What is the best Windsurf alternative?

It depends on how you work. Cursor is the closest fit if you want to stay in a desktop IDE built around agents, GitHub Copilot adds AI to the editors you already use, and Replit replaces the whole environment so you can build and deploy from one browser workspace.

Is there a free Windsurf alternative?

Yes. Cline and Aider are free and open source, so you pay only for AI model usage. GitHub Copilot, Zed, Bolt.new and Replit all offer free plans, which makes it easy to trial several before paying for anything.

What happened to Windsurf?

Cognition, the company behind the Devin coding agent, acquired Windsurf and renamed it Devin Desktop in 2026. windsurf.com now resolves to devin.ai, and existing plans, extensions and settings carry over automatically. The editor continues under the new name.

Can I use a Windsurf alternative without switching editors?

Yes. GitHub Copilot works inside VS Code, JetBrains IDEs, Neovim and Visual Studio, and Cline runs as an open-source extension in VS Code or from the terminal. Both add agentic AI without changing where you work.

Best Windsurf alternatives: AI code assistants for devs in 2026