vsref

12 Best Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) Alternatives (2026)

Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) is cognition's ai code editor, formerly windsurf (renamed 2026-06-02), with local agents, tab completions and a command center for local and cloud devin agents.. Teams that switch usually cite published usage limits instead of an unpublished allowance, an open-source agent you can run with your own API key, a no-training policy, SSO and a self-hosted option for company code. The alternatives below are ranked by published head-to-head verdicts, not sponsorship.

Not ready to switch? Full Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) review →

If you sign up through links on this page, vsref may earn a commission; programs exist on both sides of most comparisons, and commissions never change verdicts. How we make money

Reviewed by vsref Editorialfacts verified Oct 3, 2026Methodology →

Where to switch, by reason

Switching because of published usage limits instead of an unpublished allowance →see Command Code
Switching because of an open-source agent you can run with your own API key →see DeepSeek Harness (dsh)
Switching because of a no-training policy, SSO and a self-hosted option for company code →see GitLab Duo Agent Platform
Switching because of free plans →see Amp
Switching because of terminal workflows →see Cline
Switching because of vs code →see Factory
AI IDE with CLI and cloud agents; ships its own Grok/Composer models. Acquired by SpaceX (completed 2026-08-14, per cursor.com/blog/joining-spacex); also segments terminal_agent, cloud_agent.Best if you need: enterprise, free plans, terminal workflows
Multi-model IDE extension plus Copilot cloud agent (formerly 'coding agent'; cloud_agent) and Copilot CLI (terminal_agent). Billing moved from premium requests to GitHub AI Credits on 2026-06-01.vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.Best if you need: beginners, free plans, local models, open source, terminal workflows, vs code
Spec-driven AI IDE + CLI (ex-Q Developer CLI) + web/cloud agent; AWS successor to Amazon Q Developervs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): no zero data retention option.Best if you need: beginners, free plans, terminal workflows
#4AiderOSS
Original git-native terminal pair programmer; BYO key only, no paid tier; publishes its own polyglot LLM leaderboard (also oss_self_hosted)vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Aider →
Legacy AWS coding assistant in end-of-sale; superseded by Kirovs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): no pick the model per task.
#6Amp logoAmp
Frontier multi-model agent + cloud dev environments (orbs); also terminal_agent (Amp CLI, connects to VS Code/Cursor/Windsurf/Zed/Neovim). OWNERSHIP: no longer branded as Sourcegraph - operated by "Amp Frontier Corporation" (privacy policy, modified Sep 10, 2026); about page: "We are an independent agent research lab"; CLI npm package moved from @sourcegraph/amp to @ampcode/cli (May 14, 2026 changelog). Free Hobby tier with BYOK/ChatGPT-sub since Sep 13, 2026.
See pricingVisit Amp →
Context-engine coding platform for large codebases; now led by Cosmos cloud agents + Auggie CLI (also ide_extension: VS Code, JetBrains, Vim/Neovim chat). Brief seeded it as an IDE extension; the 2026 pricing page leads with "Try Cosmos". Flat team pricing (up to 50 seats, no per-seat charge) with a pooled $ usage balance.vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): no zero data retention option.
Terminal-first coding agent included in Claude Pro/Max/Team/Enterprise plans or billed via API; also IDE extension, desktop app and cloud sessions (cloud_agent).
#9Cline logoClineOSS
BYO-key OSS agent; free for individuals, pay only for inference; Plan/Act modes; also CLI, desktop app, SDK (also oss_self_hosted)vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Cline →
Coding agent for open models (DeepSeek, Kimi, GLM, Qwen, MiniMax) with taste learning; CLI + desktop + ACP for Zed; cheap $1-$20 plans with published $ rolling windows.vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
#11Continue logoContinueOSS
Discontinued: acquired by Cursor (June 2026); final v2.x release; code remains availablevs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): no pick the model per task.
"The Sovereign AI Lab": coding agent + own post-trained Lumen models, pitched at regulated/air-gapped orgs and niche languages (COBOL, Fortran, Verilog). Formerly branded Genie (Genie CLI introduced Q2 2025). Secondary segment: terminal_agent (cos CLI).vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): no zero data retention option.
See pricingVisit Cosine →
All 43 ai coding agents alternatives
#13Crush logoCrushOSS
Source-available (FSL, converts to MIT after 2 years) BYO-model terminal agent; optional Charm-hosted 'Hyper' inference subscription.vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Crush →
'Everything is a Plugin' (Cordis) agent harness from DeepSeek; developer preview with breaking changes; general-purpose, not coding-onlyvs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): no pick the model per task.
Autonomous cloud coding agent + terminal agent (Devin CLI); plans shared with Devin Desktop
See pricingVisit Devin →
Agent-native dev platform; Droids work locally or as background/cloud agents. Secondary segment: terminal_agent (Droid CLI). Domain moved from factory.ai to factory.com (factory.ai 307-redirects).vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
#17Freebuff logoFreebuffOSS
Ad-funded free coding agent on curated low-cost models. History: launched as Codebuff (YC); repo and operator (Freebuff, Inc., legal docs effective 2026-09-02) now present Freebuff, built on the Codebuff open multi-agent framework; codebuff.com still sells the premium-model Codebuff CLI ($100-$500/mo). Also desktop, web builder, cloud IDE.vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): no zero data retention option.
Open-source terminal agent (also oss_self_hosted), enterprise/API-key only after consumer users moved to Antigravity CLIvs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): no zero data retention option.
DevSecOps-native agents and flows for GitLab Premium/Ultimate; also IDE extensions (VS Code, JetBrains) and a Duo CLI; self-managed and air-gapped self-hosted-model options.vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
Agent-first IDE + CLI + desktop agent manager; Google's consumer coding product since Gemini CLI's 2026-06-18 consumer cutovervs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
#21Goose logoGooseOSS
Local, BYO-model general-purpose agent; also a native desktop app (Rust). Donated by Block to the Linux Foundation's Agentic AI Foundation in 2026.vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Goose →
#22gptme logogptmeOSS
MIT local-first terminal agent; also web UI, desktop app, REST server, MCP/ACP; persistent autonomous-agent template.vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit gptme →
Subscription-bundled vendor terminal agent (SuperGrok / X Premium+), open-sourced Apache-2.0; also embeds in editors via ACPvs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
Async GitHub cloud agent bundled with Google AI Pro/Ultra; changelog quiet since March 2026vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): no pick the model per task.
JetBrains IDE agent, now also a terminal agent (Junie CLI) and runs in JetBrains Air; metered in JetBrains AI Credits ($1 each) with BYOK at provider rates, zero markup.vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
#26Kilo Code logoKilo CodeOSS
OSS multi-surface agent; zero-markup inference gateway + Kilo Pass credit bundles; started as a Roo Code fork, now built on the OpenCode core (also terminal_agent, cloud_agent)vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
#27Kimi Code logoKimi CodeOSS
Open-weight model vendor's agent, included with Kimi membership; MIT CLI also takes other providersvs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): no zero data retention option.
Persistent-memory coding agent (Apache-2.0); CLI + desktop + browser + Slack/Telegram/Discord channels; optional Letta Cloud ($20/mo Pro).vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
European vendor agent with open-weight local models and self-hosting; also IDE extension and cloud_agent (remote agents, teleport)vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
Coding agent across CLI (Apache-2.0), IDE extension, Codex Cloud (cloud_agent) and ChatGPT desktop app; usage shared with ChatGPT Work. The standalone Codex app merged into the ChatGPT desktop app on 2026-07-09.vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
#31OpenCode logoOpenCodeOSS
Most-starred OSS coding agent; provider-agnostic TUI with build/plan agents; optional pay-as-you-go Zen gateway and $10/$40 Go subscriptions (also oss_self_hosted)vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
#32OpenHands logoOpenHandsOSS
MIT-licensed, model-agnostic agent platform; self-host or use OpenHands Cloud (free individual SaaS, enterprise VPC). Also a cloud/async agent.vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
#33Pi logoPiOSS
Minimal-by-design harness: no built-in subagents, plan mode or permission popups; extend via packages, skills and SDKvs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Pi →
#34PlandexOSS
Discontinued: Plandex Cloud wound down from 2025-10-03; no commits or releases since.vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): no pick the model per task.
#35Qwen Code logoQwen CodeOSS
Open-source multi-provider agent from an open-weight model lab; also desktop app, web UI and VS Code/JetBrains/Zed pluginsvs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
#36Roo Code logoRoo CodeOSS
Discontinued 2026-05-15; team pivoted to Roomote (cloud agent). Community fork ZooCode; Kilo Code started as a Roo forkvs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): no pick the model per task.
#37Tabby logoTabbyOSS
Self-hosted completion server + IDE plugins; low activity in 2026 (chat/knowledge features sunset Jan 2026, vendor focus shifted to its Pochi agent).vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Tabby →
Private, governed enterprise coding agent with self-hosted and air-gapped deployment. Now a Tricentis product (acquired 2026-07-30). Secondary segment: terminal_agent (Tabnine Plugin for OpenCode).vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
#39Trae logoTrae
Low-priced AI IDE (Free/Lite/Pro/Pro+/Ultra); product family now split into TraeCode (IDE) and TraeWork (web/desktop/mobile workspace built on SOLO). Owner per brief: ByteDance - the legal entity could not be read from a primary source (privacy policy/ToS are client-rendered); enterprise page cites Douyin as a customer. Chats may be used for training unless Privacy Mode is on.vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): no opens prs from issues.
See pricingVisit Trae →
Plan-Code-Verify multi-model agent; desktop app (primary, most changelog activity), VS Code/JetBrains plugins, Slack/Telegram control; increasingly pitched as an 'AI technical cofounder' with app deployment.vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): no self-hosted / vpc deployment.
#41Void logoVoidOSS
Discontinued OSS Cursor alternative; repo archived 2026-06-02.vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): no pick the model per task.
See pricingVisit Void →
#42Warp logoWarp
Agentic terminal / ADE with credit-metered agents and cloud agent orchestration ("Warp Factories"). Secondary segment: cloud_agent. Client source available under AGPL-3.0.
See pricingVisit Warp →
#43Zed logoZedOSS
Fast OSS editor with agentic features; free with your own keys or external agents, Pro $10/mo adds $5 of hosted-model tokens at list +10%. Also oss_self_hosted-adjacent (GPL editor, local models).vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf): adds runs local models.
See pricingVisit Zed →

How the top Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) alternatives compare

A closer look at the top 5: each Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) alternative's standing among AI coding agents peers, its verdict record against Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf), and the trade-offs of leaving.

1. Cursor

Head-to-head, Cursor takes enterprise, free plans and terminal workflows from Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) and matches it for beginners, local models and open source.

Why teams switch: Both tools clear the basic security checklist, each offering a self-hosted or VPC deployment, a zero data retention option, SOC 2 and admin audit logs. Where they differ is the training policy and SSO access. Cursor states that with Privacy Mode on, code is not used for training, a clear commitment a security review can point to, while Devin Desktop's self-serve policy describes a default setting rather than a firm exclusion. Cursor also offers SAML/OIDC SSO from its Teams plan at $40/user/mo upward, whereas Devin Desktop limits SSO to Enterprise, though it adds SCIM there. Enterprise verdict →

Overall verdict: Cursor wins three use cases to one, with three ties. It takes Enterprise by stating that code is not used for training with Privacy Mode on and by offering SAML/OIDC SSO from its Teams plan at $40/user/mo, while Devin Desktop limits SSO to Enterprise. It takes Free Plans because it supports bringing your own API key, which Devin Desktop does not generally offer on self-serve plans, and it takes Terminal Workflows with twelve listed surfaces against three. Devin Desktop wins VS Code with its own IDE plus six more editors. Beginners is a tie at $20/mo each, and neither publishes local model support or a license.

Full Cursor vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) comparison → · Cursor review →

2. GitHub Copilot

In our published verdicts, GitHub Copilot beats Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) for beginners, free plans, local models, open source, terminal workflows and vs code.

The reverse angle matters too - Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs GitHub Copilot: adds zero data retention option.

Why teams switch: A predictable, low bill matters most for newer developers. Devin Desktop's cheapest paid plan is $20/mo, while GitHub Copilot's is $10/mo, and Copilot publishes its entry allowance of 1,000 base plus 500 flex credits on Pro, which Devin Desktop does not. On the free plan, Copilot Free states 2,000 code completions a month, while Devin Desktop describes only a light quota to code with agents. Both offer checkpoints and rollback for undoing agent mistakes. Copilot also runs on more surfaces, including IDE extensions and GitHub.com. Beginners verdict →

Overall verdict: GitHub Copilot wins six of seven use cases. Devin Desktop's cheapest paid plan is $20/mo, while GitHub Copilot's is $10/mo, and Copilot publishes 1,000 base plus 500 flex credits on Pro and 2,000 code completions a month on its no-cost tier, which carries Beginners and Free Plans. Local model support and bring-your-own-key, which Devin Desktop lacks on self-serve plans, win Local Models and Open Source. Wider surfaces and direct VS Code support take Terminal Workflows and VS Code. Devin Desktop keeps Enterprise with self-hosted deployment, SSO with SCIM and zero data retention.

Full GitHub Copilot vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) comparison → · GitHub Copilot review →

3. Kiro

Our use-case verdicts have Kiro ahead of Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) for beginners, free plans and terminal workflows and matches it for local models and open source.

Seen from the other side, Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs Kiro: adds zero data retention option.

Why teams switch: Both start at $20/mo, so included usage and the free plan decide it. Kiro publishes 1,000 credits a month on Kiro Pro, while Devin Desktop does not publish an entry-tier allowance. Kiro's free plan states 50 credits a month, against Devin Desktop's light quota to code with agents, with no number given. Both offer checkpoints and rollback, so undoing agent mistakes is covered either way. Kiro also runs in more places, including an IDE, a CLI and the web. A clearly stated allowance makes Kiro's bill easier to predict. Beginners verdict →

Overall verdict: Kiro wins three use cases to Devin Desktop's two, with two ties. Both start at $20/mo, but Kiro publishes what you get: 1,000 credits a month on Kiro Pro and 50 credits a month on its free plan, while Devin Desktop offers only a light quota with no number. That carries Beginners and Free Plans. Kiro also runs as an IDE, a CLI and on the web, which wins Terminal Workflows. Devin Desktop takes Enterprise, with self-hosted deployment, zero data retention and SOC 2, and VS Code, thanks to its VS Code-based IDE. Neither publishes local model support or a license, so those use cases tie.

Full Kiro vs Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) comparison → · Kiro review →

4. Aider

Before switching, weigh what stays behind - Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs Aider: adds zero data retention option.

Aider review →

5. Amazon Q Developer

Seen from the other side, Devin Desktop (formerly Windsurf) vs Amazon Q Developer: adds pick the model per task.

Amazon Q Developer review →