Continue.dev vs Windsurf (by Cognition)

The biggest structural difference: Continue.dev is an extension, Windsurf is a standalone IDE. That single decision cascades into everything else.

Open source vs proprietary. Continue.dev is fully open source. You can read the code, fork it, contribute to it. Windsurf is proprietary. You're trusting their team to build the right experience.

Model flexibility. Continue.dev connects to anything: OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Ollama, AWS Bedrock, Azure, xAI. If a model has an API, Continue.dev can probably use it. Windsurf curates its model selection (GPT-5.4, Gemini 3.1 Pro, Claude Sonnet 4.6) and adds their proprietary SWE-1.5, which is optimized for coding speed.

Cost model. Continue.dev is genuinely free. You pay your LLM provider directly, and that's it. Run Ollama locally, and you pay nothing at all. Windsurf has a free tier with limited quota, then Pro at $20/mo, Max at $200/mo (unlimited), and Teams at $40/user/mo. The free tier is enough to try it; serious use needs a subscription.

Deployment. Windsurf has one-click App Deploys built into the IDE. You can push a web app live without leaving your editor. Continue.dev doesn't deploy anything. It's a coding assistant, not a platform.

Agent depth. Windsurf's Cascade is purpose-built for autonomous multi-step work. It plans ahead, executes across files, and handles complex refactoring flows. Continue.dev's agent mode is flexible and configurable but more manual. You'll do more steering.

JetBrains support. Continue.dev works in both VS Code and JetBrains. Windsurf is its own standalone IDE (VS Code fork). If you're a JetBrains user, Continue.dev is your only option here.

Image-to-code. Windsurf supports drag-and-drop image-to-code for building designs and layouts. Continue.dev doesn't have this feature.

Continue.dev and Windsurf represent two different bets on how AI should integrate with coding. Continue.dev says: keep your editor, add AI as a plugin. It's an open-source extension for VS Code and JetBrains that works with any model provider. You bring your own API keys or run local models through Ollama. The tool itself costs nothing.

Windsurf says: the editor IS the AI. It's a standalone desktop IDE (a VS Code fork) with a proprietary agent called Cascade that can plan and execute multi-step tasks autonomously. It ships its own models (SWE-1.5), has built-in deployment, and a polished experience designed to feel like magic. You're not adding AI to your workflow; you're adopting a workflow built around AI.

The question isn't which one is "better." It's whether you want AI that fits into your existing setup or a new setup built around AI from scratch. Continue.dev is the extension approach: flexible, open, bring-your-own-everything. Windsurf is the platform approach: opinionated, integrated, batteries-included.

For developers who've already customized their VS Code or JetBrains setup and don't want to leave, Continue.dev is a natural fit. For developers who are willing to switch editors in exchange for tighter integration and less configuration, Windsurf makes a strong case.

Continue.dev has the simplest pricing in the AI coding space: it's free. All features, no limits, no tiers. Your only cost is whatever your LLM provider charges. If you use OpenAI's API, you pay OpenAI. If you run Ollama locally, you pay your electricity bill.

Windsurf's pricing is tiered. The free plan gives you a light quota with basic tab completions and limited Cascade usage. Pro at $20/mo gets you 500+ credits, premium models including SWE-1.5, and full Cascade access. Max at $200/mo removes all daily limits and unlocks unlimited proprietary models. Teams is $40/user/mo with admin controls.

For budget-conscious developers, Continue.dev with local Ollama models is unbeatable at $0 total. For developers who want a polished, all-in-one experience and don't mind $20/mo, Windsurf Pro is solid value. The Max tier at $200/mo is for heavy users who burn through credits quickly and want zero friction.

One thing to watch: Windsurf's credit system means your effective cost depends on how much you use Cascade. Light users might find Pro generous. Heavy users might hit limits and need add-on credits ($10 for 250) or the Max plan.

If you love your current VS Code or JetBrains setup and don't want to leave it, Continue.dev is the clear pick. It adds AI to what you already have without changing your workflow.

If you want the most polished AI IDE experience and don't mind switching editors, Windsurf delivers. Cascade, SWE-1.5, built-in deployment, image-to-code: it's all there, integrated and ready to go.

If you run local models for privacy or cost reasons, Continue.dev. It connects to Ollama and any local model provider natively. Windsurf uses cloud models.

If you want built-in deployment from your editor, Windsurf. One-click App Deploys mean you can go from code to live app without leaving the IDE. Continue.dev is strictly a coding assistant.

If you value open source, Continue.dev. Full source code, community contributions, no vendor lock-in. Windsurf is proprietary.

If you're a JetBrains user, Continue.dev. Windsurf doesn't support JetBrains. Full stop.