Claude Code vs Devin Desktop: Side-by-Side Comparison 2026
Claude Code vs Devin Desktop comparison for 2026. Features, pricing, AI capabilities, and editor support analyzed side by side to help you choose the right coding tool for your workflow.
Claude Code and Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf, renamed by Cognition in June 2026) are both betting on agentic coding, but from different sides of the stack. Devin Desktop is an editor (a VS Code fork) where the agent lives in a panel and can take over your editor to make multi-file changes. Claude Code has no editor at all. It's a terminal program that operates on the repo directly. Devin Desktop's agent is great when you want to review changes visually in an IDE you trust. Claude Code is great when you'd rather treat the agent like a contractor and review its work as a diff after the fact.
Claude Code🏆 Approved
Anthropic's agentic coding tool available via terminal CLI, VS Code extension (GA), JetBrains plugin (beta), a Code tab in the Claude Desktop app, and web interface. The CLI is open source.
- ✓ Agentic file editing
- ✓ Terminal integration
- ✓ Git operations
- ✓ Multi-file refactoring
- ✓ Code review
Free / $20/mo · 7 plans
Devin Desktop
Agentic AI IDE from Cognition, formerly Windsurf (renamed Devin Desktop in June 2026). Devin Local, a Rust rewrite of the Cascade agent, makes multi-file changes locally, and the Agent Command Center manages local and cloud Devin sessions from one surface. Also available as a plugin for VS Code and JetBrains.
- ✓ Cascade agentic AI
- ✓ Code completions
- ✓ Multi-file editing
- ✓ Terminal integration
- ✓ Codebase search
Free / $20/mo · 5 plans
| Feature | Claude Code | Devin Desktop |
|---|---|---|
| Category | CLI / Agent | AI IDE |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| Model Family | Claude | Multi-model |
| Open Source | Yes (CLI is open source) | No |
Pricing verified Jun 5, 2026. Claude Code pricing | Devin Desktop pricing
Key Differences
- Surface: Devin Desktop is a VS Code fork with the agent in a panel. Claude Code is a terminal program with no GUI.
- Review experience: Devin Desktop shows changes visually in the editor before applying. Claude Code shows changes as diffs in the terminal.
- Model lineup: Devin Desktop supports Claude, GPT, Gemini, plus its own SWE family (zero credits). Claude Code is Claude-only.
- Agent name: Devin Desktop calls its local agent Devin Local (formerly Cascade), with explicit plan-first behavior. Claude Code uses sub-agents and skills for the same kind of orchestration.
- Bundle: Claude Code rides on a Claude subscription you may already pay for. Devin Desktop shares a $20/mo Pro subscription with the cloud Devin agent.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Devin Desktop if you want agentic features inside a familiar IDE you can drive yourself, with first-party SWE models that cost no credits. Choose Claude Code if you'd rather delegate to a terminal agent and stay out of its way while it works. Read our full Claude Code review and Devin Desktop review for the deeper breakdown.