Continue vs Windsurf
Auto-updated comparison · last refreshed September 3, 2026
TL;DR
| Continue | Windsurf | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | vscode-extension | ide-fork |
| Vendor | open source | Codeium |
| Pricing | Free tier (OSS extension, BYO API keys) | Free tier · Pro $15/month · Business $30/user |
| Autocomplete | Yes | Yes |
| Agent mode | Yes | Yes |
| MCP support | Yes | Yes |
| Local models | Yes | No |
| Self-hosted | Yes | No |
| Codebase indexing | Yes | Yes |
| Team features | Yes | Yes |
Where Continue wins
- fully OSS
- config-file driven
- local model support
Where Windsurf wins
- Cascade autonomous mode
- flow credits stretch further
- explains plans before acting
Weaknesses
Continue: config-heavy; slower to add new features than Cursor
Windsurf: occasional Cascade hangs; slightly slower autocomplete
Best for
Pick Continue if you are teams that need OSS auditable AI tooling, or local LLM users.
Pick Windsurf if you are multi-file refactors, or budget-conscious devs, or less experienced users.
FAQ
Is Continue more expensive than Windsurf?
Free tier (OSS extension, BYO API keys) 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 Continue and Windsurf use the same AI models?
Continue 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
- Continue vs Cursor
- Continue vs Claude Code
- Continue vs GitHub Copilot
- Continue vs Aider
- Continue vs Cline
Best Continue and Windsurf pairings by language
- Python: Continue for Python · Windsurf for Python
- TypeScript: Continue for TypeScript · Windsurf for TypeScript
- Rust: Continue for Rust · Windsurf for Rust
- Go: Continue for Go · Windsurf for Go