consistently report Windsurf handles medium-to-large codebases better. As one developer put it: “Windsurf edged out better with a medium to big codebase. It understood the context better.”

Speed vs Quality: Cursor’s Composer model finishes tasks faster. Windsurf’s Cascade takes slightly longer but produces more architecturally-aware suggestions. In my testing, Cursor generated boilerplate faster, but Windsurf’s code required less manual correction because it understood existing patterns.

Agent Capabilities: Both support agentic workflows. Windsurf’s Cascade was first to market with true multi-file, autonomous editing. Cursor’s Agent Mode caught up but still asks for more approvals. Windsurf feels more like delegation; Cursor feels more like collaboration.

Pricing: Windsurf Pro: $15/month. Cursor Pro: $20/month. For teams, Windsurf: $30/user, Cursor: $40/user. Windsurf offers 25% savings across the board.

Enterprise Features: Windsurf has more compliance certifications: SOC 2, HIPAA, FedRAMP, ITAR, RBAC, SCIM. Cursor only offers SOC 2. Healthcare, government, and defense contractors should lean Windsurf.

Model Access: Both support Claude, GPT, and Gemini. Windsurf additionally offers proprietary SWE models. Cursor has its proprietary Composer model. Windsurf’s SWE-1.5 is currently faster; benchmark comparisons are ongoing.

💡 Swipe left to see all features →

Bottom line: Choose Windsurf if you want automatic context understanding and work with large, complex codebases. Choose Cursor if you prefer manual control, prioritize raw speed, or have simpler projects where automatic context adds overhead.

👤 Who Should Use This (And Who Shouldn’t)

Windsurf is ideal for:

• Developers working with large codebases: The automatic context understanding shines when you have 100+ files. Windsurf correctly identifies dependencies without manual tagging.
• Teams needing enterprise compliance: HIPAA, FedRAMP, ITAR certifications matter. Cursor can’t match this.
• Budget-conscious developers: $15/month vs $20/month adds up. Student discount makes it $7.50.
• Non-experts who want AI guidance: Cascade’s step-by-step workflow feels more approachable than Cursor’s power-user interface.
• JetBrains users: Native plugins for IntelliJ, PyCharm, etc. Cursor locks you into their VS Code fork.

Windsurf is NOT for:

• Developers who need external API access: SWE models are locked to Windsurf. No CI/CD pipeline integration without workarounds.
• Teams needing 100% stability: The Cognition acquisition is recent. Some users report occasional bugs in new features.
• Power users who want manual control: Cursor’s granular file selection and approval workflow suits those who want to steer every decision.
• Developers with simple projects: For single-file scripts or small utilities, Windsurf’s context engine adds unnecessary overhead.

💬 What Developers Are Actually Saying

Reddit sentiment (r/ChatGPTCoding, r/ClaudeAI):

The consensus is that Windsurf handles large codebases better. One highly-upvoted comment: “Windsurf edged out better with a medium to big codebase. It understood the context better.” Another developer noted: “The UI feels way more intuitive than Cursor. Click ‘preview’ and it sets up a server and keeps it active.”

The main complaints center on occasional instability and the locked ecosystem. “Great tool, but I wish I could use SWE-1.5 in my existing IDE” is a common refrain.

Twitter/X developer reactions:

Tech influencers have been vocal. Multiple developers called Windsurf “the Cursor killer at $15/month.” Simon Willison, after testing SWE-1.5, noted: “This one felt really fast. Partnering with Cerebras for inference is a very smart move.”

The Wave 13 parallel agents feature generated excitement: “Five agents on five bugs. This is the workflow I’ve been waiting for.”

Enterprise adoption:

Goldman Sachs recently became a major Cognition customer. With 350+ enterprise customers and $82M ARR before the Cognition acquisition (now doubled), enterprise adoption is strong. Gartner named Windsurf a Leader in the 2025 Magic Quadrant for AI Code Assistants.

Common themes:

• Praise for automatic context understanding
• Appreciation for lower pricing
• Frustration with ecosystem lock-in
• Requests for more stability post-acquisition
• Excitement about SWE-1.5 speed

❓ FAQs: Your Questions Answered

Q: Is Windsurf free to use?

A: Yes, Windsurf offers a free tier with 25 prompt credits per month and unlimited access to SWE-1-lite and SWE-1-mini models. You also get a 14-day Pro trial with 100 credits. The SWE-1.5 model is currently free for all users for 3 months as part of the Wave 13 release.

Q: How does Windsurf compare to Cursor?

A: Windsurf excels at automatic context understanding for large codebases and costs $15/month vs Cursor’s $20. Cursor offers faster raw speed and more manual control. Windsurf has more enterprise compliance certifications. Choose Windsurf for complex projects; choose Cursor for precision control.

Q: What happened with the Cognition acquisition?

A: In July 2025, after OpenAI’s $3B acquisition fell through and Google hired Windsurf’s founders for $2.4B, Cognition (makers of Devin) acquired Windsurf’s product, team, and brand. Cognition is now valued at $10.2B. The acquisition brought stability and integration with Devin’s autonomous agent technology.

Q: What is SWE-1.5 and why does speed matter?

A: SWE-1.5 is Windsurf’s proprietary AI model optimized for software engineering. It runs at 950 tokens per second, 13x faster than Claude Sonnet 4.5, while achieving 40.08% on SWE-Bench Pro (near-frontier performance). Speed eliminates context-switching during iterative development.

Q: Can I use my own API keys with Windsurf?

A: Yes, free and Pro users can bring their own API keys (BYOK) for models like Claude and GPT. This doesn’t consume Windsurf credits. Teams and Enterprise plans must use Windsurf-metered credits. The proprietary SWE models only work within Windsurf.

Q: Does Windsurf work with JetBrains IDEs?

A: Yes, Windsurf offers native plugins for 40+ IDEs including JetBrains (IntelliJ, PyCharm, WebStorm), Vim, NeoVim, and XCode. This is a major advantage over Cursor, which only works as a standalone VS Code fork. The plugins include Tab autocomplete but not the full Cascade agent.

Q: What are Windsurf credits and how do they work?

A: Windsurf credits are the currency for AI requests. 1 credit = $0.04. Different models consume different amounts: SWE-1 models cost 0 credits (unlimited), while Claude and GPT models consume credits based on token usage. Pro gets 500 credits/month. Credits roll over if unused.

Q: Is Windsurf suitable for enterprise use?

A: Yes, Windsurf offers comprehensive enterprise features including SOC 2, HIPAA, FedRAMP, and ITAR compliance. The Enterprise plan at $60/user/month includes SSO, RBAC, custom deployment, and 24/7 support. Over 350 enterprise customers use Windsurf, including Goldman Sachs.

🎯 Final Verdict

Windsurf in late December 2025 is a compelling choice for developers who want AI that truly understands their codebase. The Wave 13 release with free SWE-1.5, parallel agents, and Git worktrees makes it the most feature-rich AI code editor at its price point.

The Cognition acquisition brought stability after a chaotic summer. Combining Windsurf’s IDE with Devin’s autonomous agent technology creates a powerful platform. The $10.2B valuation and Goldman Sachs partnership signal enterprise confidence.

Use Windsurf if:

• You work with medium-to-large codebases
• You want AI that handles context automatically
• You need enterprise compliance (HIPAA, FedRAMP)
• You want to save $5/month vs Cursor
• You use JetBrains IDEs

Stick with Cursor if:

• You prefer manual control over AI context
• You prioritize raw generation speed over context accuracy
• You need 100% stability (Windsurf is still evolving post-acquisition)
• You work on simple projects where auto-context adds overhead

Try it today: Download Windsurf Editor (free, no credit card required). The 14-day Pro trial with 100 credits gives you enough time to test whether Cascade’s automatic context understanding fits your workflow.

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Last Updated: December 29, 2025

Windsurf Version: Wave 13 (1.13.3)

Next Review Update: January 29, 2026