KiloCode vs Windsurf: Side-by-Side Comparison 2026

KiloCode vs Windsurf comparison 2026. Side-by-side features, pricing & capabilities.

KiloCode is an editor extension from Kilo — open-core ai coding agent for vs code and jetbrains. Windsurf is an AI IDE from Cognition — the agentic ai ide.

KiloCode

Open-core AI coding agent for VS Code, JetBrains, and CLI. Free with BYOK or pay-per-use credits at cost. Teams plan adds organizational features.

  • ✓ AI chat
  • ✓ Agentic mode
  • ✓ Multi-file editing
  • ✓ Terminal commands
  • ✓ Test generation

Free / $15/mo · 6 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 KiloCode Windsurf
Category ExtensionAI IDE
Starting Price Free Free
Model Family Multi-model (any)Multi-model
Open Source Yes (Apache 2.0)No

Pricing verified Mar 20, 2026. KiloCode pricing | Windsurf pricing

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Key Differences

  • Category: KiloCode is an editor extension; Windsurf is an AI IDE.
  • Starting price: KiloCode starts at $15/mo; Windsurf starts at $20/mo.
  • Model family: KiloCode uses Multi-model (any); Windsurf uses Multi-model.
  • Open source: KiloCode: Yes (Apache 2.0). Windsurf: No.
  • Platforms: KiloCode runs on Desktop; Windsurf runs on Linux, Windows, macOS.
  • Provider: KiloCode is built by Kilo; Windsurf is built by Cognition.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose KiloCode if you want affordable agentic coding in VS Code with transparent action tracking. Choose Windsurf if you want an agentic IDE with autonomous multi-step changes. Read our full reviews to see which fits your workflow.

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