Does GitHub Copilot or Windsurf have a free plan?

GitHub Copilot is available for free with a free trial. Windsurf is available for free. Always verify current pricing directly with the vendor.

GitHub Copilot vs Windsurf

Q: Can I use GitHub Copilot and Windsurf together?

Yes, many teams use both tools together for different purposes. Use the Stack Builder section above to combine GitHub Copilot and Windsurf with other tools and save your AI toolkit.

Comprehensive side-by-side comparison — features, pricing, performance, and more.

Updated July 2026

GitHub Copilot

GitHub

Write better code with AI

0.0(0)

Freemium

91% verification coverage

Windsurf

Cognition AI, Inc.

Manage fleets of local and cloud agents from one surface.

0.0(0)

Freemium

83% verification coverage

Trust & Reliability

GitHub Copilot

Customers (per vendor):Duolingo, Figma, Mercedes-Benz +7

GDPR

SOC 2

Windsurf

Overall Winner: GitHub Copilot

7.5/10 vs Windsurf at 6.3/10

Leads in:

Support

Ease of Use

Integration

AI Comparison Summary

GitHub Copilot

7.5

avg score

Windsurf

6.3

avg score

GitHub Copilot leads overall — particularly in Support and Integration.

Based on 12 dimensions

How scores are calculated

Overall Winner

GitHub Copilot

7.5 / 10

GitHub Copilot

Best For

Developers seeking to accelerate coding

Learning new programming languages or frameworks

Automating repetitive coding tasks

Improving code quality and reducing bugs

Consider Alternatives If

Developers who prefer to write all code manually

Projects with extremely strict, custom coding standards not understood by AI

Situations requiring offline coding assistance

Windsurf

Best For

Engineering teams managing multiple AI agents across complex workflows

Mid-market to enterprise development teams seeking to accelerate large-scale code migrations and refactoring

Security and engineering teams aiming to automate vulnerability remediation from triage to merged PR

Developers needing an AI-powered IDE that provides deep codebase context and multi-model support

Consider Alternatives If

Non-technical users or those not involved in software development.

Users seeking a simple text editor without AI coding assistance or agent management features.

Teams requiring a fully open-source IDE for their core development environment.

* Verdict is based on our algorithmic scoring of publicly available data. Learn about our methodology

GitHub Copilot is best for

🤖Automation & Agents8.0🔍Research8.0🎧Customer Support8.0

Windsurf is best for

✍️Writing & Content9.0💬Chat & Conversation9.0🔍Research8.0

Filter by your use case:

Pros & Cons

GitHub Copilot

Pros

Significantly speeds up coding
Reduces boilerplate code
Helps discover new APIs and patterns
Improves code quality and consistency
Integrates seamlessly into popular IDEs
Offers AI-powered chat for coding assistance

Cons

Can sometimes generate incorrect or inefficient code
Requires an active internet connection
May not always understand complex project contexts
Potential for code suggestions to be overly verbose or repetitive

Windsurf

Pros

Manages local and cloud agents from a single IDE, streamlining complex workflows.
Offers deep contextual awareness for code, outperforming competitors like GitHub Copilot in code suggestions.
Includes a free tier with unlimited access to the SWE-1.6 model and unlimited Tab completions.
Provides enterprise-grade security features including VPC deployment, SOC 2 Type 2 compliance, and audit logs.
Supports multi-model and multi-agent workflows via the Agent Client Protocol (ACP).
Automates end-to-end security remediation, from scanner findings to review-ready PRs.

Cons

Limited model availability and quotas on the Free plan.
Extra usage on paid plans is consumed at API pricing, which can vary based on model and task complexity.
JetBrains plugin requires a separate download and installation.
Devin Cloud is disabled by default for enterprise accounts and requires admin enablement.
Some advanced features like custom ACP agents are in preview and opt-in for enterprises.

Weighted Score — Adjust What Matters to You

Pick a profile or drag sliders — scores and radar update instantly on the right.

Quick profiles:

Ease of Use5

Output Quality5

Value for Money5

Customization5

Support5

Integration5

Accuracy & Reliability5

Safety & Alignment5

Performance5

Task Completion5

Tool Use Correctness5

Planning Quality5

Dimension Comparison

GitHub Copilot

7.5

/ 10

Clear winner

Windsurf

6.3

/ 10

Dimension Breakdown

Ease of Use

How intuitive is onboarding, UI navigation, and day-to-day usage for the target audience?

GitHub Copilot

8.0▲ +1.0

Windsurf

7.0

Output Quality

How accurate, reliable, and useful are the outputs this product generates?

GitHub Copilot

7.0

Windsurf

8.0▲ +1.0

Value for Money

How well does the pricing match the features and output quality delivered?

GitHub Copilot

7.0

Windsurf

7.0

Customization

Calculated

How much can users tailor workflows, settings, prompts, or outputs to their needs?

GitHub Copilot

8.0

Windsurf

8.0

Support

How strong is the documentation, customer support, community, and learning resources?

GitHub Copilot

9.0▲ +3.0

Windsurf

6.0

Integration

Calculated

How well does it connect with other tools, APIs, and workflows?

GitHub Copilot

6.0▲ +5.0

Windsurf

1.0

Accuracy & Reliability

Factual accuracy and hallucination resistance

GitHub Copilot

—

Windsurf

8.0

Safety & Alignment

Calculated

Bias mitigation, content filtering, harmful-output prevention

GitHub Copilot

—

Windsurf

4.0

Performance

Calculated

Latency + throughput speed

GitHub Copilot

—

Windsurf

8.0

Task Completion

End-to-end task success rate

GitHub Copilot

—

Windsurf

—

Tool Use Correctness

Picks the correct tool + correct arguments

GitHub Copilot

—

Windsurf

—

Planning Quality

Calculated

Multi-step planning depth + replanning capability

GitHub Copilot

—

Windsurf

—

Calculated = derived from verified integration count and API/open-source signals. AI = LLM-assessed from public website content. Methodology

Task Performance

GitHub Copilot

Task

Windsurf

9.0

Code Completion

8.0

7.0

Bug Detection

7.0

8.0

Code Explanation

7.0

8.0

Refactoring

8.0

7.0

Test Generation

7.0

8.0

Multi Language Support

7.0

Context Understanding

9.0

6.0

Documentation Generation

7.0

6.0

Performance Optimization

7.0

Security Scanning

8.0

* Task scores (1–10) are algorithmically generated from publicly available data.

Data is sourced from public information and vendor websites. It may not always be up-to-date — verify pricing and features directly with the vendor before purchasing.Report inaccuracy

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is better, GitHub Copilot or Windsurf?

Both are strong options. GitHub Copilot has a rating of 0.0/5 (0 reviews), while Windsurf has a rating of 0.0/5 (0 reviews). The best choice depends on your specific use case, budget, and workflow requirements.

Is GitHub Copilot cheaper than Windsurf?

GitHub Copilot starts at free (freemium model) with a free trial. Windsurf starts at free (freemium model). Use the Cost Calculator above for a detailed estimate.

What are the main differences between GitHub Copilot and Windsurf?

GitHub Copilot — "Write better code with AI". Windsurf — "Manage fleets of local and cloud agents from one surface.". Key differences include their pricing models, platform support, integrations, and technical capabilities. See the Feature Comparison table above for a complete side-by-side breakdown.

Can I use GitHub Copilot and Windsurf together?

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