Claude vs Windsurf
A side-by-side comparison to help you choose the right tool.
89
Claude scores higher overall (89/100)
But the best choice depends on your specific needs. Compare below.
| Feature | Claude | Windsurf |
|---|---|---|
| Our score | 89 | 88 |
| Pricing | Free plan available. Pro is $20/month monthly or $17/month billed annually. Team starts at $25/user/month billed annually. | Free tier with 25 credits/month. Pro at $15/month with 500 credits. Teams at $30/user/month. Enterprise pricing is custom. |
| Free plan | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Users who value clean writing and strong reasoning, Teams wanting projects, knowledge bases, and connectors, People who like Anthropic's product direction and safety posture | Developers who want AI-powered coding across multiple IDEs, not just one editor, Teams working on complex multi-file refactoring and large codebases, Enterprise teams needing FedRAMP, HIPAA, or ITAR compliance, Cost-conscious developers who want Cursor-level features at a lower price |
| Platforms | web, ios, android, mac, windows | mac, windows, linux |
| API | Yes | Yes |
| Languages | en | en |
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| Visit site | Visit site |
Claude
89
- Pricing
- Free plan available. Pro is $20/month monthly or $17/month billed annually. Team starts at $25/user/month billed annually.
- Free plan
- Yes
- Best for
- Users who value clean writing and strong reasoning, Teams wanting projects, knowledge bases, and connectors, People who like Anthropic's product direction and safety posture
- Platforms
- web, ios, android, mac, windows
- API
- Yes
- Languages
- en
Windsurf
88
- Pricing
- Free tier with 25 credits/month. Pro at $15/month with 500 credits. Teams at $30/user/month. Enterprise pricing is custom.
- Free plan
- Yes
- Best for
- Developers who want AI-powered coding across multiple IDEs, not just one editor, Teams working on complex multi-file refactoring and large codebases, Enterprise teams needing FedRAMP, HIPAA, or ITAR compliance, Cost-conscious developers who want Cursor-level features at a lower price
- Platforms
- mac, windows, linux
- API
- Yes
- Languages
- en
89Choose Claude if:
- You are Users who value clean writing and strong reasoning
- You are Teams wanting projects, knowledge bases, and connectors
- You are People who like Anthropic's product direction and safety posture
- You want to start free
88Choose Windsurf if:
- You are Developers who want AI-powered coding across multiple IDEs, not just one editor
- You are Teams working on complex multi-file refactoring and large codebases
- You are Enterprise teams needing FedRAMP, HIPAA, or ITAR compliance
- You want to start free
FAQ
- What is the difference between Claude and Windsurf?
- Claude is anthropic's general ai assistant for writing, research, analysis, and coding, with a strong reputation for thoughtful long-form output. Windsurf is windsurf is an ai-native code editor with agentic capabilities that understands your entire codebase and applies multi-file changes autonomously. ranked #1 in ai dev tool power rankings, it offers broader ide compatibility than cursor at a lower price point.
- Which is cheaper, Claude or Windsurf?
- Claude: Free plan available. Pro is $20/month monthly or $17/month billed annually. Team starts at $25/user/month billed annually.. Windsurf: Free tier with 25 credits/month. Pro at $15/month with 500 credits. Teams at $30/user/month. Enterprise pricing is custom.. Claude has a free plan. Windsurf has a free plan.
- Who is Claude best for?
- Claude is best for Users who value clean writing and strong reasoning, Teams wanting projects, knowledge bases, and connectors, People who like Anthropic's product direction and safety posture.
- Who is Windsurf best for?
- Windsurf is best for Developers who want AI-powered coding across multiple IDEs, not just one editor, Teams working on complex multi-file refactoring and large codebases, Enterprise teams needing FedRAMP, HIPAA, or ITAR compliance, Cost-conscious developers who want Cursor-level features at a lower price.