Windsurf

Windsurf is Codeium's full AI IDE — a VS Code fork with a purpose-built agent called Cascade that can plan, write, and execute code across multiple files simultaneously. Unlike simple autocomplete tools, Cascade understands your intent, reads your file tree, and makes coordinated edits. It also has real-time awareness of what you're doing in the terminal and browser. Free tier includes unlimited completions and a generous amount of Cascade flows per month.

Best for solo developers and small teams who want Cursor-level power without the subscription cost. The Cascade agent genuinely handles large refactors and feature additions with less back-and-forth than Copilot or Tabnine. If you're building a product fast and want an AI that acts more like a collaborator than a completer, Windsurf is worth trying before paying for Cursor.

Where it falls short: enterprise features (SSO, self-hosting, admin controls) lag behind GitHub Copilot. Cascade can go off the rails on complex codebases without enough context. Some VS Code extension compatibility quirks persist. But for the price — free to start — it punches well above its weight.