Head-to-head · profiles checked Oct 1, 2026
Pick Windsurf (now Devin Desktop) for an AI-first IDE with a free way to start; pick Claude Code if you work in the terminal or already pay for Claude. Windsurf has a $0 Free plan and Pro at $20/mo. Claude Code has no free tier and starts at $20/mo, or $17/mo billed annually. Only Claude Code was benchmarked.
We based this comparison on our verified profiles (Windsurf checked Oct 1, Claude Code checked Sep 29) and one Claude Code benchmark run on Oct 2; it uses no third-party benchmarks and no vendor payments.
Windsurf, now presented as Devin Desktop, is a full IDE with a free plan and Pro at $20/mo. Claude Code starts at $20/mo billed monthly, has no free tier, and runs in the terminal, IDE extensions, desktop app and web. Pick Windsurf if you want an AI-first editor and a free way to try it. Pick Claude Code if you work in the terminal or already pay for a Claude subscription. We have no head-to-head benchmark: only Claude Code was run.
Based on our profiles, verified Oct 1 (Windsurf) and Sep 29 (Claude Code), and one Claude Code benchmark run on Oct 2; Windsurf was not benchmarked.
If you only want the answer, this is the table. Everything below is the evidence from the two documented profiles.
| You want to | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Autocomplete code as you type | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Windsurf offers unlimited Tab completions and inline edits on all plans; Claude Code does not list autocomplete |
| Work inside a full code editor | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Windsurf is a full IDE with autocomplete and debugging; Claude Code adds a panel to VS Code and JetBrains |
| Work from the terminal | Claude Code | Claude Code starts with `claude` in a project folder and runs commands there; Windsurf lists a Devin CLI |
| Change many files at once | Either | Windsurf and Claude Code both document multi-file changes: Windsurf agentic code changes, Claude Code features across multiple files |
| Fix a bug from a pasted error | Claude Code | Claude Code documents tracing the cause in the repo from an error message and proposing a fix |
| Run several agents side by side | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Windsurf has an Agent Command Center with Spaces and Kanban; Claude Code desktop lists side-by-side sessions |
| Write tests and fix failures | Claude Code | Claude Code documents writing tests, running them and fixing failures |
| Code in a browser or on a phone | Claude Code | Claude Code has a web version and iOS and Android apps; Windsurf is desktop-only |
| Try it without paying | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Windsurf has a $0 Free plan; Claude Code is not in the Free Claude plan |
| Run on a team with central billing | Either | Windsurf Teams has an admin dashboard; Claude Team has SSO and central billing |
| Plan | Tool | Price | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windsurf Free | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | $0 | Light agent quota, resets daily and weekly; limited model availability; up to 10 concurrent sessions |
| Windsurf Pro | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | $20/mo | Increased quotas; full model availability; up to 10 concurrent sessions |
| Windsurf Max | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | $200/mo | Significantly higher quotas than Pro; unlimited concurrent sessions |
| Windsurf Teams | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | $80/mo team base + $40/mo per full dev seat | Up to 200 users; unlimited concurrent sessions |
| Windsurf Enterprise | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Contact sales | Custom quotas; unlimited users with custom terms |
| Claude Pro | Claude Code | $20/mo billed monthly, or $17/mo billed annually ($200 up front) | Usage limits apply; more usage than Free |
| Claude Max 5x | Claude Code | $100/mo | 5x the usage of Pro; usage limits apply |
| Claude Max 20x | Claude Code | $200/mo | 20x the usage of Pro; usage limits apply |
| Claude Team (standard seat) | Claude Code | $25/seat/mo billed monthly, or $20 billed annually | Teams of 2 to 150; more usage than Pro |
| Claude Enterprise | Claude Code | Seat plus usage at API rates (page states $20/seat/mo billed annually) | Spend limits set by admins |
USD as published on each vendor's pricing page, checked Oct 1, 2026. Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) pricing in full · Claude Code pricing in full
| Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Claude Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Rate limits and quotas | Free and Pro use daily and weekly refreshing quotas; Max has significantly higher quotas | Subscription usage limits apply; Max is 5x or 20x Pro usage |
| Context / file size | Not stated | Up to 1M tokens, varies by model |
| Seats / team | Teams up to 200 users; Enterprise unlimited users | Team of 2 to 150 seats; Enterprise spend limits set by admins |
| Concurrent sessions | Up to 10 on Free and Pro; unlimited on Max and Teams | Not stated |
| Feature | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Claude Code |
|---|---|---|
| Autocomplete and inline edits | Yes | Not stated |
| Full IDE | Yes | No. Extensions for VS Code and JetBrains |
| Terminal / CLI | Devin CLI | Yes |
| Agents / tools | Local and cloud agents, Agent Command Center | Agent that edits files and runs commands; GitHub and Slack entry points |
| Desktop app | macOS, Windows, Linux | macOS and Windows; Linux beta |
| Web access | No. Desktop-only | Yes, claude.ai/code |
| Mobile apps | No | iOS and Android |
| JetBrains | Plugin | Plugin (needs the CLI installed separately) |
| API | Extra usage bought at API pricing | Console account billed by API token use |
| Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Claude Code | |
|---|---|---|
| Training on your data | Not stated in our profile | Opt-out on Free, Pro and Max; none by default on Team and Enterprise |
| Retention | Not stated in our profile | Custom data retention controls on Enterprise only |
| Business controls | Admin controls (Teams, Enterprise); SAML/OIDC SSO and dedicated deployment (Enterprise) | SSO and SCIM, audit logs and Compliance API, IP allowlisting, HIPAA-ready offering |
Taken from each vendor's published policy pages at the time of our check. Policies change; the source links are at the bottom.
AI coding IDE, formerly Windsurf, now Devin Desktop: manage local and cloud coding agents inside a full IDE.
Free stops at: Light quota for agent usage, resets daily and weekly, Limited model availability
Verified windsurf.com (opens Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) website in a new tab)
Free · paid from $20/mo US · checked Sep 29
Anthropic's agentic coding tool that reads your codebase, edits files and runs commands from the terminal, IDEs, desktop app or browser.
Watch out: Not included in the Free Claude plan, and usage on subscriptions is capped by plan limits.
Verified code.claude.com (opens Claude Code website in a new tab)
From $20/mo US · checked Sep 29
Yes, Devin Desktop is the new name for Windsurf. windsurf.com now presents the product as Devin Desktop, the new name for Windsurf. Plans and settings migrate from Windsurf automatically.
Windsurf has a $0 Free plan, which Claude Code lacks. Paid entry is close: Windsurf Pro is $20/mo, and Claude Pro is $20/mo billed monthly or $17/mo billed annually. Both have a $200 tier or higher: Windsurf Max is $200/mo, Claude Max starts at $100/mo.
Yes, Claude Code runs inside IDEs too. Claude Code has VS Code and JetBrains extensions, plus a desktop app and web access. Windsurf is itself an IDE and also has a JetBrains plugin.
No winner: Windsurf and Claude Code have no head-to-head result. Claude Code passed 5 of 5 tests on our orders-report task in 48 s for $1.22. Windsurf was not benchmarked, so there is no head-to-head result.
Only official vendor pages. No third-party benchmarks, forum threads or press were used. How we review.
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