Continue vs Windsurf: Side-by-Side Comparison 2026
Continue vs Windsurf comparison 2026. Side-by-side features, pricing & capabilities.
Continue is an editor extension from Continue — open-source ai coding extension. Windsurf is an AI IDE from Cognition — the agentic ai ide.
Continue
Continue — AI Code Assistant from Continue. Open Source IDE Extension.
- ✓ Code completions
- ✓ AI chat
- ✓ Agentic mode
- ✓ Multi-file editing
- ✓ Terminal commands
$20/mo · 3 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 | Continue | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Extension | AI IDE |
| Starting Price | $20/mo | Free |
| Model Family | Multi-model (any) | Multi-model |
| Open Source | Yes (Apache 2.0) | No |
Pricing verified Mar 20, 2026. Continue pricing | Windsurf pricing
Key Differences
- Category: Continue is an editor extension; Windsurf is an AI IDE.
- Free tier: Windsurf has a free tier; Continue does not.
- Model family: Continue uses Multi-model (any); Windsurf uses Multi-model.
- Open source: Continue: Yes (Apache 2.0). Windsurf: No.
- Provider: Continue is built by Continue; Windsurf is built by Cognition.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose Continue if you want open-source AI coding with full control over model and context. Choose Windsurf if you want an agentic IDE with autonomous multi-step changes. Read our full reviews to see which fits your workflow.