Amazon Q Developer vs Windsurf: Side-by-Side Comparison 2026
Amazon Q Developer vs Windsurf comparison 2026. Side-by-side features, pricing & capabilities.
Amazon Q Developer is an editor extension from Amazon (AWS) — ai coding assistant built for aws developers. Windsurf is an AI IDE from Cognition — the agentic ai ide.
Amazon Q Developer
Amazon Q Developer — AI Code Assistant from Amazon (AWS). IDE Integration.
- ✓ Code completions
- ✓ AI chat
- ✓ Agentic mode
- ✓ Multi-file editing
- ✓ Terminal commands
Free / $19/mo · 2 plans
Windsurf
AI-first IDE with Cascade — an agentic assistant that understands your codebase and makes multi-file changes. Now owned by Cognition (makers of Devin). Also available as Windsurf Plugin for VS Code and JetBrains.
- ✓ Cascade agentic AI
- ✓ Code completions
- ✓ Multi-file editing
- ✓ Terminal integration
- ✓ Codebase search
Free / $20/mo · 5 plans
| Feature | Amazon Q Developer | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Extension | AI IDE |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| Model Family | Multi-model | Multi-model |
| Open Source | No | No |
Pricing verified Mar 20, 2026. Amazon Q Developer pricing | Windsurf pricing
Key Differences
- Category: Amazon Q Developer is an editor extension; Windsurf is an AI IDE.
- Starting price: Amazon Q Developer starts at $19/mo; Windsurf starts at $20/mo.
- Bring your own key: Windsurf supports BYOK; Amazon Q Developer does not.
- Platforms: Amazon Q Developer runs on Desktop, Web; Windsurf runs on Linux, Windows, macOS.
- Provider: Amazon Q Developer is built by Amazon (AWS); Windsurf is built by Cognition.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Amazon Q Developer if you want AWS-integrated coding with deep cloud service understanding. Choose Windsurf if you want an agentic IDE with autonomous multi-step changes. Read our full reviews to see which fits your workflow.