What happened to Windsurf AI?
For those who don’t know, today it was announced that OpenAI bought WindSurf, the AI-assisted IDE, for 3 billion USD. Previously, they tried to buy Cursor, the leading company that offers AI-assisted IDE, but didn’t agree on the details (probably on the price). OpenAI has agreed to buy Windsurf, an artificial intelligence-assisted coding tool formerly known as Codeium, for about $3 billion, according to people familiar with the matter, marking the ChatGPT maker’s largest acquisition to date.OpenAI acquires Windsurf for $3 billion to boost coding capabilities. OpenAI has agreed to acquire Windsurf, the AI-powered coding platform, for $3 billion, according to a report by Bloomberg.About Windsurf Windsurf was formerly known as Codeium. It was founded in 2021 and is based in Mountain View, California. In May 2025, Windsurf was acquired by OpenAI.OpenAI agrees to buy Windsurf for about $3 billion, Bloomberg News reports | Reuters.
How does Windsurf AI work?
The core idea behind Windsurf is to reduce the context-switching that often comes with AI coding assistants. Rather than having to stop what you’re doing to carefully craft prompts, you can interact with it more naturally through features like inline commands (⌘ + I), code lenses, and its Cascade interface. In Cursor, you usually have to add the context manually or tag the codebase, but Windsurf will automatically analyze the codebase and choose the right file to work on.
How good is Windsurf AI?
Conclusion. Windsurf AI impressed me. It’s a significant step towards truly AI-assisted development that goes far beyond simple code completion. The ability of Cascade to understand project context and generate substantial, well-structured code for a web application like my To-Do app was a real “wow” moment. Environment Integration: Windsurf is a dedicated AI-first IDE, whereas Augment Code is an IDE-agnostic extension. Windsurf’s approach offers a tightly integrated experience with custom UI features (like Cascade flows, AI toggle modes, built-in preview/deploy) but requires using their VS Code-based application.Varun Mohan, CEO of Windsurf, shares how building an AI-native IDE is reshaping software development—from optimizing LLM latency to enabling non-engineers to ship code.On Thursday, Windsurf, a startup that develops popular AI tools for software engineers, announced the launch of its first family of AI software engineering models, or SWE-1 for short.Windsurf is a new name for Codeium IDE for programming based on VSCode. What makes it special is that it has built-in AI features (VSCode does too btw). One thing that I really like about Windsurf is the Cascade mode, and specifically temporal awareness.
What is the alternative to Windsurf AI?
Other interesting open source alternatives to Windsurf are: Pythagora, Aider, Tabby and Continue. Windsurf alternatives are mainly AI Coding Assistants Tools but may also be AI-Powered Editors or General Purpose Editors. VS Code gives you control. Windsurf gives you a collaborator. In a future where codebases are complex, multimodal, and fast-changing, developers need more than suggestions. They need environments that understand.Windsurf is a new name for Codeium IDE for programming based on VSCode. What makes it special is that it has built-in AI features (VSCode does too btw). One thing that I really like about Windsurf is the Cascade mode, and specifically temporal awareness.The Windsurf Editor is powered by an AI that can both collaborate with you like a Copilot and tackle complex tasks independently like an Agent. The AI is completely in sync with you, every step of the way.
What is Windsurf in AI?
At its core, Windsurf provides AI-powered code completion, refactoring, and search capabilities, enabling developers to write, review, and navigate code more efficiently. These tools ensure that development teams can work faster and smarter while maintaining control and precision in their workflows. In Cursor, you usually have to add the context manually or tag the codebase, but Windsurf will automatically analyze the codebase and choose the right file to work on.
Is Windsurf AI free?
Immediately after this free trial period, on April 29, Windsurf followed up with a major revamp of their pricing and offering. Free plan users now receive 25 prompt credits per month (up from 5). That is equivalent to 100 prompts with GPT-4. Windsurf offers a limited free plan that includes a two-week Pro trial and five prompt credits/month. Windsurf’s pricing for Pro currently starts at $15/month, which includes 500 prompt credits. Per a recent pricing change, tool calls—like reading a file—no longer consume additional credits.Immediately after this free trial period, on April 29, Windsurf followed up with a major revamp of their pricing and offering. Free plan users now receive 25 prompt credits per month (up from 5). That is equivalent to 100 prompts with GPT-4.Both Cursor and Windsurf have a free plan. As part of the free plan, you get several slow premium requests (this means you get to use premium models, but slower).