7 Best Windsurf Alternatives in 2025

Artificial Intelligence is at the top of everyone’s mind, both developers and non-tech-savvy people alike. The usual pitch “Build an app in a day!” or “Cut development time in half!” has some truth to it, but finding the right tool that won’t break the bank and provide value takes a full day of research in itself. New acronyms, such as LLMs, NLP, and RAG, are being added to everyone’s laundry list of acronyms daily. It’s nearly impossible to keep up with trends, understand how new tools work, and stay on top of the ever-evolving AI landscape without some guidance.

If you landed here, you’re probably doing some of your own due diligence when selecting your next AI coding assistant. And Windsurf is a great first option to look into! But maybe you’re not entirely sold on it. There are valid reasons to be cautious with all new tools; security of your data should be your top priority. If you need your data to be completely secure and are hesitant to share it with a newer coding assistant, exploring alternatives is the right course of action.

The seven alternatives we'll explore all have their own philosophy on how a coding assistant should supercharge your work. Some focus on privacy and self-hosting (when security is top of mind). Others prioritize education and accessibility. And some push the boundaries of what's possible with autonomous development.

What is Windsurf?

Windsurf Editor is an agentic IDE that combines codebase understanding, advanced AI tools, and real-time awareness of developer actions into a seamless collaborative flow. At its core is Cascade, an AI agent that introduces "AI Flows," which is a revolutionary way to code where the AI generates or modifies code, asks for approval before execution, and provides follow-up suggestions to ensure goals are achieved.

Cascade maintains contextual awareness that allows it to run on production codebases while still providing relevant suggestions. The system operates through two primary modes: Write Mode for broader tasks like generating components or refactoring modules, and Chat Mode for interactive debugging and code explanations.

Codeium, the previous name for Windsurf, launched its beta product in October 2022 as an IDE extension, which evolved into the standalone Windsurf Editor in November 2024. So in a very short amount of time, things have moved fast!

How does Windsurf work?

Windsurf runs on Google Cloud Platform (GCP) infrastructure with a multi-tenant architecture. The client sends contextual data to GCP servers, which combine it with precomputed information from sources like remote indexing. Route requests to a model runner that either performs inference on Windsurf's managed infrastructure or routes inputs to third-party providers like OpenAI/Anthropic. This exchange of data to their servers may also be a reason you are looking for something more secure. Cloud infrastructure is powering what seems like everything these days, so you want to make sure your data is obfuscated and isolated!

The backend then uses multiple models making decisions: custom models for low-latency keystroke-level features and code generation, plus proprietary systems for high-quality retrieval for large codebases, all powered by custom infrastructure supporting features like fill-in-the-middle.

From an enterprise perspective, they built containerized systems from the start to make on-premise and VPC deployments easier, maintaining core competencies in model inference and distributed systems even when it was overkill early on.

Why do you need Windsurf alternatives?

With Windsurf AI's Flow State capabilities and collaborative coding features, it’s pretty hard to convince one that they may need something else. Although not all that glitters is gold. While Windsurf has made impressive strides in providing seamless AI-powered coding assistance, it's not the perfect fit for every one of your use cases. Here are some things to consider and things I have heard become a massive hurdle for devs when going through their decision process:

Resource and performance considerations matter. Windsurf's Flow State technology can be resource-intensive for some development environments. Teams working on older hardware or with limited system resources may find that Windsurf's real-time AI processing impacts their development speed. Some alternatives offer lighter-weight solutions that provide intelligent code assistance without the computational overhead. And if you plan on scaling like every company/startup hopes to, compute prices only seem to be increasing.

Workflow integration preferences vary significantly. Windsurf's collaborative approach works exceptionally well for teams that embrace its specific methodology, but not every development team operates the same way. Some organizations have established workflows, toolchains, or development processes that don't align perfectly with Windsurf's collaborative paradigm. Alternative AI coding tools might integrate more seamlessly with existing development pipelines and team practices. If it’s hard to explain Agile to your co-worker or Family, then you can be sure AI will have its own varying ideas/conclusions about it.

Language and framework specialization gaps exist. While Windsurf provides broad language support, certain specialized development domains may require more focused AI assistance. If you're working with niche frameworks, legacy codebases, or highly specialized programming languages, alternatives that concentrate specifically on your tech stack might deliver superior code suggestions and contextual understanding. “Jack of all trades, master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one”. It will, of course, work, but how precise do you need it to be?

Cost and licensing flexibility needs. Windsurf's pricing model and licensing terms may not suit all organizational structures or budget constraints. Smaller teams, open-source projects, or organizations with specific procurement requirements might benefit from alternatives offering different pricing tiers, self-hosted options, or more flexible licensing arrangements.

Customization and control requirements. Some development teams need deeper control over their AI coding assistant's behavior, training data, or operational parameters. While Windsurf offers powerful out-of-the-box functionality, alternatives might provide more granular customization options, allowing teams to fine-tune the AI assistance to match their specific coding standards and practices. In the good old days of Stack Overflow, we didn’t search the entire internet to get a “good understanding” of the problem and different ideas to fix it. We were scrappy and went straight for the answer, and if it worked, voila! It’s now in the code base—precision vs efficiency.

Top 7 Windsurf Alternatives

When looking for an alternative, where should you start? Out of all the options that exist (and the list grows every day), we’ve put together a list of our favorites, including a breakdown of their core feature and who they are best suited for. Let’s take a look!

1. Tembo - The Autonomous Software Engineer

Best for: Teams seeking automated maintenance and error resolution

Tembo represents a significant evolution in AI coding assistance, operating as an autonomous software engineer that works continuously to maintain and improve your codebase. Rather than providing line-by-line suggestions like traditional coding assistants, Tembo functions as an intelligent system that monitors your development environment and proactively addresses issues.

This platform integrates with your existing development tools to automatically identify problems, analyze errors, and generate comprehensive pull requests with fixes, optimizations, and feature implementations. Tembo analyzes your entire codebase and connected systems to ensure all changes align with your team's coding standards and architectural patterns.

Key Capabilities:

• Automated Error Resolution: Integrates with Sentry to analyze errors and create verified solutions automatically
• Intelligent Task Management: Converts labeled tickets from Linear or Jira into implemented features via pull requests
• Database Optimization: Monitors PostgreSQL databases and generates optimization recommendations for indexes, queries, and schema
• Comprehensive Integration: Connects seamlessly with Sentry, Linear, GitHub, AWS, Supabase, GitLab, Datadog, and Jira
• Context-Aware Analysis: Understands project structure and dependencies before implementing changes

Value Proposition: Teams report significant improvements in engineering velocity as developers can focus on feature development rather than maintenance tasks. The system reduces alert fatigue by proactively addressing issues before they escalate.

Pricing: Check out our site specifically for more information!

Best Suited For: Development teams seeking to automate software maintenance workflows while maintaining code quality standards, particularly those managing large codebases or dealing with significant technical debt.

2. Cursor - The AI-First Code Editor

Best for: Professional developers wanting a comprehensive AI-native development environment

Cursor has positioned itself as a premium AI-powered code editor built from the ground up with AI capabilities integrated at every level. Developed by MIT graduates, the platform has achieved remarkable growth, reportedly reaching significant annual recurring revenue and securing a $9.9 billion valuation through multiple funding rounds.

This comprehensive development environment extends beyond traditional code completion to provide predictive editing, multi-file editing capabilities, and autonomous task completion. Cursor's approach combines familiar VS Code functionality with advanced features that understand project context and development patterns.

Key Capabilities:

• Predictive Tab Completion: AI-powered autocompletion that anticipates your next several edits across multiple files
• Agent Mode: Execute complex multi-file changes through natural language commands (Ctrl+I)
• Codebase Intelligence: Custom retrieval models provide deep code understanding of your project structure
• Terminal Integration: Automatically generates and executes terminal commands with user approval
• Privacy Controls: Optional Privacy Mode ensures code is never used for training and is deleted after processing

Value Proposition: While Cursor offers advanced features, the premium pricing may be a consideration for individual developers or smaller teams. The AI-first approach requires some adjustment from traditional development environments.

Pricing:

• Hobby: Free with limited completions and Pro trial
• Pro: $20/month with included usage for premium models
• Business: $40/month with team features and administrative controls

Best Suited For: Professional developers and teams seeking a comprehensive AI-first development environment and willing to invest in premium development tools.

3. Qodo (Formerly Codium) - Quality-First AI Platform

Best for: Teams prioritizing code quality and testing workflows

Qodo takes a fundamentally different approach to AI coding assistance by focusing on code integrity rather than just code generation. Formerly known as Codium before rebranding in July 2024, Qodo positions itself as an agentic, quality-first AI platform that emphasizes testing, code reviews, and overall code quality throughout the development process.

Rather than competing primarily on autocomplete speed or token volume, Qodo's philosophy centers on helping developers build more reliable, maintainable code through intelligent testing workflows and comprehensive code analysis.

Key Capabilities:

• Qodo Gen IDE Integration: Plugins for Visual Studio Code and JetBrains that assist with code generation, test automation, and documentation
• Agentic Testing Workflows: AI-driven test generation that understands code context and creates meaningful test cases
• Code Review Assistance: Intelligent code review capabilities that help identify potential issues and improve code quality
• PR-Ready Development: Tools designed to help create pull requests that meet quality standards from the start
• Code Integrity Focus: Comprehensive approach to ensuring code reliability and maintainability across development workflows

Value Proposition: With over 370,000 installations on JetBrains and 466,000 on VS Code, Qodo has demonstrated strong adoption among developers seeking quality-focused AI assistance. The platform raised $40 million in Series A funding in September 2024, enabling expansion to around 50 team members globally.

Pricing: Specific pricing details are not publicly documented, with the platform focusing primarily on enterprise and professional development teams.

Best Suited For: Development teams that prioritize code quality and testing workflows, organizations seeking AI assistance with code reviews and test generation, and teams looking for agentic AI capabilities focused on code integrity.

4. Tabnine - Enterprise-Focused AI Coding Assistant

Best for: Enterprise teams requiring maximum security and customization

Tabnine has established itself as an enterprise-focused AI coding assistant with a strong emphasis on privacy, security, and customization. Founded in 2012, the platform has evolved to support an extensive range of programming languages while providing deployment flexibility that meets enterprise requirements.

The platform's approach centers on giving developers and organizations maximum control over their AI coding experience, from model selection to deployment options and custom training capabilities.

Key Capabilities:

• Comprehensive Language Support: Supports 80+ programming languages with varying levels of optimization
• Flexible Deployment: Choose from SaaS, VPC, or on-premises deployment based on security requirements
• Model Selection: Access to multiple AI models to match specific development needs and preferences
• Custom Training: Fine-tune models on proprietary codebases for better context-aware suggestions
• Security Compliance: SOC 2 and GDPR compliant with transparent training data practices
• Code Review Integration: AI assistance that understands coding standards and helps maintain code quality

Value Proposition: The enterprise focus means that advanced features require higher-tier subscriptions, and self-hosting options require dedicated infrastructure management.

Pricing:

• Starter: Free with basic smart code completions
• Pro: $12/month with advanced features
• Enterprise: $39/month with full deployment control and customization

Best Suited For: Enterprise teams, developers working with proprietary code, and organizations requiring maximum control over their AI coding assistant deployment and data handling.

5. Sourcegraph Cody - Deep Codebase Intelligence

Best for: Large engineering teams working with complex, multi-repository projects

Sourcegraph Cody leverages the company's expertise in code search and analysis to provide an AI coding assistant that excels at understanding large, complex codebases. Built on Sourcegraph's Code Graph technology, Cody offers deep codebase comprehension that goes beyond individual file analysis.

This approach is particularly valuable for enterprise developers working with extensive legacy systems or complex multi-repository projects where understanding existing code relationships is crucial.

Key Capabilities:

• Deep Code Understanding: Uses Sourcegraph's graph analysis to understand code relationships and dependencies
• Cross-Repository Intelligence: Analyzes dependencies and relationships across multiple repositories
• Legacy System Support: Particularly effective for understanding and working with large, established codebases
• Enterprise Security: Built with large organization security and compliance requirements in mind
• Architectural Awareness: Provides suggestions that consider existing system architecture and patterns

Value Proposition: The platform's strengths are most apparent in large, complex development environments and may provide less value for smaller projects or simple codebases.

Pricing: Free tier available with paid plans for advanced features and enterprise support.

Best Suited For: Large engineering teams, developers working with complex legacy systems, and organizations that need comprehensive codebase analysis and understanding capabilities.

6. Amazon Q Developer - AWS-Integrated Coding Assistant

Best for: Development teams building on AWS infrastructure

Amazon Q Developer (formerly CodeWhisperer) represents Amazon's entry into the AI coding assistant space, leveraging the company's cloud expertise to provide developers with AWS-integrated coding assistance. The platform is particularly strong for teams already working within the AWS ecosystem.

The tool excels at understanding AWS services, best practices, and cloud-native development patterns, making it valuable for developers building applications on Amazon's cloud platform.

Key Capabilities:

• Native AWS Integration: Provides code suggestions that follow AWS best practices and understand service interactions
• Security-First Approach: Real-time vulnerability scanning with suggested fixes and security improvements
• Cloud-Native Focus: Optimized for serverless, containerized, and cloud-native application development
• Cost Optimization Assistance: Helps optimize AWS resource usage during development
• Reference Tracking: Shows potential code origins for licensing and compliance review

Value Proposition: The platform is most effective for AWS-focused development and may be less optimal for multi-cloud or platform-agnostic development approaches.

Pricing:

• Free: Limited interactions per month with basic features and security scanning
• Pro: $19/month with unlimited interactions and enhanced features

Best Suited For: Development teams building on AWS infrastructure, organizations prioritizing security scanning, and developers who want enterprise-grade support integrated with their cloud development workflow.

7. Replit Ghostwriter - Educational AI Coding Assistant

Best for: Students, educators, and cloud-first development teams

Replit Ghostwriter takes a unique approach by focusing on accessibility and education in AI coding assistance. Built into Replit's browser-based development environment, Ghostwriter excels at making AI coding accessible to learners, educators, and developers who prefer cloud-based development.

The platform's strength lies in its educational focus and the seamless integration with Replit's cloud development ecosystem, eliminating setup complexity while providing meaningful AI assistance.

Key Capabilities:

• Cloud-First Development: Eliminates local setup requirements with browser-based coding
• Educational Excellence: Provides explanations alongside code generation to support learning
• Collaborative Development: Built-in support for pair programming and team projects
• Project Scaffolding: Can generate complete project structures from natural language descriptions
• Beginner-Friendly Interface: Designed to help users learn programming concepts while receiving AI assistance

Value Proposition: The cloud-based approach requires reliable internet connectivity, and the educational focus may be less optimal for complex professional development workflows.

Pricing: Integrated with Replit subscription plans, with various tiers for individual, team, and educational use.

Best Suited For: Students, educators, new developers learning to code, and teams that prefer cloud-based development environments over traditional local development setups.

Conclusion

Ultimately, what works best for you and your team is the best option. There is no one-size-fits-all tool. Despite what the salespeople selling you a dream say, it is entirely up to your discretion and your requirements.

What I can tell you is – which is a bit contradictory to what I just stated, but – if you need a coding assistant that works asynchronously, is always on, ready to give recommendations, Tembo is your one-stop shop for AI agents that can handle your engineering tasks – from error detection to code reviews.

Where you'll get the most value is not from another chatbot or LLM recommending code from a deep StackOverflow thread, which may not work either. Where you will find the most value is having an AI Agent, much like Tembo provides, that provides the code and then actually implements it! And if it fails, gone are the days when you furiously copy and paste lines of error code to see if they understand the context of your situation. With engineering agents by your side, the necessary manual work is cut in half. Tembo is your engineering agent – always watching, always working. It can work from your existing tickets, find bugs, fix broken pipelines, and open PRs to improve your codebase through a variety of integrations – and it works from anywhere you are.