OpenCode vs Windsurf: Side-by-Side Comparison 2026
OpenCode vs Windsurf comparison 2026. Side-by-side features, pricing & capabilities.
OpenCode is a CLI-based coding agent from SST — open-source terminal ai coding agent. Windsurf is an AI IDE from Cognition — the agentic ai ide.
OpenCode
Open-source terminal AI coding agent from SST. Free with BYOK, or use OpenCode Zen (pay-per-token) and Black (flat-rate subscription at $20/$100/$200/mo) for managed model access.
- ✓ AI chat
- ✓ Agentic mode
- ✓ Multi-file editing
- ✓ Terminal commands
- ✓ Test generation
Free · 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 | OpenCode | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Category | CLI | AI IDE |
| Starting Price | Free | Free |
| Model Family | Multi-model (any) | Multi-model |
| Documentation | — | ✓ |
| Git Integration | — | ✓ |
| Open Source | Yes (MIT) | No |
Pricing verified Mar 20, 2026. OpenCode pricing | Windsurf pricing
Key Differences
- Category: OpenCode is a CLI-based coding agent; Windsurf is an AI IDE.
- Starting price: OpenCode starts at free / BYOK; Windsurf starts at $20/mo.
- Model family: OpenCode uses Multi-model (any); Windsurf uses Multi-model.
- Open source: OpenCode: Yes (MIT). Windsurf: No.
- Provider: OpenCode is built by SST; Windsurf is built by Cognition.
Which Should You Choose?
Choose OpenCode if you want open-source terminal-based coding with model flexibility. Choose Windsurf if you want an agentic IDE with autonomous multi-step changes. Read our full reviews to see which fits your workflow.