C
CGitHub Copilot vs Windsurf
Pricing, features, platforms and who each one suits — side by side.
G
Choose GitHub Copilot if…
- you want the lower entry price ($10/mo vs $20/mo)
- you work on Web, VS Code, iOS
- you're in its core audience: software developers, students and open source maintainers
W
Choose Windsurf if…
- you need an API to build on
- you're in its core audience: software engineers, engineering teams
Side by side
Feature GitHub Copilot Windsurf
Pricing modelFreemiumFreemium
Starting price$10/mo$20/mo
Free plan
Free trial
API
Open source
Agent mode
Tab completion
CLI / terminal—
Cloud agents
AI PR review
MCP support—
PlatformsWeb, macOS, VS Code, JetBrains, iOS, AndroidmacOS, JetBrains
CategoryCode AssistantsCode Assistants
CompanyGitHub, Inc.Cognition AI, Inc.
Based inUnited States—
Founded——
Part of——
Key features
G GitHub Copilot
- Inline code completion and next edit suggestions
- Chat assistance in the IDE and on GitHub.com
- Agent mode for proposing and validating edits
- Cloud agents that work on issues in the background
- Third-party agents including Claude Code and Codex
- Choice of multiple LLMs
- AI code review on pull requests
- MCP server allow lists and audit logs
W Windsurf
- Agent command center with Spaces and Kanban view
- Manage third-party agents via Agent Client Protocol
- Handoff sessions between local machine and Devin Cloud
- Subagent coordination with separate PRs per task
- Fast Context codebase search
- Built-in Devin Review for diffs
- Fusion pairing of lead and sidekick models
- Supercomplete tab predictions
Plans and prices
From each vendor's site. Prices change — confirm before buying.
GitHub Copilot
Free$0
Pro$10
Pro+$39
Max$100
Business$19
Enterprise$39
Windsurf
Free$0
Pro$20 per month
Max$200 per month
Teams$80/mo + $40/mo per full seat
EnterpriseCustom
Strengths and limitations
GitHub Copilot
- Free plan with 2,000 completions a month, no credit card required
- Works in many editors plus the CLI, a desktop app and GitHub
- Supports third-party agents such as Claude Code and Codex
- Business plans include IP indemnity and governance controls
- Chat is only available in VS Code, JetBrains and Visual Studio, per the FAQ
- Free, Pro and Pro+ interactions may be used for model training unless you opt out
- Premium models such as Opus require the $39 Pro+ plan or higher
Windsurf
- Free plan includes unlimited Tab completions and inline edits
- Supports models from OpenAI, Claude, Gemini and open-source models
- Integrations with Slack, Linear, Jira, Sentry, Figma and more
- Existing Windsurf settings and plans carry over automatically
- Desktop download listed only for macOS on the page
- Free plan has a light quota and limited model access
- Usage beyond quota is charged at API pricing
- Concurrent sessions capped at 10 on Pro and Max
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Built from each vendor's public website; we haven't tested them hands-on. Editorial policy