Cline vs Windsurf
Auto-updated comparison · last refreshed September 3, 2026
TL;DR
| Cline | Windsurf | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | vscode-extension | ide-fork |
| Vendor | open source | Codeium |
| Pricing | Free tier (you pay LLM API costs directly) | Free tier · Pro $15/month · Business $30/user |
| Autocomplete | No | Yes |
| Agent mode | Yes | Yes |
| MCP support | Yes | Yes |
| Local models | Yes | No |
| Self-hosted | Yes | No |
| Codebase indexing | No | Yes |
| Team features | No | Yes |
Where Cline wins
- works inside VS Code you already use
- MCP support
- local models
Where Windsurf wins
- Cascade autonomous mode
- flow credits stretch further
- explains plans before acting
Weaknesses
Cline: you pay API costs directly; no autocomplete
Windsurf: occasional Cascade hangs; slightly slower autocomplete
Best for
Pick Cline if you are VS Code users who want an agent without switching IDE.
Pick Windsurf if you are multi-file refactors, or budget-conscious devs, or less experienced users.
FAQ
Is Cline more expensive than Windsurf?
Free tier (you pay LLM API costs directly) vs Free tier · Pro $15/month · Business $30/user. Compare the Pro tiers first if you're a solo dev; Business/Enterprise only matters for teams.
Do Cline and Windsurf use the same AI models?
Cline supports: any via API. Windsurf supports: claude-sonnet-4-6, gpt-4.1, gemini-2.5-pro. Most modern tools default to Claude Sonnet 4.6 in 2026.
Can I use both?
Yes. They don't conflict at the file level. Some devs use one for autocomplete and one for agent work.
Related comparisons
Best Cline and Windsurf pairings by language
- Python: Cline for Python · Windsurf for Python
- TypeScript: Cline for TypeScript · Windsurf for TypeScript
- Rust: Cline for Rust · Windsurf for Rust
- Go: Cline for Go · Windsurf for Go