Continue vs Windsurf
Which AI code editors & completion should you pick in 2026? Pricing, agents, plans and use cases, side by side.
FSReviewed May 23, 2026 by Faisal Saleem · no paid placementsBoth Continue and Windsurf are credible code editors & completion options, the right pick depends on your specific use case. See the head-to-head below.
- Budget is a constraint, it has a free tier with no card required.
- You need Open source or Bring your own model, which Windsurf doesn't offer.
- You mostly do customized copilots or local model coding.
- You need Cascade agent or Inline edits, which Continue doesn't offer.
- You mostly do agentic coding or refactoring.
By the numbers
Side by side
| SPEC | ||
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | Free | $15/mo |
| Pricing model | Free | Freemium |
| AI agent | Yes | Yes |
| Editor's Pick | No | No |
| Key features | Open sourceBring your own modelCustom commandsContext providers | Cascade agentInline editsCodebase awarenessMulti-file changes |
| Best for | Customized copilotsLocal model codingContext-aware chatTeam copilots | Agentic codingRefactoringCodebase explorationBug fixing |
| Works with | #open-source#editor#customizable | #editor#ide#agent |
Plan by plan
- Create and run AI agents
- Integrations: Slack, Sentry, Snyk
- Frontier model credits
- Windsurf Editor
- Limited model access
- Basic completions
- Includes $10 credits per seat
- Share private agents
- Team agent access control
- All premium models
- Standard usage allowance
- Deploys
- Custom SSO with SAML/OIDC
- Bring-your-own API keys
- Invoicing, SLAs
- All Pro features
- Centralized billing
- Admin dashboard analytics
- All individual features
- SSO + access control
- RBAC
- Volume discounts
- Hybrid deployment
- Account management
What each is best for
| USE CASE | ||
|---|---|---|
| Customized copilots | ||
| Local model coding | ||
| Context-aware chat | ||
| Team copilots | ||
| Agentic coding | ||
| Refactoring | ||
| Codebase exploration | ||
| Bug fixing |
Strengths and trade-offs
- Completely free to use, no paid tier required
- Includes an autonomous AI agent for multi-step tasks
- Open source
- Bring your own model
- Custom commands
- Competition is strong in this space, see Windsurf for comparison
- Free tier available; paid plans from $15/mo
- Includes an autonomous AI agent for multi-step tasks
- Cascade agent
- Inline edits
- Codebase awareness
- Competition is strong in this space, see Continue for comparison
Continue vs Windsurf FAQ
Short answers to what people ask most before choosing between these two.
Is Continue better than Windsurf?
It depends on your workflow. Continue ships with autonomous-agent capability, while Windsurf also includes an AI agent. Neither is currently our Editor's Pick, both are credible options. See the side-by-side table above for specifics.
Is Continue cheaper than Windsurf?
Both tools have similar entry pricing, Continue Free and Windsurf $15/mo. Pricing at higher tiers varies; check the pricing breakdown above.
Does Continue have an AI agent?
Yes, Continue ships with autonomous-agent capability (it can plan and execute multi-step tasks, not just answer a single prompt).
Does Windsurf have an AI agent?
Yes, Windsurf includes autonomous-agent capability.
What's the difference between Continue and Windsurf?
Both are code editors & completion tools. The key differences come down to pricing (Continue: Free, from Free; Windsurf: Freemium, from $15/mo), agent capability (Continue: yes, Windsurf: yes), and feature focus. Use the comparison table above to weigh which axis matters most for your work.
What's a good alternative to Continue and Windsurf?
Beyond Continue and Windsurf, the strongest alternatives in Code Editors & Completion depend on whether you prioritise price, agent capability, or specific features. See our "Continue alternatives" and "Windsurf alternatives" pages for a hand-picked ranking of each.