Side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right tool for your business
Our Verdict: Claude Code for autonomous task execution, Windsurf for AI-native IDE experience
Windsurf (evolved from Codeium) delivers an AI-native IDE where Cascade, its agentic assistant, handles multi-file edits with visual diffs and inline suggestions — all within a polished editor. Claude Code operates from your terminal as an autonomous agent that reads your entire codebase, writes files, runs tests, and commits without needing an IDE at all. Pick Windsurf if you want a modern IDE with deeply integrated AI. Pick Claude Code if you prefer to describe what you want and let the AI figure out the implementation.
Developers who want to delegate full tasks to an AI agent
Usage-based via API ($3-15/1M tokens) or Claude Pro ($20/mo, limited)
intermediate
1-2 days
Developers who want AI deeply embedded in their editor experience
Free (basic) / $15/mo (Pro) / $60/mo (Team) / Custom (Enterprise)
beginner
1 day
| Feature | Claude Code | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Interface | Terminal CLI | VS Code-based IDE |
| Autocomplete | No | Yes (Supercomplete) |
| Multi-file editing | Autonomous (direct file writes) | Cascade (visual diffs) |
| Shell commands | Runs directly | Suggests + executes in terminal |
| Git operations | Full (branch, commit, push) | Standard IDE git |
| Context understanding | 200K tokens (full codebase) | Project-level indexing |
| Pricing | Per-token (usage-based) | $15-60/mo subscription |
| Extension support | MCP servers | VS Code extensions |
Supercomplete and inline suggestions make every keystroke smarter. Claude Code requires explicit prompts — it doesn't help while you're actively typing.
200K context window handles the full codebase. It autonomously updates imports, rewrites configuration, and runs tests to verify. Windsurf's Cascade struggles with 50+ file changes.
AI explanations, inline suggestions, and Cascade's step-by-step changes teach patterns as you code. Claude Code does the work for you — educational but less hands-on.
Feed it the OpenAPI spec and it generates routes, handlers, validation, tests, and database migrations. Then runs the test suite to verify everything passes.
We implement both options. Tell us your use case and we'll recommend the right fit — then set it up for you.
Windsurf evolved from Codeium's autocomplete product into a full AI-native IDE. The free Codeium autocomplete extension still exists for VS Code, but Windsurf is the flagship product — a standalone editor with Cascade (agentic editing), Supercomplete, and deeper AI integration.
Claude Code, when using Opus, writes more architecturally sound code because it processes more context and takes more time per request. Windsurf's Cascade is faster for quick edits but can produce more superficial changes. For critical features, Claude Code's deliberate approach wins.
Not directly inside the editor, but you can run Claude Code in Windsurf's integrated terminal. Many developers use Windsurf for daily coding with Supercomplete and switch to Claude Code in the terminal for larger tasks. The two tools complement each other well.
Windsurf Pro at $15/month is more predictable than Claude Code's per-token pricing, which typically runs $50-100/month for active developers. If you mostly need autocomplete and occasional multi-file edits, Windsurf is cheaper. If you delegate large tasks frequently, Claude Code's output per dollar is higher.