Head-to-head · profiles checked Oct 1, 2026
Pick GitHub Copilot to add AI to the editor you already use, from $10/mo on Pro. Pick Windsurf, now Devin Desktop, for a standalone agent-first IDE from $20/mo on Pro. Both have a free plan, and Copilot meters chat and agent use in AI credits.
We wrote this from our own profiles of both tools, verified on October 1, 2026 (Windsurf) and September 30, 2026 (GitHub Copilot); we ran no benchmark, used no third-party tests and took no vendor payments.
Pick Windsurf, now branded Devin Desktop, if you want a standalone AI-first IDE with an Agent Command Center and are fine with a desktop install and a $20/mo Pro plan. Pick GitHub Copilot if you want AI inside the editor you already use (VS Code, JetBrains, Visual Studio, Xcode and more), a $10/mo Pro plan, and a cloud agent that opens pull requests on GitHub. The catch on the Copilot side is metering: chat, agents and code review draw from a monthly AI credits allowance. We ran no benchmark on either tool, so we make no speed or quality claim.
Based on our profile of Windsurf (Devin Desktop) verified on October 1, 2026 and our profile of GitHub Copilot verified on September 30, 2026. We ran no benchmark task on either tool.
Our own captures of each vendor's public pages. Click a frame for the full-size image.
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 while typing | Either | Windsurf gives unlimited tab completions on Free; Copilot gives 2,000 per month on Free and unlimited on paid plans. |
| Keep using VS Code, JetBrains or Xcode | GitHub Copilot | Copilot runs as an extension in those editors; Windsurf asks you to move to its own IDE, apart from a JetBrains plugin. |
| Run several agents side by side | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Windsurf lists an Agent Command Center with Spaces, Kanban and multi-agent management. |
| Hand a GitHub issue to an agent and get a pull request | GitHub Copilot | Copilot's cloud agent takes assigned issues or @copilot mentions and opens pull requests on paid plans. |
| Large multi-file refactor | Either | Windsurf lists agentic multi-file changes; Copilot lists agent mode in the IDE for multi-step edits across files. |
| Work from the terminal | Either | Windsurf lists a CLI; Copilot CLI has interactive and programmatic modes with plan mode. |
| AI review of pull requests | GitHub Copilot | Copilot code review is on Pro and above; Windsurf lists no pull request review feature in our profile. |
| Choose among many models | Either | Windsurf Pro lists Claude, GPT, Gemini, SpaceXAI and open source models; Copilot paid plans list a multi-vendor catalog. |
| Work in a browser or on a phone | GitHub Copilot | Copilot is on GitHub.com and GitHub Mobile; Windsurf is desktop-only. |
| Control team data and IP risk | GitHub Copilot | Copilot Business and Enterprise list content exclusion, a public code filter and IP indemnity; Windsurf lists admin controls and SSO on Enterprise. |
| Plan | Tool | Price | Limits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | $0/mo | Light agent quota, limited models, up to 10 concurrent sessions |
| Pro | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | $20/mo | Increased quotas, full model availability, Devin Cloud agents |
| Max | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | $200/mo | Significantly higher quotas than Pro, unlimited concurrent sessions |
| Teams | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | $80/mo base plus $40/mo per full seat | Up to 200 users, billed monthly, no annual discount stated |
| Enterprise | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | Contact sales | Custom quotas, SAML/OIDC SSO, dedicated deployment option |
| Copilot Free | GitHub Copilot | $0/mo | 2,000 completions per month, limited chat and agent credits |
| Copilot Student | GitHub Copilot | $0/mo | Verified students only, auto model selection |
| Copilot Pro | GitHub Copilot | $10/mo | 1,500 total monthly AI credits ($15 value); unused credits do not carry over |
| Copilot Pro+ | GitHub Copilot | $39/mo | 7,000 total monthly AI credits ($70 value); premium models including Opus |
| Copilot Max | GitHub Copilot | $100/mo | 20,000 total monthly AI credits ($200 value) |
| Copilot Business | GitHub Copilot | $19/seat/mo | 1,900 AI credits per user per month, pooled |
| Copilot Enterprise | GitHub Copilot | $39/seat/mo | 3,900 AI credits per user per month, pooled; requires GitHub Enterprise Cloud |
USD as published on each vendor's pricing page, checked Oct 1, 2026. Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) pricing in full · GitHub Copilot pricing in full
| Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Messages / rate limits | Quota-based: allowance refreshes daily and weekly; exact numbers not stated | Metered in AI credits (1 credit = $0.01); Pro includes 1,500 credits a month, resetting on the 1st |
| Context / file size | Not stated | Not stated |
| Seats / team | Teams plan up to 200 users; Enterprise has unlimited users on custom terms | Business and Enterprise are per seat with pooled credits; seat count limits not stated |
| Going over | Paid plans can buy extra usage at API pricing | Set a USD budget for extra usage, upgrade, or wait for the monthly reset |
| Feature | Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | GitHub Copilot |
|---|---|---|
| Image generation | Not stated | Not stated |
| Voice | Not stated | Not stated |
| File upload | Not stated; works on your repositories and codebase files | Works on open files and repository context; no upload feature stated |
| Web search | Not stated | Not stated |
| Agents / tools | Yes: local and cloud agents, Agent Command Center, Git, Slack, Teams, Linear and Jira integrations | Yes: IDE agent mode, cloud agent, CLI, MCP servers, custom agents; Slack and Teams mentions |
| API | Extra usage billed at API pricing; no standalone API stated | Copilot SDK; no standalone pay-per-token model API on the pages we checked |
| Mobile apps | No: desktop only | Yes: GitHub Mobile |
| IDE integration | Is its own IDE; JetBrains plugin | VS Code, Visual Studio, JetBrains, Eclipse, Xcode, Neovim |
| Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) | GitHub Copilot | |
|---|---|---|
| Training on your data | Not stated in available pages | Free, Pro and Pro+: may be used unless you opt out; Business and Enterprise: not used |
| Retention | Not stated | Business and Enterprise engagement data kept two years; github.com, mobile and CLI chat retains prompts for thread history; exact periods not confirmed |
| Business controls | Centralized admin controls on Teams and Enterprise; SAML/OIDC SSO and dedicated or VPC deployment on Enterprise | Content exclusion, public code filter, audit logs, budgets, MCP allow lists, IP indemnity, Data Protection Agreement |
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
AI coding assistant from GitHub offering code completions, chat and agent features in editors, the terminal and GitHub.
Free stops at: 2,000 completions per month, Limited chat and agent usage (allowance of GitHub AI Credits)
Verified github.com (opens GitHub Copilot website in a new tab)
Free · paid from $10/mo US · checked Sep 30
GitHub Copilot is cheaper at the entry paid tier: Pro is $10/mo against $20/mo for Windsurf Pro. Both have a $0 plan. The gap widens at the top: Windsurf Max is $200/mo, while Copilot Max is $100/mo.
The product now presents itself as Devin Desktop, made by Cognition AI, and windsurf.com redirects there. The pricing page says plans and settings migrate from Windsurf automatically.
Yes, both. Windsurf Free gives unlimited tab completions and inline edits with a light agent quota and limited models. Copilot Free gives 2,000 completions per month and limited chat and agent credits, and it is not available to users with an org-assigned seat.
With GitHub Copilot, yes: it runs in VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Visual Studio, Xcode, Eclipse and Neovim, though feature support varies by IDE. Windsurf is its own desktop IDE, plus a JetBrains plugin and a CLI.
Our Windsurf profile does not state a training policy, and its privacy page returned 404, so treat it as not confirmed. For Copilot, Free, Pro and Pro+ interactions may be used for training unless you opt out in settings; Business and Enterprise data is not used.
Both list team plans. Copilot Business at $19/seat/mo adds content exclusion, audit controls and IP indemnity. Windsurf Teams costs $80/mo base plus $40/mo per full seat and adds an admin dashboard; SAML/OIDC SSO is listed for Enterprise.
Only official vendor pages. No third-party benchmarks, forum threads or press were used. How we review.
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